There are over 2,500 varieties of marine plants in the vast oceans which cover two-thirds of our planet. Giant seaweed known as kelp grow to over 200 feet tall and are capable of growing a foot a day. Seaweed has many uses and was even harvested in the First World War for the production of explosives. It is commonly used as a stabilizer, thickener and binder for ice cream, chocolate milk, aspirin and many other products. It is used worldwide as a fertilizer.

Seaweed is best known for its high amounts of iodine, containing 62,000 mcg. of iodine per hundred grams of seaweed, compared to 7,000 mcg. of iodine per 100 g. of iodized salt. In this aquatic underwater jungle, there are highly nutritious plants that have been harvested and used for thousands of years as an important staple in the diet.

Twenty-five percent of all food consumed in Japan is made up of seaweed. Unlike land vegetables, sea plants are the last frontier of food that has been unchanged by man’s industrialized, destructive growing methods. The growth of seaweed is not affected by drought, pesticides or disease and does not require planting, weeding or fertilizing. A global garden, perfectly tended by the hand of God.

Off the coast of California, large barges mechanically harvest the giant kelp. It is dried, then ground into a fine olive, green powder for human consumption. The majority of this nutrient-rich food is marketed for livestock feed. There is a tremendous future for sea farming because of the vast unlimited acreage of kelp beds in the oceans. One acre can yield 60 tons of seaweed.

Seaweed is sold in a variety of ways. In a powder form, it can be added as a nutritious salt substitute to salads, soups, tomato juice, fruit juices and even baked potatoes. The high mineral content in seaweed is a result of its ability to absorb and utilize the suspended wealth of minerals in the ocean water.

Replace your salt shaker and begin to explore the varied products found in your local health food store that come from this rich resource of nutrients. An all-time favorite is nori sheets. The texture is like paper and can be used as a wrap for avocado and raw vegetable fillings.