Seen At 11: Seaweed Could Play A Role In Curing Serious Medical Conditions

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Seaweed has been a staple ingredient in Asian cuisines for centuries. It has been harvested and used as food, medicine and a number of other products.

Now, new research suggests that seaweed may go beyond improving skin and health.

Holistic health counselor Andrea Beaman told CBS 2's Kristine Johnson that seaweed is loaded with vitamins and minerals.

"I think more and more Americans are starting to eat them and find the benefits of them. Nori is probably the most popular sea vegetable, that's the black wrap or green wrap around sushi," she said.

Lydia Sarfati runs a company that manufactures a line of seaweed beauty products. She explained to CBS 2 that seaweed can detoxify and beautify the skin.

"It will help with actually making your skin feel and look firmer without causing damage," she said.

Dermatologist Dr. Debra Jaliman said that seaweed derives its powerful properties from its high levels of vitamins and antioxidants, roperties that she believes will make it effective in the fight against conditions like rosacea and eczema.

"Seaweed has lots of B vitamins. It also has vitamin E, and trace elements of vitamin C. You might want to look for it if you have inflammation in your skin. It's more for inflammation than it is for anti-aging," she said.

Researchers hope that those anti-inflammatory properties will make seaweed an effective tool in the fight against heart disease and arthritis.

"The future is to do more credible studies to see if there really is an effect, a beneficial effect that we can prove," said Dr. Peter McCann, an orthopedic surgeon at Beth Israel Medical Center.

Experts recommend looking for organic seaweed, but cautioned against self harvesting as some varieties are not safe to eat.

What do you use seaweed for? Let us know in our comments section below...