With the generic name "Kelp", brown algae belonging to the genus Fucus and Laminaria are traded, whose edible part is often called "Kombu". For this reason the two terms can be used as synonyms.
Kelp algae - Kombu algae Brown algae owe their name to a blackish pigment, the feocroma, which supports chlorophyll inside the plastids giving it the typical brown color.
The dietetic-health applications of the Kelp alga are numerous and mainly addressed to the catering, slimming and laxative sector. These algae are in fact used to flavor dishes and in particular soups, legumes and soups (a widespread practice in the eastern regions of Asia). It is no coincidence that the kombu, made mostly from Laminaria Japonica, is an excellent source of glutamic acid; from this amino acid monosodium glutamate is obtained, a powerful flavor enhancer that interacts with specific taste receptors producing umami (the "fifth flavor").
#$.Food supplements
In the field of food integration, Kelp algae are particularly known for their richness in iodine, an essential mineral on which the correct thyroid activity depends. This substance is in fact incorporated into the thyroid hormones and its reduced food intake causes a pathology known as endemic goiter (hypothyroidism).
Because of their generous iodine content, brown algae kelp and kombu are used to stimulate the thyroid gland, in the often mistaken belief that overweight is attributable to a "too slow metabolism". In fact, since the extensive use of iodized salt has been introduced, cases of food-borne hypothyroidism have significantly decreased.
Furthermore, if a proven iodine deficiency exists, such supplements should be taken with extreme caution and under strict medical supervision.
NATURAL LAXATIVES
In kelp alga and kombu algae are also found polymers, such as ficocolloids and alginic acid, which possess gelling properties similar to pectin. For this reason, when they are taken with water, the extracts of brown algae have an excellent satiating and laxative power.
Iodine overdosing causes hyperthyroidism, thyroid dysfunction, tremors, irritability, hot flashes, tachycardia, insomnia and arterial hypertension. The use of brown algae kelp and kombu is also contraindicated during pregnancy, during lactation, in children under 12 years and in the presence of cardiopathies and hypertension.
