So many benefits from harvesting rich treasures from sea

Seaweed is rich in minerals, vitamins, trace elements and can help to cut the risk of cancer

Emeritus Professor of Botany at NUI Galway, Mike Guiry, says nutritionally, sea-vegetables are as good as any land vegetable and, in some cases, have higher vitamin, trace element and even protein content. Picture: Stefan Kraan

IF you go down to the shore today, you’ll be greeted by a big surprise. Actually, scratch that. ‘Surprise’ is not quite the right word. ‘Treasure’ might be more apt as, more and more, Irish people are realising the myriad uses and health benefits of seaweed.

In recent years, seaweed has gone mainstream as an ingredient not just in restaurants but in supermarkets and in homes. Michelin-starred chef JP McMahon is a long-time advocate of local, seasonable, and sustainable food and seaweed ticks all the boxes.