| In the 1980's, in the film The Breakfast Club, a | | | | kombu, which is used to make soup stocks, |
| character played by Molly Ringwald opens up her | | | | eaten as a snack or even made into tea. These |
| lunch and explains that it's sushi, raw fish with rice | | | | seaweeds contain vitamins, fiber, iodine, calcium |
| and seaweed. Another character expresses | | | | and other nutrients, enough to make them |
| disgust at the idea that anyone would put such a | | | | attractive on their own. With the additional |
| thing in their mouths. At the time, sushi was | | | | research into fucoxanthin, the addition of edible |
| exotic, not something you could get made fresh | | | | seaweed is looking even better. |
| at your local supermarket. Still, the idea of eating | | | | Of course, fucoxanthin is also being offered by a |
| seaweed in America is relegated to something | | | | number of distributors in a supplement form. |
| done only by health nuts and weird, raw food | | | | Depending on the supplement, it may be |
| hippies. Perhaps this is because in the 80's, no one | | | | concentrated fucoxanthin or simply dried and |
| had really done studies on fucoxanthin. | | | | crushed seaweed. These supplements offer |
| Fucoxanthin is a pigment in edible brown | | | | convenience and accessibility to those not looking |
| seaweeds. It is responsible for filtering blue green | | | | to alter their diet greatly. |
| light and has been the subject of a number of | | | | For anyone who has been to a sushi restaurant, |
| studies to explore what potential health benefits it | | | | an aversion to seaweed probably seems as |
| might have. The results of those studies have | | | | strange as an aversion to lettuce. It's easy to |
| peeked the interest of many people wish to live | | | | forget how recently Asian influences have really |
| healthier lives. | | | | impacted the American palate. As time goes on |
| The seaweed from which fucoxanthin comes is | | | | and more discoveries are made through research, |
| already known for the nutrients it contains. One | | | | little doubt will remain that those influences were |
| example is wakame, which is used primarily in | | | | and are for the better. |
| miso soup but also in salads. Another example is | | | | |