1. Seaweed contains a special protein called glycoprotein, which can also be used for the separation and detection of blood cells, drug carriers, the production of immune antibodies and the medical use of anticancer drugs. Trehalose protein has great application potential in the diagnosis of immune system function, tumor formation and metastasis.
2. The substances with immune enhancement and anticancer activity in seaweed belong to special polysaccharides, protein, lipids, pigments and low molecular substances. In Chinese medicine, several kinds of brown algae can be used to prevent and treat cancer after cooking. The main component of this hot water extract is polysaccharide.
3. Seaweed is rich in dietary fiber. Generally, the fiber content of seaweed is about 30-65% of the dry weight, which is much higher than the average content of beans, grains, vegetables and fruits. Therefore, moderately increasing the intake of seaweed fiber can reduce blood pressure, blood cholesterol and blood sugar, contribute to the normal law of heart and blood vessels, and prevent cancer. In addition, seaweed food fiber swells after entering the human gastrointestinal tract due to water absorption, which is easy to cause satiety, avoid obesity caused by excessive food intake, and achieve the effect of weight loss and health care. In the human body, dietary fiber can help digestion and promote waste excretion, avoid the growth of harmful bacteria in the body, and has the function of intestinal regulation.
4. Seaweed contains a variety of vitamins, mainly vitamins B 12, C and E, biotin and nicotinic acid, which have positive effects on human metabolism and the prevention and recovery of various diseases.
5. Seaweed contains more kinds and quantities of natural inorganic elements than terrestrial plants, among which sodium, potassium, iron and calcium are the most. Iron is a component of heme, and iron deficiency is one of the causes of anemia. Calcium is a component of human bones and teeth, and it is also needed to maintain the normal function of cell membrane. If the human body lacks iodine, it will cause thyroid dysfunction; Magnesium can relieve stress and avoid heart disease caused by stress.
6. Some edible seaweeds, such as Porphyra yezoensis, Phaeodactylum palmatum, Ulva lactuca and Chaetoceros, have high protein content, accounting for 20-39% of the dry weight of seaweeds. Seaweed contains more than 20 kinds of essential amino acids. Importantly, most species contain thioamino acids, such as taurine, methionine, cystine and their derivatives, and the content of algae per100g dry weight is about 41-72mg. Except milk, eggs and beans contain a lot of taurine, the thiamine-containing acids in protein, a common land food, are mostly insufficient or lacking, and insufficient intake will affect human health.