5 benefits of Green Caviar or See Grape - a lesser-known healthy superfood to try
When you travel, you always discover something new. This time strolling along the Phuket weekend night market (locally known as Naka Market) in Phuket, Thailand we stumbled upon a kiosk selling a kind of seaweed, which none of us had come across before. There was information in Thai available and only the name of Green Caviar was written in English. We decided to give it a try. In this article I want to share information about such an interesting product, as well as its healthy properties.
Simple facts about Green Caviar
Official name:Caulerpa lentillifera. Area of growth: coastal regions in the Indo-Pacific such as ike Japan, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam.It called Umibudo (海ぶどう) in Japanese, latô, gusô, and arosep in Philippines, latok in Malasian the Malaysian state of Sabah and Green caviar of sea grape in Inglish.
What can you do with Green caviar or the easiest way to make it ready to eat?
Ok, well, we bought it, but what do you (are you) supposed to do with it???? The seller in bad English and helping herself with gestures warned us that before using you need to rinse it. Ok, I got it. And is it all? A detailed study of other articles on Google ( I always ask it if I do not know what to do) showed that it is really very easy to handle it. It is just enough to wash it in plain water and put it in cold water for few minutes before eating. That's all - the snack is ready!
It lives long if stored properly
Normal shelf-life for Green caviar is about 3 days. You should keep it out of the refrigerator as it alive and needs photosynthesize, and so it need sunlight and carbon dioxide. The same time vacuum-packed sachets of Green Caviar can be stored in a fridge up to 6- 8!!! months. In this case, producers recommend not to put it in a freezer or keep in warm place.
The taste somewhat resembles the taste of salt water. You know, it when sometimes you swim across the ocean and accidentally swallow a little salt water - that's about like green caviar taste. But we really enjoyed it a lot. In the end, we just added a hot source we had. By the way, add sauce or wasabi and eat - this is the second most common way of using it.
Green product rich in vitamins
While I was looking for a way to cook this delicacy, I came across very interesting facts that it has a variety of vitamins and minerals. These properties helped it to be spread to many regions and get the status of "healthy superfood", as well as become the basis of many cosmetic products. What does this amazing little product contain in itself as it wins more and more admirers around the world? Let's consider them one at a time.
“Green caviar is not only versatile, it’s also jam-packed with health benefits.”
Dirisa Tan, Owner of www.mealbelly.com. An online shop which delivers green caviar worldwide.
An interesting business
Yuki Yamashiro started a very interesting business. She sells an ice-cream made with Green caviar. She is particular about each ingredient in her ice cream and add such ingredients like passion fruits, pineapples, pink acerola, chinsuko (traditional cookies). Just image the sweet and salty tasty combination?
Benefit 1. Your way to stronger bones and joints
Bones need calcium to stay strong. Green caviar has not only calcium but protein and polyunsaturated fatty acids found in the omega3 group (DHA, EPA, ALA) which are effective in reducing the symptoms of arthritis and known for their anti-inflammatory properties.
Benefit 2. Your way to glowing skin and healthy hair
I think any woman dreams of good skin and healthy hair. It is not surprising that cosmetic manufacturers use green caviar for production of hair-care lines, as well as anti-aging creams. The fact is that it is full of vitamin A and C and therefore is capable of producing collagen and antioxidants, two common beauty weapons against aging and hair improvements. Similar to other types of seaweed it contains fats that help protect cell membrane from free radical damage and therefore improve skin elasticity.
For me, a healthy diet has always been a pledge of radiant skin and healthy hair. Well, as shown by experiments eating green caviar or using cosmetics with its content, we can replace expensive synthetic products for skin and hair care.
Benefit 3. Your way to boost an (the) immune system with potential to cancer treatment
Green caviar is rich with Fucoidan. There were several studies carried out showing that it has a significant boost on the immune system, reduces blood cholesterol levels and can have a positive effect in cases of meningitis. The research by Japanese scientists at the Biomedical Research Laboratories has found that Fucoidan can be considered as an ingredient with the potential to cure cancer. At least during the mentioned research, it showed its effective way to self-destruct cancer cells that caused leukemia, lymphoma, colon and stomach cancer.
Benefit 4. Your way to eye protection
As humanity spent (spends) more time in front of screens than ever before, eyesight problems are considered as one of the fast growing decreases in the world. Scientist always tries to find a way to eliminate the risk and consider technological updates as the way out. At the same time as researchers show it can be a question of a healthy diet. Fatty acids AA, LA, DHA, EPA, and ALA that green caviar contains are considered to help to strengthen eyesight.
Benefit 5. Your way to a healthy heart and prevention of cardiovascular diseases
The same fatty acids contained in green caviar that affect our eyesight (see Benefit 4) also help our heart system. First, they help to reduce cholesterol levels naturally that lower the risk of heart attacks and strokes. Furthermore, it increases the elasticity of blood vessels, prevent oxidation, maintain collagen structure of the arteries and therefore prevent numerous cardiovascular diseases such as atherosclerosis and myocardial infarction.
Eat Healthy and be happy
As we found out in this article, Green Caviar is an extremely useful superfood. I do not know if you will ever be able to try it, but I hope that on occasion you will not deny yourself the pleasure. But what I know for sure is that each of us is able to be healthy. To do this, it is enough just to monitor what and how you eat.
In the future, I plan to publish a whole series of articles on this topic, so if it is interesting - stay with me on a journey through the waves of healthy life. In the meantime, as always, from me the question:
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This article is written in the framework of my support to @ecotrain project, which also use #ecotrain. I want to believe that more and more people will start to think about things that help to make the world a better place. (с)@ecotrain. I also hope that more and more writers on Steemit will support the movement started by @eco-alex and @icmultitudes . As I truly believe that we are one and helping others means you are helping yourself.
Hello, my dear ecotrain fellow passenger, what an interesting, edutaining article!
As healthy as those algae are in their natural state, nowadays we have to think about the pollution of the sea with heavy metals, potentially leading to high concentration in algae and other forms of seafood, so I would be careful with eating those things on a regular basis.
Nice meeting you @likedeeler! I am so meeting all the ecotrain passengers in person. Yes, I do agree with your point about pollution of the Sea and effect it has on algae. I have been on a market this Sunday again and asked the lady where they grow the one we bought and she told us they grow it on a small farm. Not sure it is organic farm though but it was very nice to try this delicious food here. Be blessed and much love from me, my dear fellow passenger!
How much does this cost? I did not know, that green caviar exists.
This cost me 50Batt here in Thailand which is approximately $1,5. I also find one online-shop which deliver it wordwide, but guess the prices there will be a bit more expencive. In all Asia thouth (Singapur, Japan, Thiland, Philipines,Vietnam) the costs are almost zero%)