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Algae as nutritional and functional food sources: revisiting our understanding
Mark L Wells1, Philippe Potin2, James S Craigie3
1School of Marine Sciences, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469 USA.
Journal of Applied Phycology
|May 2, 2017
Summary
Algal foods offer growing health benefits, but research is needed to understand their nutritional value, bioavailability, and interactions in the human body for accurate health assessments.
Area of Science:
- Marine biology and food science, focusing on the functional benefits of algae.
Background:
- Growing global demand for macroalgal and microalgal foods for health and functional benefits.
- Existing evidence supports health benefits, but challenges exist in quantifying them and potential adverse effects.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight key research areas for better assessing the health benefits of algal food products.
- To identify opportunities for phycologists in the advancing field of algal science.
Main Methods:
- Review of current understanding of algal food composition, bioavailability, and metabolism.
- Identification of factors influencing nutritive value, including harvesting, storage, and processing.
Main Results:
- Limited understanding of nutritional composition variability (species, region, season).
- Challenges in quantifying human bioavailability and factors influencing it (preparation, gut microbiome).
- Incomplete knowledge of algal constituent interactions within human metabolism.
Conclusions:
- Further research is crucial to accurately quantify the health benefits and potential risks of algal foods.
- New experimental and collaborative approaches are needed to advance algal science and its application in human health.
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