Laminaria: description, properties, types and applications. Seaweed: benefits and harms, medicinal properties Seaweed how it grows

Laminaria: description, properties, types and applications. Seaweed: benefits and harms, medicinal properties Seaweed how it grows
Laminaria: description, properties, types and applications. Seaweed: benefits and harms, medicinal properties Seaweed how it grows
01.05.2021

Seaweed, also known as kelp, has long been no longer exotic on our tables. However, in the diet of a European, it still does not take the place that nutritionists and doctors would like to take for this plant. The reason for this is often cited as the not outstanding taste of kelp. However, as practice shows, excellent salads and other dishes are obtained from seaweed, whose taste is not much inferior to the indisputable benefits for the human body that kelp has.

What is kelp

Laminaria is also called seaweed because it grows in the sea. And there are a lot of seas, along with oceans, where various types of this brown algae grow on our planet.

We have the most famous types of kelp that grow in the coastal zones of the Kara and White Seas: sugar and palmate.
These algae look like long and narrow leaves, called thallus, which can grow up to 20 meters in length, forming entire algal thickets in the water column. Usually these thalli are attached to the bottom at a depth of up to 10 meters with the help of soles.

Did you know?The natural color of freshly harvested sea kale is dark brown. And only a day after the collection of the thallus, kelp turn green.

Nutritional value and calorie content of the product

The calorie content of this algae is low and amounts to only 24.9 kcal per 100 g of product. The same amount of seaweed contains:

  • 0.9 g of proteins;
  • 0.2 g fat;
  • 3 g carbohydrates.

 This algae is extremely saturated with minerals in the form of:
  • iodine;
  • potassium;
  • sodium;
  • magnesium;
  • calcium;
  • silicon;
  • boron;
  • cobalt;
  • bromine;
  • arsenic;
  • vanadium;
  • arsenic;
  • strontium;
  • cadmium;
  • copper;
  • sulfur;
  • gland;
  • fluorine;
  • Selene;
  • rubidium;
  • nickel;
  • manganese;
  • aluminum;
  • phosphorus;
  • zinc.

 Vitamins are solidly represented in sea kale, especially the B vitamin group, which is contained there in almost full composition.

In addition, this algae is saturated with:

  • vitamin C;
  • vitamin E;
  • vitamin D;
  • vitamin PP, that is, nicotinic acid;
  • vitamin K;
  • provitamin A in the form of beta-carotene.

Did you know? Laminaria got its name from the Latin word "lamina", which means "plate". The reason was the characteristic flat thallus.

Organic substances are represented in this algae by proteins, amino acids, omega-3 and omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids, saturated fatty acids, phytosterols, fiber, polysaccharides and nitrogenous bases.

Useful properties of kelp

Doctors distinguish three main qualities of kelp, which determine its beneficial properties. They include the following effects:

  1. laxative, expressed in the ability of algae to absorb mucus and any other liquid substances. Increasing in volume, parts of seaweed irritate the intestinal mucosa, forcing it to activity. As a result, the intestines are effectively cleansed.
  2. hypolipidemic, effectively reducing the fat concentration in the blood.
  3. Thyroid, contributing to the saturation of the body with iodine. Being expressed in the form of organic compounds, iodine is absorbed extremely efficiently.

 In addition, the algae has many other functions useful for the human body:
  • strengthening blood vessels through iodine salts, which, by supporting the normal activity of the thyroid gland, contribute to the improvement of the entire cardiovascular system;
  • blood purification by reducing the level or complete removal of bad cholesterol, salts of heavy metals and radionuclides from the blood;
  • lowering blood pressure by optimizing the activity of the cardiovascular system;
  • improving the activity of the digestive system by normalizing the stool and stimulating the metabolic process;
  • burning fat with the help of the unique substance fucoxanthin, which converts fat reserves in the body into thermal energy;
  • strengthening immunity, which is facilitated by the abundance of nutrients present in algae, as well as optimizing the activity of various organs in the human body;
  • restoration of hormone production, which is facilitated by the improvement of the thyroid gland, which is responsible for the endocrine system;
  • wound healing, which is stimulated by the significant presence of alginic acid in seaweed;
  • improving visual acuity due to the presence of iodine and beta-carotene salts in algae.

 Thanks to all these diverse beneficial properties, kelp is quite actively used to combat such ailments:
  • diseases of the thyroid and parathyroid glands;
  • diseases of the gastrointestinal tract;
  • violations in the activity of the reproductive system;
  • diabetes mellitus and pancreatitis;
  • joint diseases;
  • problems with the nervous system;
  • diseases of the cardiovascular system;
  • violations of metabolic processes;
  • a drop in visual acuity;
  • skin diseases and problems with mucous membranes.

Contraindications for use

With all the abundance of undoubted beneficial qualities of sea kale, it also has properties that prevent its consumption by certain categories of people.

