How healthy is seaweed? Here’s what it can do for your body

Seaweed is a nutrient-rich marine algae that can support gut health and provide protein and minerals. Its growing attention as a sustainable food source reflects both its nutritional value and the variety of edible types, including nori, wakame and kombu.

Seaweed’s polysaccharides feed beneficial gut microbes, which produce fatty acids that help maintain the gut lining. Dried nori can contain up to 47 per cent protein by weight, though servings are usually too small to provide much protein; five grams may supply nearly 1.4 milligrams of iron, while one sheet can provide about 80 per cent of the daily amount of vitamin B12. Iodine levels can be excessive in some seaweed, so intake matters.