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)