The Health Benefits of Seaweed

Seaweed describes plants and algae that grow in oceans, lakes, rivers and other bodies of water.

海藻是指生长在海洋、湖泊、河流和其他水体中的植物和藻类。

Some kinds of seaweed are too small to see. They float in the water and are the food base for most ocean life. 

有些海藻太小看不见。它们漂浮在水中，是大多数海洋生物的食物基础。

Other kinds are huge, such as giant kelp. Their roots grow from the floors of lakes, rivers and oceans. 

其他种类是巨大的，比如巨型海带。它们的根生长在湖泊、河流和海洋的底部。

Medium-sized seaweed wash up on beaches and shorelines all around the world. They are colored red, green, black and brown.

全世界的海滩和海岸线上都有中等大小的海藻。它们有红色、绿色、黑色和棕色。

The most common kind of seaweed that we eat is brown, such as kelp and wakame, and red, such as nori. Nori is the seaweed used to make sushi, the popular Japanese food.

我们吃的最常见的海草是棕色的，如海带和海带，红色的，如海带。诺丽是用来做寿司的海藻，寿司是日本流行的食物。

In fact, many people may think of seaweed as an Asian food product. After all, China, South Korea, Japan, Indonesia and the Philippines are among the largest producers of seaweed.

事实上，许多人可能认为海藻是一种亚洲食品。毕竟，中国、韩国、日本、印度尼西亚和菲律宾是最大的海藻生产国。

However, seaweed grows all over the world and people worldwide eat seaweed.

然而，海藻生长在世界各地，全世界的人都吃海藻。

Norway, Chile, France and the United Kingdom are also major producers of seaweed. Scandinavians add seaweed to soup and salads.

挪威、智利、法国和英国也是海藻的主要生产国。斯堪的纳维亚人在汤和沙拉中加入海藻。

In Ireland, people have been eating seaweed for hundreds of years. It helped Irish people survive a severe lack of food in the country during the 1800s. 

在爱尔兰，人们吃海草已经有几百年了。它帮助爱尔兰人在19世纪的严重缺粮中生存下来。

The Scottish culture has also eaten seaweed for many, many years. And records show that ancient Romans used seaweed to treat wounds, burns and rashes.

苏格兰文化也吃海藻很多很多年了。记录显示古罗马人用海藻治疗伤口、烧伤和皮疹。

Now, the taste of seaweed may not be for everyone. Naturally, it can taste fishy. 

现在，海藻的味道可能不适合所有人。很自然，它会有鱼腥味。

For those who do not like the taste of seaweed, dried and powdered seaweed can be added to foods without changing the flavor. 

对于那些不喜欢海苔味道的人，可以在食物中加入干海苔和海苔粉，而不改变味道。

And researchers at Oregon State University have developed a seaweed that tastes like bacon when fried.

俄勒冈州立大学的研究人员已经开发出一种海藻，炸的时候味道像培根。

That is good news for vegetarians. Also good news for people who don't eat meat is that many types of seaweed, especially those colored red, are high in protein.

这对素食者来说是个好消息。对于不吃肉的人来说，还有一个好消息，就是很多种类的海藻，特别是那些红色的海藻，蛋白质含量很高。

Many health benefits 

许多健康益处

Besides being a non-meat source of protein, seaweed can provide other health benefits.

海藻除了可以作为非肉类蛋白质来源外，还可以提供其他的健康益处。

Several nutrition websites say that women in South Korea often drink seaweed soup after giving birth. It is thought to help to return nutrients and minerals to new mothers.

几家营养网站说，韩国妇女在分娩后经常喝海藻汤。它被认为有助于将营养和矿物质返回给新妈妈。

But this simple soup is good for anyone. The health and nutrition website Mark's Daily Apple gives one recipe for this easy-to-make soup. 

但这个简单的汤对任何人都有好处。健康和营养网站马克的每日苹果提供了一个食谱，为这种容易做汤。

Cook wakame seaweed, mushrooms, sesame oil, garlic and tamari seasoning in a pot of water over a low temperature.

将瓦卡姆海藻、蘑菇、芝麻油、大蒜和塔玛里调味料放入锅中低温烹调。

Nutritionists at University of California, Berkeley, say seaweed is a "rich source of several minerals, including calcium, magnesium, potassium, copper, and iron." A report on the Berkeley Wellness website lists many reasons to eat seaweed.

加州大学伯克利分校的营养学家说，海藻是“多种矿物质的丰富来源，包括钙、镁、钾、铜和铁。”伯克利健康网站上的一份报告列出了吃海藻的许多原因。

For example, seaweed, especially the brown type, is high in iodine. Iodine is a necessary element for good health. 

例如，海藻，特别是褐色海藻，含碘量很高。碘是健康的必要元素。

But it is not found in most foods. Iodine helps keep the body's thyroid gland healthy, among other things.

但在大多数食物中都找不到。碘有助于保持人体甲状腺健康等。

Iodine levels differ greatly among different kinds of seaweed. One source says that brown seaweed can contain five to 50 times the amount a body needs. 

不同种类海藻的碘含量差别很大。一位消息人士说，棕色海藻的含量可能是人体所需量的5到50倍。

The amount of iodine depends on the water in which the seaweed grows.

碘的含量取决于海藻生长的水。

If you are on a low-iodine diet, health experts suggest talking to your doctor before eating seaweed.

如果你是低碘饮食，健康专家建议你在吃海藻之前先和你的医生谈谈。

Seaweed can help you lose weight.

海藻可以帮助你减肥

。

Seaweeds are a good source of soluble fiber. This type of fiber helps you to feel full. It also helps to lower the amount of bad cholesterol.

海藻是可溶性纤维的良好来源。这种纤维能让你感到饱足。它也有助于降低坏胆固醇的含量。

One kind of seaweed may help to limit the body's absorption of fat.

一种海藻可能有助于限制身体对脂肪的吸收。

Researchers at Britain's Newcastle University studied alginate, a seaweed used in food and cloth production. 

英国纽卡斯尔大学的研究人员研究了海藻酸盐，一种用于食品和布料生产的海藻。

The scientists say they found that dietary fiber in alginate could reduce the amount of fat absorption by around 75 percent.

科学家们说，他们发现海藻酸钠中的膳食纤维可以使脂肪吸收量减少75%左右。

Despite all these health benefits, some experts warn that the health benefits of seaweed are exaggerated.

尽管有这些健康益处，一些专家警告说，海藻的健康益处被夸大了。

For example, seaweed may contain vitamins A and C, as well as calcium. 

例如，海藻可能含有维生素A和C，以及钙。

But you would need to eat a lot of seaweed to get enough of any of those. In other words, seaweeds should not be your only source of vitamins and minerals.

但你需要吃很多海藻才能吃够这些。换句话说，海藻不应该是你维生素和矿物质的唯一来源。

Nutritionists also warn that seaweed can block B12 vitamins. So, if you eat a lot of seaweed, they suggest taking a B12 supplement.

营养学家还警告说，海藻可以阻断维生素b12。所以，如果你吃了很多海藻，他们建议你服用B12补充剂。

And before you eat seaweed, know where it comes from. Seaweeds easily absorb and store whatever is in the water in which it grows. 

在你吃海草之前，要知道它是从哪里来的。海藻很容易吸收和储存生长在水中的任何东西。

Possible dangers include arsenic, mercury and other heavy metals. 

可能的危险包括砷、汞和其他重金属。

So, seaweed can be a healthy vegetarian addition to your diet. Just get it from a clean water source. And understand its limits and benefits.

所以，海藻可以是一个健康的素食添加到你的饮食。从干净的水源里拿。了解它的局限性和好处。