Sea vegetables may be a unique food source not only of the mineral iodine, but also of the mineral vanadium. Although this mineral is not as well-known as some of the other nutrients, it appears to play a multi-faceted role in the regulation of carbohydrate metabolism and blood sugar, increase our body’s sensitivity to insulin to decrease our body’s production of glucose, and help us increase our body’s ability to store starch in the form of glycogen.

Sea vegetables can play a role in lowering risk of estrogen-related cancers, including breast cancer. Since cholesterol is required as a building block for production of estrogen, the cholesterol-lowering effects of sea vegetables may play a risk-reducing role in this regard. However, more interesting with respect to breast cancer risk, is the apparent ability of sea vegetables to modify aspects of a woman’s normal menstrual cycle in such a way that over a lifetime, the total cumulative estrogen secretion that occurs during the follicular phase of the cycle gets decreased. For women who are at risk of estrogen- sensitive breast cancers, sea vegetables may bring a special benefit in this regard.