"Kelp" is a somewhat vague term that loosely refers to the larger brown seaweed species.
Edible seaweeds are often called "sea vegetables."
In botanical terminology, seaweeds have holdfasts, stipes and blades (or fronds) instead of roots, stems and
leaves. Their holdfasts function simply as anchors, and do not extract nutrients as do the roots of higher plants.Seaweeds absorb and concentrate nutrients directly from seawater. They do not make flowers or
seeds, but reproduce by a mindboggling (and perhaps even immoral) variety of complex reproductive
schemes, most of which involve sperm, ova,and free swimming “spores.”
Nutrition Composition of Sea Vegetables
Edible seaweeds are a lowcalorie food with high dietary fiber, protein, vitamins, minerals, and bioactive phenolic compounds.
Studies have shown that they contain a high concentration of
polyphenolic compounds including catechin, epicatechin, epigallocatechin galate, and gallic acid.
The marine environment in which sea vegetables live contributes to the bioactive compounds they contain, such as phycocyanin, terpenes, fuctosterol, and polysaccharides.
Studies show that a unique compound in edible brown algae called fucoidan provides many of the health benefits proven in vitro
and in vivo. Fucoidan, a fucosecontaining sulfated polysaccharide, has proven antiangiogenic, antitumor, and immunity enhancing properties.