First of all, this is the group that is necessarily present among consumers of absolutely all food products. Of course, we are talking about people with individual intolerance to the entire product or its components. There are such in relation to kelp.
In addition, the consumption of this algae is not recommended for people suffering from:

  • nephritis or nephrosis;
  • furunculosis or acne;
  • hemorrhagic diathesis;
  • chronic pyoderma;
  • hyperthyroidism and multinodular goiter;
  • intestinal obstruction.

Important!Although there are no clear contraindications regarding kelp forwomen who pregnant or breastfeeding, yet they shoulduse it carefully.

Scope of laminaria

Being a wide profile product, sea kale is successfully used in cooking, cosmetology, folk medicine, and as an effective means for losing weight.

In cooking

Not everyone likes the specific taste of algae, however, experienced chefs say that with proper preparation, algae becomes tasty on its own and gives a very piquant flavor to the dishes in which it acts as an ingredient.

Here are some of the most popular dishes.

Ingredients:

  • pickled kelp - 0.2 kg;
  • sauerkraut white cabbage - 0.1 kg;
  • pickled cucumber - 1 pc.;
  • large beets - 1 pc.;
  • potatoes - 2 pcs.;
  • bulb - 1 pc.;
  • canned green peas - 0.15 kg;
  • sunflower oil - 3 tablespoons.

Cooking:

  1. Boiled beets with potatoes.
  2. Chopped cucumber is added to chopped boiled vegetables.
  3. White cabbage is shredded.
  4. The onion is being cut.
  5. Then all this should be combined with kelp and add green peas, sunflower oil and salt to taste.
  6. Everything mixes well.


Ingredients:

  • meat - 0.2 kg;
  • sauerkraut white cabbage - half a cup;
  • boiled kelp - half a glass;
  • potatoes - 2 pcs.;
  • beets - 1 pc.;
  • carrots - 1 pc.;
  • onions - 1 head;
  • flour - 1 tablespoon;
  • tomato paste - 2 tablespoons;
  • margarine - 2 tablespoons;
  • chicken egg - 1 pc.;
  • sour cream - 3 tablespoons;
  • water - 0.8 l.


Cooking:

  1. The meat should be brought to half readiness.
  2. Boil the broth again and lower the boiled kelp and chopped potatoes there.
  3. Not bringing the potatoes to full readiness, you need to supplement the broth in a saucepan with sauerkraut, browned onions and carrots.
  4. Then the borscht should be seasoned with browned flour.
  5. You can season borscht with spices and brine to taste, as well as sugar.
  6. Stew the diced beets with fat and vinegar essence and send it to the borscht.
  7. After 10 minutes of boiling, the borscht will be ready.
  8. The taste of borscht is made even better by adding sour cream and finely chopped eggs.


Ingredients:

  • boiled kelp - 0.2 kg;
  • pork - 0.2 kg;
  • lard - 0.2 kg;
  • soy sauce - 1 tablespoon;
  • onions - half a head.

Important!It is strictly forbidden to give kelp to children under three years of age.

Cooking:

  1. Boiled kelp is finely chopped.
  2. Raw meat is cut into small pieces.
  3. Then the onions are chopped.
  4. The meat is fried with it in a well-heated pan.
  5. Then finely chopped seaweed is put there with the addition of soy sauce and half a glass of broth.
  6. After boiling the liquid in the pan, it is mixed with melted lard.

Laminaria for weight loss

This algae has a unique substance that is not found anywhere else, except for two more types of algae. It's called fucoxanthin. It is it that colors the thalli of kelp in brown. But its value for a person, of course, does not lie in this, but in the ability to convert the adipose tissue of the body into thermal energy.

This element of algae in the first place determines its ability to really promote weight loss.

In addition, other nutrients found in kelp help:

  • remove excess fluid from skin cells;
  • fight swelling;
  • slow down the appearance of cellulite;
  • optimize metabolic processes;
  • activate skin tone.
In the process of losing weight, you can use algae in a dried state, adding it in powder form to salads and other dishes. It can also be used in the form of special body scrubs or body wraps.
Practice shows that using seaweed, you can get rid of 6 kg of excess weight in a week without resorting to any additional physical exercises and strict diets.

Application in cosmetology

This algae, due to its multifunctional nutrients, is very widely used in the cosmetic field. Quite a lot of gels, creams, masks, shampoos contain sea kale.

With its help it is possible:

  • stimulate the activity of skin cells, strengthen the walls of blood vessels, cleanse pores;
  • promote the breakdown of subcutaneous fat;
  • remove puffiness;
  • treat skin diseases;
  • improve its elasticity.

