Article
Erlijn van Genuchten
33 w
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Sustainable solution: 5 surprising ways to put seaweed to good use
Seaweed can be put to good use in many ways, even cosmetics (credit: HstrongART on Shutterstock)
In my previous article "Don't Underestimate Seaweed! 4 Ways Seaweed Contributes To A More Sustainable Future", I explained why seaweed, also called macroalgae, is an important and sustainable resource. To summarize, seaweed has a lot of nutritional value that can reduce hunger in the world, it has many medical properties that can improve good health and well-being, it can be used for biofuel providing affordable and clean energy, and can be cultivated in a sustainable way that improves responsible production. I suggest reading this article first, to understand this in more detail.
To benefit from these advantages, seaweed needs to be used for a diverse range of products. Here are examples of how seaweed can be used as raw material for various products:
Seaweed for human food
The first way seaweed can be used is in human food. As seaweed has a high nutritional value, for example providing calories, vitamins, and minerals, it is valuable when eaten directly. After it is dried, it is usually salted, rolled, or sliced, depending on the final product. That is why it is around the world and especially in Asia a popular food source (further reading: How Kelp Restoration Projects Impact Biodiversity): already 2 million tons of seaweed is used worldwide and Asian diets contain 5–8 g of seaweed per day.
A seaweed salad (credit: Foodio on Shutterstock)
Also, substances from dried seaweed can be eaten indirectly when added to other food products as food additives. Seaweed provides additives because it contains certain acids that can stabilize, thicken, and gel food. Known food additive numbers are E400-E407, for example, used in syrup, ice cream, sauces, juices, and desserts:
- E400: Alginic acid also called algin
- E401: Sodium alginate
- E402: Potassium alginate
- E403: Ammonium alginate
- E404: Calcium alginate
- E405: Propylene glycol alginate
- E406: Agar
- E407: Carrageenan
Seaweed for animal feed
The second way seaweed can be used is in animal food. Animal food traditionally consists of oats, soybeans, wheat, barley, and sorghum. The disadvantage of these products is that they only grow in certain seasons and require quite some time to grow. In contrast, the advantage of seaweed is that it grows and can be harvested all year long. That is why between 15 and 20% of these products can be replaced by seaweed.
Another advantage is that feeding animals seaweed reduces methane emissions. Methane is a very strong greenhouse gas, contributing to climate change and global warming. This is explained in more detail in this video. And with the right type of seaweed, cows don't produce any methane emissions at all:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILxrABpMOwk
Seaweed for medicines
The third way seaweed can be used is in medicines. Medicines can contain seaweed extracts, which are substances that contain beneficial ingredients obtained from seaweed in a high concentration. For example, a brown seaweed extract made from brown seaweeds can slow down the growth of certain tumors by 46–70% already after 28 days! This is possible because this extract contains fibers that play an important role in preventing cancer. Also certain green and red seaweeds can have a similar benefical effect.
Another example of the beneficial effect of seaweed in medicines is that some of the red seaweeds can be used as treatment for Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimer's disease is the most common type of dementia. It starts with occasional memory loss but progresses to stronger memory loss and possibly as far as being unable to have a conversation and respond to surroundings. These seaweeds are beneficial because they contain a specific type of acid.
A third example of the beneficial effect of seaweed in medicines is that some brown seaweeds can be used to increase insulin sensitivity. This is helpful for patients with diabetes. Diabetes is a chronic disease caused by high blood sugar levels. These levels are high when the body is unable to produce enough insulin hormones, which are responsible for lowering blood sugar levels. High blood sugar over a long time can lead to heart, blood vessel, eye, kidney, and nerve damage. Increased sensitivity to the insulin hormone allows the body to lower the blood sugar level, which reduces the risk of long-term damage.
View of someone with long-term damage caused by diabetes (credit: Tunatura on Shutterstock)
Seaweed for biofuels
The fourth way seaweed can be used is for biofuels. Biofuels are fuels made from living matter; this is as opposed to fossil fuels which are formed from the remains of living matter. Directly after harvesting, seaweed can be processed so that sugars can be extracted. These sugars are used for fermentation processes that have various biofuels as output, such as biogas (further reading: How Microalgae Can be Used As A Great Alternative To Fossil Fuels) and hydrogen (further reading: Electric, Hydrogen, Or Biofuel Cars: Which Will Help Save Our Planet?). Fermentation involves the chemical breakdown of a substance by microorganisms. Of course, a lot of seaweed needs to be grown to meet current fuel needs. In this video is explained which areas could be suitable for growing seaweeds for biofuels (3:06–6:01):
Seaweed in cosmetics
The fifth way seaweed can be used is for cosmetics. One example is anti-wrinkle cosmetics. This is possible because seaweed contains certain acids that are an important component of the material that surrounds our body cells. By applying these acids to the skin, they help hydrate the skin. Well-hydrated skin looks smoother.
Another example is anti-aging cosmetics. Anti-aging ingredients are available in brown seaweeds that contain certain pigments with antioxidant properties. Having antioxidant properties means that they can protect cells from the damage caused by free radicals. Free radicals are molecules with an unpaired electron, which causes them to react easily with other molecules in our bodies. These reactions can harm cells. By protecting ourselves from free radicals cells, we age less quickly.
A third example is sunscreen. Sunscreen protects our skin from ultraviolet radiation from the sun. This type of sunlight can be absorbed by certain amino acids that are available in seaweed. Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins.
In this video, you can learn more about how seaweed is used for cosmetics and why:
Seaweed can be used for cosmetic purposes (credit: HelgaBragina on Shutterstock)
Conclusion and how we can take action
So, seaweed can be used in many practical applications, including human food, animal feed, medicines, biofuels, and cosmetics. Here are practical ideas of what you and I can do to use seaweed as a sustainable resource:
- For seaweed farmers: Ensuring seaweeds don't contain heavy metals before processing further
- Harvesting seaweed in a way so that it can grow back
- Preventing overharvesting
- Contributing to seaweed afforestation and reforestation (further reading: How Kelp Restoration Projects Impact Biodiversity)
- Buying products based on seaweed instead of less sustainable alternatives
- Ordering a seaweed salad in a restaurant or making your own seaweed salad
Do you have further ideas of what you and I could do? Thank you in advance for leaving them in a comment to this question to inspire all of us.
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Did you enjoy this article? Then I'm sure you'll love my book "A Guide to A Healthier Planet" as well. Have a peek inside the book at:
A Guide to a Healthier Planet
This book focuses on closing the gap between scientific insights on pressing environmental issues that do not often reach the general public.
https://www.sustainabledecisions.eu/guide-to-a-healthier-planet
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About the author
Dr. Erlijn van Genuchten is a an internationally recognized environmental sustainability expert. She is a science communicator, helping scientists in the fields of nature and sustainability increase the outreach of their results and allowing us all to put scientific insights into practice and contribute to a sustainable future. Erlijn has inspired thousands of people around the world - for example - by supporting the United Nations with her expertise, her book "A Guide to A Healthier Planet" published by Springer Nature, her YouTube channel Xplore Nature, and her posts on social media.
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33 w
Definitely going to try a seaweed salad next time I'm at a restaurant. #SupportSustainableFood
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This is very insightful! Indeed seaweed plays a significant role in promoting a more sustainable future
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Thank you Dr. Erlijn for sharing with us, this huge and richly informative article.
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this is interesting
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@annett_michuki 💚💚
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Insightful article! Thanks for sharing 💚