The Skinny:
On April 14th, the Brits will celebrate National Laverbread Day in honor of this gloopy seaweed that was first referenced as a staple of the Welsh as early as the 9th Century in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles. Laverbread is not bread but comes from laver seaweed that looks like kneaded bread dough and is found on the south coast of Wales. It is one of only 80 other British products, such as Stilton cheese, Cornish clotted cream, Anglesey sea salt and Welsh lamb, that is protected from production under its name. Visually off-putting to many of the uninitiated, it is often served as a part of a traditional Welsh breakfast. It is eaten raw, spread on hot toast or mixed with rolled oats and formed into patties that are baked or fried. Called by some the Welshman’s caviar, it is also packaged as dried flakes and has grown increasingly popular in Japan because of its powerful nutritional value and the country’s general appreciation of seaweed’s health benefits. What can Laverbread deliver? Think of Popeye’s regular spinach on steroids. Here are five specific benefits. Read on.
The Slate:
Nutritious & Mineral-Rich
Laverbread has good stuff and is low in calories and fats. A 3.5-ounce serving has 35 calories, 5.11 grams of carbohydrates, 0.28 grams of fat and 5.81 grams of protein. It also contains a substantial helping of the minimum daily requirements of vitamin A (33 percent), B2 (37 percent), folate (37 percent), vitamin C (47 percent), iron (14 percent), manganese (47 percent) and zinc (11 percent). It is even relatively low in sodium, only 48 milligrams.
Iodine Booster
Laverbread was popular with the Welsh because it was nutritious, inexpensive and available. It was, however, particularly popular with Welsh miners because of its ability to prevent goiter, a common symptom of iodine deficiency. Other sea vegetables like wakame and kombu contain iodine, but laver has a more moderate iodine content, which makes it a preferred choice for those with iodine sensitivity. It is still a great source as one tablespoon (about 2-3 grams) of laver flakes provides more than 100 percent of the daily recommended amount of iodine.
Kicks Away Kidney Stones
The ancients Brits believed that since laver grew on stones, it could probably cure kidney stones. Not sure the logic holds at first glance, but these old Anglo-Saxons were apparently on to something. China researchers recently reported that laverbread could prevent kidney stones because its polysaccharides resemble the body’s natural urinary sulfated glycosaminoglycans, which inhibits the calcium oxalate crystallization that causes kidney stones.
Supports Immune Function
Korean researchers report that laver seaweed supplements support adult immune systems by improving “natural killer” cell activity. These natural killer cells, as expected, target and kill aberrant cells, which limits tissue damage caused by several types of tumors and microbial infections.
Battles Respiratory Viruses
According to a French researcher, laver seaweed may also be an antiviral agent against upper and lower respiratory tract infections. The polysaccharides in the seaweed may provide a safe alternative to synthetic broad-spectrum antiviral drugs for respiratory viruses such as coronavirus, rhinovirus and influenza.
Planet Buddy Bonus
If being nutritious isn’t enough, laverbread is a sustainable food source that consumes nitrogen and phosphorus, which can harm oceans. It also sucks up CO2 and other greenhouse gases. The seaweed supports biodiversity by providing smaller sea creatures a place to hide and thrive. Since it is harvested by hand and grows quickly, it is highly sustainable.
Eyes Up:
Have you ever had laverbread? Let us know at info@wellwellusa.com.
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