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Kombu
Kombu is a type of brown seaweed, species Saccharina japonica, in the Laminariaceae family. It is widely used in Asian cuisine. And it also goes by the names dashima (Korean) and haidai (Chinese).
Kombu is cultivated on ropes in the seas around Japan and Korea, with the waters around the big island of Hokkaido in Japan providing the bulk of kombu cultivation.
Kombu is usually sold dried in sheets or pickled in vinegar. It is used in Japan to make dashi, a popular stock for soup. It is also commonly cooked with beans to add flavor and nutrients, and to make the beans more digestible, which allows greater absorption of those nutrients.
Kombu is also sometimes used to make a seaweed tea and can be used as a seasoning for rice. It’s a great source of glutamic acid, iodine, fiber, and numerous enzymes which are important for digestion.
Kombu Benefits
The nutrient content of kombu is pretty ridiculous. It’s high in fiber, calcium, iron, and vitamins A and C. And the vitamin C increases the bioavailability of the iron. It’s also high in iodine, which most of us are deficient in, and which also helps transport oxygen to our cells – also a common deficiency. And it contains a little known mineral called vanadium.
As mentioned above, kombu contains numerous enzymes, one of which – haloperoxidase – helps to regulate blood sugar, and thus normalize body weight. Kombu is abundant in antioxidants like flavonoids and carotenoids, but also in more elusive alkaloids not found in other foods.
Kombu also contains a sulfated polysaccharide called fucoidan, which is a powerful anti-inflammatory, anticoagulant, and anti-thrombotic, all of which provide cardiovascular benefits.
Besides its super healthy nutritional profile, kombu is able to …
- Provide radiation protection
- Lower LDL (bad) cholesterol
- Raise HDL (good) cholesterol
- Reduce hypertension
- Improve digestion
- Purify the blood
- Detoxify the body
- Stimulate weight loss
- Improve prostate function
- Optimize brain health
- Alkalize the body
- Fight cancer
This 2005 study shows kombu’s ability to help detoxify the body and “contribute to longevity” by removing cancer-causing environmental carcinogens.[64] Another study, which focused on the fucoidan content in kombu (Saccharina), concluded that it exhibited anticoagulant activity, displayed strong anti-thrombotic activity, and strongly blocked breast carcinoma.[65]
This 2013 study corroborated the results of the above study by concluding that brown seaweeds are cytotoxic (toxic to living cells) against breast cancer cell lines.[66] Another study, also conducted in 2013, concluded that the fucoidan content in brown seaweeds have anti-cancer effects and have “shown to induce cytotoxicity of various cancer cells.”[67]
There is no shortage of studies done on the cancer fighting capabilities of kombu and other brown seaweeds, and it seems that fucoidan’s anti-tumor actions are responsible for much of it.[68] As was the case in this 2012 study where fucoidan from seaweed was shown to exhibit anti-metastatic effects on lung cancer cells.[69]
For centuries we silly humans have searched for some mythical fountain of youth. This last study on kombu’s beneficial cellular effects, including slowing the aging process, may offer hope that the key to longevity doesn’t exist in some fairy tale fountain, but rather in a vast and circulating system of water known as the earth’s oceans.[70]
Kombu Uses
If you’re interested in making a healthy and tasty seaweed salad (and why wouldn’t you be?) check out this video, as Amanda walks you through the process step by step. Don’t be too put off by the seaweed. It’s actually quite delicious. And did I mention that it’s healthy?
Or how about an authentic miso soup recipe using kombu? Miso is a seasoning made from fermented soybeans, and all of us could use more fermented foods in our diet. So besides being delicious, this miso soup is also very healthy as well.
You can add kombu to most one-pot meals while cooking, and then simply remove before serving. All those wonderful nutrients will remain. For those of you familiar with the health benefits of bone broth from naturally raised animals, kombu can add an even greater nutritional punch. If you’re not familiar with bone broth, here is a wonderful recipe, along with numerous reasons why it’s so healthy.
For more ideas on how to use kombu, check out these kombu recipes on Pinterest. And if you’re having trouble finding kombu in your local grocery stores, you can purchase this Maine Coast Sea Vegetables brand from iHerb. And as I mentioned earlier in the book, by following any of my iHerb links, you’ll receive $5 off your first order, and iHerb will donate $5 to charity.
And you can always try other sea vegetables like nori (sushi, anyone?) or dulse. They all have similar benefits. And they all work well in bone broth, and other soup recipes.