It is widely used in the form of cosmetics that you can cook yourself at home.
Seaweed mask recipe for dry and aging skin:

  1. Pour 3 tablespoons of chopped dried kelp into a small container.
  2. Then you should pour water there and leave to swell for a couple of hours. From the next paragraph, it is clear that the amount of water does not matter, since the excess is drained. Therefore, pour without hesitation.
  3. After that, the water that has not been absorbed must be drained, and the swollen mass should be spread out in a thin layer on gauze with an area twice that of the face.
  4. It is necessary to move the layer of algae to half of the entire gauze surface and cover this layer with the released part of the gauze.
  5. The resulting compress should cover the entire face with closed eyes for a quarter of an hour.
  6. The procedure is recommended to be carried out every three days.
Video: useful seaweed masks Seaweed mask recipe for oily and acne prone skin:
  1. Having prepared the swollen mass of kelp according to the method described in the first recipe, you should mix this mass with 1 teaspoon of salt, which can be either table or sea salt.
  2. Then you need to cover the face with the resulting compress and lightly massage it with circular movements of the entire compress. It turns out the effect of a scrub, which helps to reduce oily skin and narrow pores.
  3. After the session, the face should be washed with running water.
  4. This scrub mask is recommended to be repeated twice a week.

Application in traditional medicine

Traditional healers have long and effectively used sea kale to combat various diseases. For example, decoctions and infusions are very effective as remedies for problems with the respiratory system. Even severe bronchitis recedes if you drink an infusion of dried kelp.

The global seafood industry is gradually moving to the artificial cultivation of marine animals and plants that people eat. If in the seas of our country algae are traditionally harvested in their natural habitat, then in the countries of Southeast Asia, where the scale of consumption of seafood is many times higher than domestic ones, they have long switched to growing algae on special farms. This is more profitable than catching prey on the high seas, and the result is more predictable.

Drying kelp

Laminaria, a representative of brown algae, is known to many residents of our country under the name sea kale. The most popular are Japanese kelp and sugar kelp. But, it turns out, in addition to it, other representatives of this class of plants are also used for food: pinnate undaria, fucus algae, edible alaria, macrocystis. Farmers collect wild-growing samples of the desired algae species, and then isolate the spores for germination and further reproduction. Well, then everything happens like on an ordinary agricultural farm, with the only difference that the pets do not require such care as their counterparts growing in the fields.


Kelp

Laminaria is a cold-loving plant that prefers sea waters with a temperature of +8 to +15 degrees. At higher temperatures, it ceases to multiply naturally. From germination to harvest, kelp takes 2 years. In our country, back in the 60s of the last century, experiments were carried out on growing seaweed (kelp) in one of the bays of the Barents Sea. Special wooden cells were lowered into the water, on which beneficial brown algae grew and developed beautifully. Despite the fact that the experiments were successful, wild-growing kelp is mainly mined in Russia. Although there are a number of enterprises in the Far East that are engaged in artificial cultivation of sea kale.

Cultivation of nori seaweed

In addition to brown algae, red and green algae are eaten. In Japan, nori is very popular - a representative of red algae and ulva, a green algae, better known as sea lettuce.


Ulva - green algae

Laminaria and other types of edible algae are successfully grown off the coast of Japan, Korea and China. Fans value seaweed products for their high content of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. The popularity of algae aquaculture is growing every year, and similar farms have already appeared on the other side of the planet - in the United States. Experts are confident that the cultivation of brown algae has a great future. They are used not only in the food industry, but also in cosmetology, medicine, act as additives to the main food on livestock farms. In addition, it is possible to use them as a raw material for the production of biofuels, and in terms of their efficiency they even surpass the famous plant analogues - soybeans and rapeseed.

Seaweed is also called kelp. It is a marine plant that has long thalli, painted in green-brown color. Cabbage grows in the Black, Japanese, Okhotsk and other seas. There are several types of kelp, but only 2 options are most often eaten: sugary and Japanese sea kale (see photo).

How to choose and store?

To choose high-quality sea kale, it is very important to follow some basic recommendations:

If you bought seaweed in a tin, then be sure to transfer it to a glass container and fill it with brine. The shelf life of kelp is 30 days. If you bought a ready-made salad, then the storage time in this case is up to 90 days.

The benefits of seaweed (kelp)

The benefits of seaweed have been known for a long time. Today it is recommended to be used by representatives of official and traditional medicine. The main advantage of this product is iodine, which is in organic form. The composition of seaweed includes thyroidin - a substance that has a positive effect on the functioning of the thyroid gland. Laminaria is useful for hypothyroidism and thyrotoxicosis. It contains acids that act like a sorbent and cleanse the gastrointestinal tract from decay products and other harmful substances. The composition of sea kale includes polysaccharides, which normalize metabolic processes in the body. It is also worth mentioning the low calorie content, therefore, kelp can be used by people who want to lose weight.

With regular use of seaweed, immunity, metabolism are significantly improved, and cholesterol levels in the blood are also reduced. In addition, there is a normalization of the cardiovascular, digestive, nervous system. Laminaria is also used in pharmaceuticals. Preparations are prepared from it that stimulate the process of fat breakdown, cell renewal, and they also strengthen the walls of blood vessels. There are several folk recipes using seaweed. For example, infusions prepared on its basis help with sore throat and stomatitis. And if you use them for rubbing, then you can improve your condition with rheumatic lesions of the joints.

