Nutritional significance of Red Seaweeds

Autotrophic plants, seaweeds thrive in the seas intertidal and subtidal zones. Red seaweeds are the only seaweeds that can be used to make colloids like agar and carrageenan. They contribute more health promoting substances such as dietary fibre, protein, fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, pigment than terrestrial plants and animal-based foods. They are also utilized as food and are essential to the chemical and pharmaceutical industries. The food industry now has more prospects as seaweed were recently allowed for human consumption in France as vegetables and sauces. These seaweed components need to adhere to consumer safety laws as well as technical and industrial requirement. Their extract has demonstrated anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, anti-obesity, anti-coagulant, anti-bacterial, anti-oxidant, anti-diabetic, neuroprotective qualities among other therapeutic qualities for health and disease management. Thus, red seaweeds are becoming more and more well-known for their remarkable nutritional make up and possible health advantages. This chapter discusses the nutritional value of seaweed and its functional impacts, paying particular attention to improve human health.