Hijiki (ヒジキ, 鹿尾菜 or 羊栖菜 hijiki?) (Sargassum fusiforme, syn. Hizikia fusiformis) is a brown sea vegetable growing wild on rocky coastlines around Japan, Korea, andChina.
Contents
Uses
Some of the greatest health benefits of hijiki include its ability to improve the health of the digestive system, boost energy levels, strengthen bones, help prevent diabetes, lower cholesterol, eliminate sleep disorders, balance hormonal activity, and improve metabolic efficiency.
Benefits
Hormonal Health: Although we rarely talk about iodine as a part of our diet, it is a crucial part of remaining healthy and keeping our bodily processes on track. Iodine plays a major role in the manipulation and balance of our hormones, as it directly interacts with the thyroid gland, one of the most important aspects of the entire endocrine system. Although excessive iodine can be dangerous, most people don’t get enough, and hijiki is a great place to find some!
Digestive Health: Seaweed is the ultimate leafy green vegetable, and like so many other veggies, it is packed with dietary fiber, which ensures that your digestive process is smooth and healthy. Dietary fiber stimulates peristaltic motion to move food through the digestive tract, maximizing nutrient intake, and reducing constipation along the way.
Energy Levels: The iron content of hijiki is unprecedentedly high for a vegetable; some varieties that have been tested have up to 5 times more iron than chicken liver, which is considered one of the most concentrated source for that essential mineral. This means that the prevention of anemia is very easy with hijiki as a part of your weekly diet. Proper levels of iron in your body increase your red blood cell count, which can increase oxygenation to your extremities and boost overall energy levels.
Bone Health: One of the inevitable parts of getting old is losing our strength and having to be more concerned about the durability of our bones. However, if you have a proper influx of minerals through your diet, than you can significantly prevent the painful and debilitating condition of osteoporosis. Hijiki contains far more calcium than milk, which is often considered one of the best dietary sources. Hijiki can definitely help keep you strong and active for many years.
Cholesterol and Diabetes: Hijiki is not only a low-calorie food that fills you up, due to the high level of fiber, but that same dietary fiber also eliminates excess cholesterol from the cardiovascular system and helps to balance glucose and insulin levels within the body. Optimizing the digestive system has many unforeseen benefits for the rest of the body, and sea vegetables can be a great place to take advantage of them!
Caution
Despite all of these health benefits, hijiki also has an unusually high level of inorganic arsenic, which is technically a toxic and carcinogenic substance. However, it would require a great deal of hijiki to accumulate enough inorganic arsenic to be dangerous, but some countries have issued warnings about consuming this sea vegetable, although no countries have banned it. As with everything, eat hijiki in moderation!
Interactions
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Other names
hijiki
Reference
Source: OrganicFacts, https://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/vegetable/hijiki.html
Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hijiki