Use in cosmetology

Seaweed is a fairly popular ingredient that is used in the production of cosmetics, as well as for various procedures. Laminaria is used for wrapping, which helps to remove toxins and excess water. As a result, the skin becomes smooth and the appearance of cellulite is reduced.

Use in cooking

Seaweed is a fairly popular product in cooking, which can be consumed fresh, dried, dried and frozen. Often it is preserved and pickled, it is this kelp that is mainly sold on store shelves. Seaweed acts as an independent salad, which is complemented with Korean carrots, seafood, mushrooms, etc. In addition, kelp is added to other dishes, such as soups, snacks and salads. They also make jam and various desserts from it, as well as stew, for example, with meat. In some countries, when making bread, dry kelp is added to the dough, and it is also used as a condiment.

Harm of seaweed (kelp) and contraindications

Sea kale can bring harm if an individual intolerance to the product is detected. It is worth refusing to use kelp for pregnant women, as well as for nephritis. The product can cause harm if there is diathesis and furunculosis. It is necessary to exclude seaweed and preparations prepared on its basis for people who are contraindicated in iodine. Carefully it is necessary to use kelp for hemorrhoids and tuberculosis. It should also be borne in mind that if seaweed was grown in dirty water, then it will be harmful, and in some situations toxic to the body.

Kelp

Seaweeds are the most ancient representatives of the plant world. The stocks of algae in the oceans amount to hundreds of millions of tons. Of greatest interest for the prevention and treatment of various diseases are brown algae, a representative of which is kelp (seaweed). And from substances obtained from kelp, medicines and dietary supplements are made, which are successfully used in medicine.
Some types of algae can be put into medical circulation almost without a trace. So, red algae contain substances that lower the concentration of fats in the blood. Green algae contain polysaccharides that help with stomach ulcers. Even microalgae invisible to us will come in handy. They are rich in vitamins and proteins, as well as substances that raise the tone. No wonder they are added to cosmetic masks and therapeutic baths; not without reason they help with rheumatism and vascular diseases and even treat cellulite.
Sea kale has been used by many peoples for the treatment of a wide variety of diseases since ancient times. The natives of the Hebrides used some types of kelp as a diaphoretic, the Irish - for the treatment of scrofula, the Indians - for tuberculosis. In ancient China, seaweed was used to treat boils and malignant tumors. Most often, seaweed on all coasts was used to treat diseases of the thyroid gland (goiter). In 1811, the French industrialist and researcher Courtois discovered a new element in seaweed - iodine, which turned out to be an excellent disinfectant and was widely used in medical practice. For about 60 years, seaweed has been the only source of this valuable drug.
During the First World War, when the need for iodine increased sharply, its deficiency began to be strongly felt in Russia, which had previously imported it from Germany. It was then that it was decided to build algae processing plants to produce iodine in the Far East and Arkhangelsk.
Carbohydrates and fiber of kelp reduce cholesterol in the blood.
Laminaria is also recommended as a prophylactic and therapeutic agent for atherosclerosis and thyroid disease, and for cardiovascular diseases.
The palm in the extraction and processing of seaweed belongs to Japan. Here, kelp is a favorite basis for a wide variety of dishes and delicacies; it is added to soups, meat dishes, served in the form of salads. Every year, the Japanese eat several tens of thousands of tons of seaweed. The absence of goiter and scrofulous diseases in children on the Japanese islands, scientists associate the low level of nervous diseases with the consumption of this unique seaweed.
It has been proven that kelp contains the whole range of substances necessary to restore health after various extreme effects, especially after radiation exposure or heavy metal poisoning.
In Russia, two types of kelp are of commercial importance: sugar kelp, which grows off the northern coast of Russia, and Japanese kelp, which grows off the Far East coast.
In our country, the extraction of algae is carried out mainly by dredging (kanza or mechanical dredging), mowing, as well as the selection of storm emissions. Algae tissues contain from 75–85% moisture and 15–25% dry matter, represented by a whole complex of micro and macro elements, amino acids, lipids, pigments, polysaccharides - alginic acid, mannitol and fiber. Laminaria extracted from the sea is dried on hangers under awnings, protecting it from rain, dew and fog, since under the influence of fresh water, kelp loses mannitol, iodine, potassium salts and, upon subsequent drying, even changes color. It is not recommended to dry kelp in dry heat installations. Algae of the second and third years of life is the most valuable, since it is during this period that it contains the largest amount of alginic acid and mannitol. The largest amount of mineral substances is found in kelp in the spring, and the maximum content of organic substances is found in kelp harvested in July and August.
Particularly surprising is the ability of kelp to accumulate iodine. It has been established that a kilogram of algae contains as much iodine as 100 tons of sea water.
The Institute of Nutrition of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences believes that 40–50 grams of culinary processed kelp per day is enough to fully provide the human body with iodine.
The concentration of macro and microelements in algae is many times higher than that in sea water. In seaweed found: potassium, sodium, calcium, manganese, magnesium, iron, zinc, phosphorus, iodine, selenium, fluorine and other elements, many of which are biogenic, are part of vitamins, enzymes and are necessary for the exchange and interaction of cells with environment. They take part in tissue regeneration, the formation of hormones, and are involved in maintaining the homeostasis of the body.
Seaweed is practically the only source of dietary iodine necessary for the normal functioning of the thyroid gland. The actual consumption of iodine by the population in various regions of Russia is currently 2-4 times lower than the norm. The Order of the Minister of Health of the Russian Federation No. 444 dated December 14, 1999 states that "insufficient iodine intake poses a serious threat to the health of about 100 million Russians and requires mass and group prevention measures." Iodine is the only trace element involved in the formation of hormones, in particular thyroid hormones - triiodothyronine and thyroxine. Being an active component of hormones, iodine interacts with other endocrine glands, has a pronounced effect on the metabolism of proteins, fats, carbohydrates, water-salt balance. Iodine deficiency leads to disruption of thyroxine biosynthesis, inhibition of thyroid function, which ultimately leads to the development of endemic goiter ("Based's disease", cretinism). Prolonged iodine deficiency increases the risk of thyroid and breast cancer. Iodine deficiency during pregnancy increases the risk of congenital hypothyroidism and the development in the child of disorders of the central nervous system with the development of dementia of varying degrees, up to idiocy.
The first mention of seaweed in Russian literature belongs to the outstanding scientist S.P. Krasheninnikov, who visited Kamchatka in the middle of the 18th century. Already at that time, sea kale was used by the local population for medicinal purposes.
In seaweed, iodine is present in the form of a complex with amino acids, which contributes to its more efficient absorption by the body. In dried kelp, the iodine content is 1.7–8.5 mg per 100 g. In the current situation with iodine deficiency, seaweed should be more widely used not only in its pure form, as an excellent food product, but also for the manufacture of various preparations for the prevention and treatment of iodine deficiency conditions.
Plaminaria (seaweed) is an edible seaweed belonging to the class of brown seaweeds.

