It’s something we need to think about as early in life as possible – bone health. Who doesn’t want to keep their bones strong and resistant to fractures as they age? No one wants to break a hip from a minor fall or even coughing too hard. But that’s what happens to older people with osteoporosis, or bone loss. When you have weak bones, they break easily. If it happens to be a bone in your hips or pelvis, it can lead to long-term or even permanent disability. It’s a frightening proposition.
You may already know some things you should do to preserve your bone density. Avoid lifestyle habits that are harmful to your bones like smoking, drinking soft drinks, and not exercising. But what about diet? You need to get enough calcium, magnesium, and vitamin D for bone health, but are there certain foods that could give your bone health a boost? How about seaweed? Scientists are intrigued by nutrient-dense sea vegetables, like seaweed, and the effect they have on health, including the health of bones. Let’s see what they’ve learned so far about seaweed’s effect on bone health.
The Calcium Connection
One aspect of seaweed that makes it a bone-friendly superstar is its calcium content. Did you know that seaweed contains up to ten times more calcium than milk? One sea veggie, known as sea lettuce, tops the list of calcium rich veggies. A single gram of sea lettuce contains thirty micrograms of calcium, compared to a single microgram per gram in milk.
One of the functions of calcium in sea vegetables is to help build stronger bones. With calcium making up the main mineral composition of bone, to say you need it for healthy bones is an understatement. Getting adequate calcium is important during childhood and adolescence for bone building, while it helps with bone maintenance during adulthood. You also need calcium for bone remodeling, the process by which your bones remodel and reorganize throughout life. Without enough calcium at all stages of life, you’re at higher risk of osteoporosis and bone fractures. The calcium in seaweed is also highly bioavailable, meaning your body can take it up and use it easier.
Seaweed Is a Mineral Powerhouse
You also need other minerals for bone health and a strong skeleton that resists breakages. These minerals include magnesium, iron, phosphorus, copper, potassium, boron, and zinc. Seaweed contains all these minerals. Magnesium helps keep your blood alkaline, so your bones can better hold on to their calcium, rather than having it leach out of your bones.
Beyond Calcium and Minerals: Other Bone-Boosting Compounds in Seaweed
Seaweed is more than just a source of bone-building minerals. It contains fucoidans, a type of polysaccharide. Brown seaweed is an abundant source of fucoidans that help support bone health and a healthy skeleton. Not only do fucoidans have anti-inflammatory benefits, but scientists are also studying compounds in brown seaweed for engineering new bone tissue.
Studies also suggest that other phytochemicals in seaweed and seaweed extracts help support bone health in unique ways too.
What scientists know about fucoidans, and bone health is that they may help ward off osteoporosis. They seem to work by altering pathways involved in breaking down old bone and building up new stronger bone tissue, a process called remodeling. There’s also evidence that these compounds affect genes involved in maintaining healthy bones.
While it shows potential, scientists still don’t know the exact mechanisms behind the benefits and how much you’d need to consume for bone health. It’s possible that you would need a more concentrated source, like a seaweed extract, to get the full bone-preserving perks.
Until we know more, you can still enjoy the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits of seaweed at home. Here are ideas:
- Add dried seaweed varieties like kombu, nori, wakame, or hijiki to soups, stews, and broths.
- Sprinkle kelp or dulse flakes into smoothies or on top of soups.
- Snack on nori sheets or look for nori-based snacks.
- Experiment with seaweed-based recipes, like the “Hiziki with Sweet Vegetables” dish.
- Stir small pieces of dried seaweed into miso soup or ramen broth.
- Use seaweed flakes as a salt substitute or low-sodium seasoning for various dishes.
- Blend seaweed into pestos, dips, or sauces for a unique umami flavor.
- Make seaweed “tea” by steeping dried seaweed in hot water and drinking as a broth.
- Incorporate seaweed into homemade veggie burgers or fritters for added nutrients and binding.
One concern about seaweed is that, depending on where it’s harvested, it could be contaminated with heavy metals, like arsenic and cadmium, and other contaminants. Look for seaweed harvested from clean waters and that use safe harvesting practices. Also choose seaweed from suppliers that allow their products to undergo third party testing for contaminants. Seaweed harvested from pristine, unpolluted waters is less likely to contain high levels of heavy metals.
The Bottom Line
The research on seaweed and bone health is promising. It is that this versatile and nutrient-dense sea vegetable could help support a bone-healthy diet. Of course, seaweed is not a magic bullet for bone health. It should be part of a well-rounded diet and lifestyle that includes other bone-friendly nutrients, regular exercise, and healthy habits. As with any dietary change, consult with your healthcare provider, especially if you have pre-existing health conditions.
But if you’re looking for a tasty and nutrient-dense way to give your bones a boost, consider adding seaweed to your plate. Your skeleton will thank you!
References:
- Maine Coast Sea Vegetables. “Maine Coast Sea Vegetables,” 2022. https://seaveg.com/blogs/mcsv-blog/7-potential-benefits-of-eating-sea-lettuce-seaweed.
- Bae YJ, Bu SY, Kim JY, Yeon JY, Sohn EW, Jang KH, Lee JC, Kim MH. Magnesium supplementation through seaweed calcium extract rather than synthetic magnesium oxide improves femur bone mineral density and strength in ovariectomized rats. Biol Trace Elem Res. 2011 Dec;144(1-3):992-1002. doi: 10.1007/s12011-011-9073-2. Epub 2011 May 17. PMID: 21584658.
- Xu Y, Ye J, Zhou D, Su L. Research progress on applications of calcium derived from marine organisms. Sci Rep. 2020 Oct 28;10(1):18425. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-75575-8. PMID: 33116162; PMCID: PMC7595125.
- Walsh PJ, McGrath S, McKelvey S, Ford L, Sheldrake G, Clarke SA. The Osteogenic Potential of Brown Seaweed Extracts. Mar Drugs. 2019 Feb 28;17(3):141. doi: 10.3390/md17030141. PMID: 30823356; PMCID: PMC6470556.
- V K AD, Udduttula A, Jaiswal AK. Unveiling the secrets of marine-derived fucoidan for bone tissue engineering-A review. Front Bioeng Biotechnol. 2023 Jan 9;10:1100164. doi: 10.3389/fbioe.2022.1100164. PMID: 36698636; PMCID: PMC9868180.
- Apostolova E, Lukova P, Baldzhieva A, Katsarov P, Nikolova M, Iliev I, Peychev L, Trica B, Oancea F, Delattre C, Kokova V. Immunomodulatory and Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Fucoidan: A Review. Polymers (Basel). 2020 Oct 13;12(10):2338. doi: 10.3390/polym12102338. PMID: 33066186; PMCID: PMC7602053.
- Emma M Brown, Philip J Allsopp, Pamela J Magee, Chris IR Gill, Sonja Nitecki, Conall R Strain, Emeir M McSorley, Seaweed and human health, Nutrition Reviews, Volume 72, Issue 3, 1 March 2014, Pages 205–216, https://doi.org/10.1111/nure.12091
- Haq, S.H., Al-Ruwaished, G., Al-Mutlaq, M.A. et al. Antioxidant, Anticancer Activity and Phytochemical Analysis of Green Algae, Chaetomorpha Collected from the Arabian Gulf. Sci Rep 9, 18906 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-55309-1.
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