This Super-Cheap Superfood Will Balance Your Blood Sugar ASAP

Agar agar, arame, kombu, hijiki, nori, dulse, wakame. To many Americans, the names of these glorious greens (and browns and reds) are unfamiliar. But sea vegetables (aka seaweeds) have been a staple in coastal regions around the globe—from Japan to Iceland, Ireland to the Pacific islands—for centuries, and for good reason.

Sea vegetables are really green, brown, and red marine algae, and there are thousands of types, but only a few dozen varieties are in wide consumption. Although Americans have been slow to catch on to the culinary value of sea vegetables, they are finally starting to appear in the mainstream as additions to soups, salads, and even on pizza.

Just as leaves of spinach or chard blow in the breeze, sea vegetables sway with the tides. And just like most terrestrial vegetables, those from the sea are also low in calories and rich in vitamins and minerals.

But sea vegetables have extra superpowers: They boast a soluble fiber content that rivals that of many beans. (Soluble fiber is the type of fiber best known for helping reduce LDL cholesterol, the bad kind, and it also plays a role in helping us to feel full.) They also have a much higher protein content than their leafy land-based cousins.

And that’s not all! Sea vegetables can act as a prebiotic, a type of indigestible fiber that feeds healthy gut flora and helps it thrive, contributing to a healthy gut balance. While they’re low in fat, the fats they do contain are heart-protective omega-3 fatty acids similar to those found in wild fish and other seafoods.

Sea vegetables are also one of the best food sources of iodine (which is essential for thyroid function) and a good source of phenolic compounds, a group of plant chemicals that may provide a host of health benefits including antioxidants, anti-inflammatory, and anti-clotting properties.

Remember when you thought kale was just a garnish? And then suddenly it was showing up in everything? (Hail, Kale Caesar!)