Since time immemorial, it has been used in the diet of those people who live near the sea. It was also used as a fertilizer, since kelp contains a very large set of macro- and microelements. Laminaria is especially rich in iodine, which contains in organic form, which affects the absorption by the human body. Therefore, kelp is able to regulate the action of the thyroid gland. The nutrition of both the adult and children's population of Russia is currently characterized by a universally detected deep year-round daily deficiency of most vitamins, which leads to the development of various pathologies associated with their deficiency. The introduction of seaweed and preparations based on it into the diet could partially compensate for the need for micronutrients in healthy and sick people, given the important fact that the pharmacological efficacy and digestibility of algal preparations significantly exceeds that of terrestrial plants.
LAMINARIA SUGAR (SEA CABBAGE) - Laminaria saccharina L.
Laminaria family - Laminariaceae

Saccharine kelp is a brown algae, a perennial plant with a ribbon-like plate-thallus from 1 to 12 m long. The thallus (thallus) passes into a stem of various lengths. Thallus with algae is fixed on rocky ground by well-developed root formations - rhizoids. On the surface of the plates, sporangia with zoospores (mobile spores) are formed. Zoospores develop into small plants, outgrowths with organs of sexual reproduction, from which new specimens of sea kale grow. In autumn, the plates are shed, leaving only the stem, on which a new plate develops the following year. There are several types of laminaria.

Huge thickets of sugary kelp are located in the Black, North and Far Eastern seas. Palm kelp (Laminaria digitata L.) is distributed in temperate and northern seas, near the coast of Russia, in the White Sea. Japanese kelp (Laminaria japonica Aresch.) is harvested in the Far Eastern seas.

For therapeutic purposes, leaf-like parts (plates) of the thallus, harvested in summer and autumn, are used.

Laminaria contains iodine (2.7-3%) in the form of iodides and iodine organic compounds, carbohydrates - high-molecular polysaccharide laminarin (21%), mannitol (21%), fructose (3-4%), gelatinous substance algin, alginic acid (25 %), proteins (up to 9%), traces of fatty oil, brown pigment phytoxanthin, masking chlorophyll, vitamins B, B1, B12, B2, D, vitamin C - up to 470 mg%. Seaweed is characterized by the presence of a large amount of minerals, namely sodium, potassium, phosphorus, iodine, magnesium, iron, aluminum, copper, cobalt, arsenic, manganese, zinc, and bromine salts.

In cooking, it is used boiled with meat, fish as a side dish. The powder is added to soups, sauces, rice. In Indonesia, seaweed is eaten raw after being washed with fresh water. Some of the Far Eastern types of kelp are also used in our country for the preparation of canned food, sweets, soups and vegetable purees.

