Wakame: 10 Benefits & Uses

Like other sea vegetables, wakame is packed with vitamins and minerals. It's often used to make miso soup and seaweed salads. Wakame contains Vitamin A, Vitamin C, magnesium, calcium, iron and phosphorus, among other nutrients. Thanks to these vitamins and minerals, wakame benefits include the ability to balance hormones, strengthen bones, lower the risk of breast cancer and more.

Wakame Benefits

1. Reverses Diabetes

Wakame benefits include the ability to naturally reverse diabetes. Wakame contains fucoxanthin, which has an anti-diabetic effect on the body. Research has shown that wakame can help prevent diabetes and related disorders, including obesity, by reversing insulin resistance. (1)

2. Promotes Fat Burning

Wakame benefits include the ability to promote fat burning. Research conducted at Hokkaido University in Japan found that fucoxanthin can help promote fat burning in two ways. It promotes DHA production in the liver, which helps decrease LDL cholestreol levels. It also encourages a protein that causes fat oxidation.

3. Helps Balance Hormones

Wakame provides the body with a healthy dose of manganese, iron and calcium, which work to naturally balance hormones. Studies have shown that manganese and calcium can also help reduce PMS symptoms. (2)

4. Strengthens Bones

Thanks to the calcium it contains, wakame benefits include the ability to strengthen the bones. Calcium plays an important role in increasing bone growth and speeding bone repair. A calcium deficiency can increase the risk of fractures and osteoporosis.

5. Lowers Breast Cancer Risk

Research has shown that wakame may help lower the risk of breast cancer. Researchers in Japan found a link between increased seaweed intake and a reduced rate of breast cancer. According to a 2004 study, the fucoxanthin in wakame may act as a chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic compounds in colon cancer cells. (3)

6. Supports a Healthy Pregnancy

Wakame benefits include the ability to support a healthy pregnancy. It contains folate (Vitamin B12), which is vital for producing new cells, copying and synthesizing DNA, and supporting nerve and immune function. Folate is especially important for pregnant women. It's need to help prevent neural tube defects like spina bifida.

7. Reduces High Blood Pressure

Wakame benefits include the ability to lower high blood pressure. Studies have shown that the nutrients wakame can reduce hypertension by decreasing systolic blood pressure. Wakame may be an especially beneficial diet addition for those who struggle with hypertension.

8. Lowers Cholesterol

Wakame benefits include the ability to naturally reduce cholesterol. The fucoxanthin in the seaweed stimulates the production of DHA, which lowers LDL cholesterol levels. By reducing cholesterol, wakame can help prevent the accumulation of fats in the blood, known as hyperlipidemia. (4)

9. Provides the Body With Iron

Wakame benefits include the ability to provide the body with a healthy dose of iron. The body uses iron to help absorb nutrients from food. Iron deficiency can cause fatigue, migraines, dizziness, confusion and other unwanted symptoms.

10. Provides the Body With Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Wakame benefits include the ability to provide the body with healthy omega-3 fatty acids. The body uses omega-3's to lower cholesterol, fight depression, reduce inflammation, improve skin health and more.