You can also cook delicious dishes from dried and frozen seaweed by subjecting it to the following treatment: pour dried kelp for 10-12 hours with cold water at the rate of 10-12 liters of water per 1 kg of algae, then rinse, pour water again and boil for 20 minutes , counting from the moment of boiling. Water from boiled algae is drained and the boiling procedure is repeated 3 times. The taste, color and smell of sea kale after three times cooking become pleasant, and the content of nutrients changes slightly. And frozen sea kale is cooked in a similar way, after preliminary thawing in cold water. From the seaweed cooked in the above way, you can cook various dishes or add it, finely chopped or passed through a meat grinder, to cabbage soup, soups, to main dishes. Seaweed is also used for livestock feed. Adhesives algin, sodium alginate are also prepared from it. Alginates contained in seaweed can be used in the pharmaceutical industry in the manufacture of ointments, pills and other dosage forms. It must be remembered that taking sea kale for medicinal purposes is not recommended for hemorrhagic diathesis, nephritis, nephrosis, furunculosis, rashes, urticaria, pregnancy and iodism phenomena, in which there is irritation of the nasal mucosa, upper respiratory tract, eyes. In the presence of hypersensitivity, long-term use of seaweed for food purposes is also not recommended due to the possibility of iodism.

Seaweed as a medicine was known as early as the 13th century in China. In the XIII century, the Chinese emperor issued a decree obliging the population to systematically eat it as a dietary and prophylactic agent and deliver it for these purposes to settlements at the expense of the state.

Seaweed is used as a commonly used and important remedy for the prevention and treatment of atherosclerosis, endemic goiter, mild forms of hyperthyroidism, mild forms of Graves' disease, chronic and acute enterocolitis, proctitis. It lowers the level of cholesterol in the blood, helps restore normal vascular permeability, reduces blood clotting and the risk of vascular clots.

In medical practice, the petioles of the thallus of laminaria digitata are used to make bougie. Bougie made from kelp, in the presence of moisture, swell and quickly increase in volume, and therefore, in some cases, it becomes necessary to use them to expand fistulous passages in gynecological practice.

Seaweed powder, used in the treatment of chronic inflammatory diseases of the uterus and its appendages, contributes to obtaining effective results.

According to the literature data, Kamchatka scientists have introduced into wide practice the method of "silent" prevention of endemic goiter for coastal areas. This method consists in the fact that a person receives the necessary dose of iodine with bread, to which, during baking, seaweed powder is added at the rate of 0.4 mg per 1 kg of bread.

Seaweed, which has a mild laxative effect, is used for chronic atonic constipation, especially in the presence of atherosclerosis. Powder or granules of sea kale are taken in such cases, usually at night, half or a whole teaspoon, stirred in 1 / 3-1 / 2 cups of water, 1 time per day. At the same time, small particles of sea kale swell strongly and irritate the nerve endings of the intestinal mucosa, which contributes to the excitation of peristalsis. When the joints are affected by rheumatism and gout, the inhabitants of the coastal regions take baths with the addition of seaweed and achieve a noticeable relief of pain.

In folk medicine, seaweed powder is used for anemia, gastric diseases and goiter. A mass of kelp powder can be used for warming compresses.

For many centuries, seaweed has been considered not only a medicinal, but also a dietary remedy that supports people's health. It is eaten in China, Japan, Indonesia and in our Far East.

In Japan, a variety of products are made from algae with a thick thallus. Soaked in any wine vinegar, leaf blades become soft and acquire aroma. After drying, they are planed with a sharp knife and get the so-called kombu, from which, with the addition of sugar, cakes and sweets are prepared.
In the coastal regions of China, there was a tradition at the birth of a child to give the mother a leaf of raw seaweed. At the same time, mother's milk was full, and the child grew up healthy. Moreover, in the 13th century, a decree was even issued there obliging all citizens to eat seaweed to improve health. In the countries of Southeast Asia, even now they are sure that the regular use of seaweed helps to increase life expectancy. Oriental healers claim that after 40 years, kelp products must be present in the diet of even healthy people. About the benefits of seaweed for patients is a special conversation.
fao.org http://www.fao.org/docrep/field/003/AB724E/AB724E00.HTM
Japanese kelp (Laminaria japonica) its plate is truncated, elongated (its length is 2-6 m, sometimes up to 12 m, and its width is 10-35 cm), located somewhat obliquely on the trunk. Organ of attachment - rhizoids. A wide and thick median strip runs along the longitudinal axis of the plate, occupying half the width and bounded at the edges by two longitudinal folds. Young thallus often have two rows of bulges and dents in place of longitudinal folds. The mucous channels in the plate are located between the core and the edge, often in two rows, especially in the median strip. The core in the plate is narrower than in other species. In young thalli, the trunk is cylindrical, in older ones it is flattened or grooved. The plate smoothly passes into the barrel. Mucous channels in the trunk are always present. Japanese kelp thallus grow for two years. At the southern border of distribution, they are annuals. Sporangia in this species are formed on one or two surfaces of the plate; in the latter case, they first develop on the lower, slightly concave surface, and the outlines of the groups of sporangia on both sides of the plate do not match. Under conditions of natural thickets, sporangia begin to appear from the end of July; spore-bearing specimens are extremely rare in June. Japanese kelp is considered the most valuable commercial species among brown algae. It has the best taste. Its plate is thicker and less rigid than that of other species of the kelp genus. The thickened middle band of thalli of the second year has the highest nutritional value. The first layers are considered non-commercial, although they reach large sizes: their reservoir is narrow, thin and contains less nutrients. Japanese kelp is used for cooking first, second and third courses, as well as a variety of confectionery. Thallus or their parts, unsuitable for food use, are chemically processed to obtain alginates, mannitol, iodine, etc. Japanese kelp grows in places with constant water movement, it occurs from the surface to a depth of 25 m, less often 35 m. thickets are mainly at a depth of 4-10 m. This species is distributed in the northern half of the Sea of ​​Japan - from the coast of North Korea and the northern part of the island of Honshu to 50 ° N. sh., as well as near the southern and southeastern coast of Sakhalin and the southern Kuril Islands. Thickets near some islands of the Lesser Kuril Ridge give the largest biomass - 140 kg 1 m 2. In the 20s of our century, the beginnings of Japanese kelp were accidentally brought into the Yellow Sea to the coasts of the Liaodong and Shandong peninsulas. In the PRC, methods of its artificial breeding were developed, and now it is cultivated along the coast of the PRC as far as Canton. Under natural conditions, stocks of Japanese kelp are subject to strong fluctuations. This is reflected in the volume of blanks. Strong storms and hummocking of ice near the coast in cold winters cause great damage to thickets; bottom areas released during fishing are often populated by non-commercial algae. Therefore, people have long tried to artificially increase the area under Japanese kelp. Several methods have been found that have been successfully used in Japan, China and North Korea. These methods are also used to grow other types of kelp and other algae. The simplest of them is the cleaning of solid soil from other algae and animals during the period when Japanese kelp spores are expected to appear in the water, and the subsequent care of the thickets, i.e., the removal of weeds and herbivorous animals. To expand the area under the thickets in the sea, stones are dropped from boats or, where possible, rocks on the coast are blown up, bringing them down into the water. To accelerate the appearance of thickets, mature thalli collected in other places are dumped onto the new soil prepared in this way or onto the cleaned old one to accelerate the appearance of thickets. The remaining methods of growing Japanese kelp are associated with immersion in a sea of ​​substrates artificially sown with spores. Such substrates include stones and concrete blocks dropped to the bottom, or ropes suspended from ropes supported near the surface by floats and anchored in place. Sowing spores of Japanese kelp and other algae on substrates is done as follows. In order for the spores to be released amicably, the thalli are previously stimulated. To do this, they are laid out in the air in a shaded place for several hours or at night. To control the course of stimulation, a drop of sea water is periodically applied to the surface of the thallus, after a few minutes this drop is transferred to a glass slide under a microscope. When there are 8-10 spores in the field of view (with an objective magnification of 8x, an eyepiece - 10x), the thallus is considered stimulated. It is placed in a pool, where substrates were previously placed for the subsequent cultivation of kelp. Stones sown with spores are dumped into the sea in suitable places. When cultivating kelp on ropes, seedlings are sometimes pre-grown, which are later planted at the required intervals on other ropes. Growing kelp on ropes produces the highest yield per unit area, and has now become the most common on plantations. To obtain maximum yields, Japanese kelp plantations are placed near urban sewers or mineral fertilizers are applied to the water. The harvest of Japanese kelp with such cultivation reaches 50-65 tons of dry weight per hectare.

Cabbage maritime. A brown alga with a thallus consisting of a plate, stem and rhizoids (at the base). The plate is linear, lanceolate or broadly lanceolate, undissected, 2-6 (sometimes up to 12) m long, 10-35 cm wide, with a slightly asymmetrical wedge-shaped (in old thalli sometimes with a rounded or heart-shaped) base. A wide and thick median strip runs along the longitudinal axis of the plate, occupying 1/5-1/2 of the width and bounded along the edges by two longitudinal folds. Young thallus sometimes with two rows of bulges (alternating bulges and dents) in place of longitudinal folds. The mucous passages in the plate are located between the core and the cortex, often in 2 rows, especially in the median strip. The trunk is 3-70 cm long and about 1 cm in diameter, cylindrical or flattened, smoothly turning into a plate; there are always mucous passages. Rhizoids also with mucous passages or lacunae.

Sporangia are formed from July to October.

In medicine, plates (thallus) of kelp are used: Japanese, sugary, finger-dissected and others.

area

In Russia, Japanese kelp grows in the south of the Sea of ​​Japan and the Sea of ​​Okhotsk, as well as in the Pacific Ocean, along the coasts of the southern Kuril Islands, penetrating north to about 50 ° N. sh.

Its most productive thickets are located near Kunashir Island and the islands of the Lesser Kuril Ridge (Tanfilyev, Zeleny, Polonsky Islands), as well as off the southern coast of Sakhalin - in Aniva Bay and on the Sea of ​​Okhotsk side of the Tonino-Aniva Peninsula. Small thickets of this kelp are found in Peter the Great Bay.

Ecology

Japanese kelp forms thickets on stones and rocks from the water's edge to a depth of 25, less often 35 m, in places with constant water movement, without desalination. Most often it settles near open coasts, especially near capes and in bays subject to the action of waves and currents. The most powerful thickets are located at depths of 4-10 meters.

Sporangia on one or both sides of the plate. At low temperatures (+5°), zoospores can swim for two days and die if they do not find a place for attachment during this time. With an increase in water temperature, the movement time of zoospores decreases. Zoospores develop into microscopic dioecious gametophytes. Female gametophytes are multicellular or unicellular, while male gametophytes are always multicellular.

Under optimal conditions, gametophytes form gametes in 2-4 weeks. Each gametangium produces 1 gamete. Male gametes are small, with two flagella, female gametes (ovules) are large, immobile.

When maturing, the egg leaves the oogonium and attaches itself to the outside edges of its opening. In this position, fertilization and development of the macroscopic thallus of the sporophyte occurs. Sporophyte seedlings appear in March. They grow most intensively in length at 0-13°. As the water warms up, the growth rate slows down, but the accumulation of dry matter in the thalli accelerates. Therefore, by the end of summer, their commercial value increases. The life expectancy of thalli is about two years. In September - October of each year, after the release of zoospores, the plate is destroyed.

Resources

Stocks of Japanese kelp fluctuate over the years from 80 to 400 thousand tons of wet weight, which depends on the number and strength of storms, the thickness of ice in winter and the intensity of its hummocking off the coast. In the development of individual thickets, a two-year periodicity is observed. Only biennial thalli are harvested. They are larger than annuals and contain more dry matter. Preparations are carried out from June to September in the Sea of ​​Japan and until October 1 - in Aniva Bay and near the Kuril Islands. Laminaria is harvested from fresh discards or harvested from boats using a “kanza” (a pole 4-6 m long, at the lower end of which a load is fixed and 2-4 ash rods 80-120 cm long, and at the upper end there is a transverse handle 40 cm long). -60 cm). Kanzu is lowered into the thickets of kelp and turned several times, winding the thalli on elastic ash rods. Productivity of collecting - about 200-250 kg/hour. In addition, for the extraction of Japanese kelp, special scythes are used to pluck the thalli from the bottom. On the same site, kelp should be mined with a break of 2 years, otherwise it does not have time to renew itself. The total reserves of all types of laminaria in the seas of Russia are about 3 million tons (wet weight).

Chemical composition

Japanese kelp and other species of this genus contain a variety of trace elements (especially a lot of iodine and bromine), vitamins, alginic acid, mannitol, kelp.

Usage

Laminaria plates are used for food. The thickened middle strip is considered the most valuable. From the plates, a powder is produced that is used in medicine for oral administration and as an additive to food products for the prevention of diseases caused by a lack of iodine in the body. Laminaria is also used to treat chronic constipation and diarrhea, improve the activity of the urinary tract, in the treatment of atherosclerosis and hypertension. Parts of the thalli that are not used for food and for medical purposes are used for the preparation of feed flour and for the production of alginates (salts of alginic acid and mannitol), which are widely used, in particular, they are used instead of sugar in diabetes.

Other types

Like Japanese kelp, other species of the genus Laminaria are also used.

Laminaria curly - L. cichorioides Miyabe. It has a smooth, wavy or curly plate with a rounded or wedge-shaped base; mucous passages are located in the cortex or under it. Grows in places less exposed to surf than Japanese kelp. Distributed in the Sea of ​​Japan to the Nevelskoy Strait in the north, near Kunashir Island and the islands of the Lesser Kuril Ridge, as well as in the Sea of ​​Okhotsk to the Gulf of Patience.

Less common is narrow kelp - L. angustata Kjellm., which has a smooth ribbon-like plate with a narrow median stripe; mucous passages are located in the cortex or under it. Grows in places with constant water movement near the island of Kunashir, the islands of the Lesser Kuril ridge, as well as capes along the mainland coast of the Sea of ​​Japan. Used for food.

To the north from Iturup Island, to the northern half of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk, Bongard's kelp grows in mass - L. bongardiana Post, et Rupr. Its plate is wide, dissected into lobes, solid or ribbon-like; has mucous passages in the plate, trunk and rhizoids.

In the northern half of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk and in the Bering Sea, Guryanova's kelp - L. gurjanovae A. Zin. It has an oval, lanceolate or wedge-shaped, solid, less often with one gap, plate; forms sporangia simultaneously on both its surfaces.

In the White, Barents and Kara Seas, sugary kelp grows - L. saccharina (L.) Lamour. ilaminaria finger dissected - L. digitata (L) Lamour. Their plates have a lower taste than Japanese kelp.