Minerals in agar from a Black Sea red seaweed
What it found
Agar taken from the red seaweed Gelidium latifolium contained minerals such as potassium, calcium, sodium, iron and manganese.
The authors say it could be used as a food supplement to help meet recommended intakes of some essential minerals.
What they found
Main minerals found
The minerals present in the largest amounts were potassium, calcium, sodium, iron and manganese, in that order.
Sodium to potassium ratio
The sodium to potassium ratio of the agar was below the maximum limits recommended by international organizations, which is 0.6 or less.
Calcium to magnesium ratio
The calcium to magnesium ratio ranged from 1.44 to 1.55 throughout the year.
Seasonal changes
The calcium to magnesium and potassium to sodium ratios did not differ much between seasons.
Ion quotient values
Ion quotient values for the extracted agar ranged from 0.36 to 40.54. The authors say these values mean it could reduce hypertension, preeclampsia and heart disease in people.
What the authors conclude
“The results show that agar extracted from G. latifolium could be used as a food supplement to help meet the DRIs of certain essential minerals and trace elements.”
Also in their conclusions
- They say agar extracted from G. latifolium could be used as a food supplement to help meet the dietary reference intakes of certain essential minerals and trace elements.
- They state that the extracted agar was of high quality and safety and might be used in the field of nutrition.
How it was done
The authors wanted to see whether agar from this seaweed could help people meet recommended daily intakes of essential minerals and trace elements.
They measured calcium, sodium, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, iron, zinc, manganese, vanadium, chromium, nickel, copper, molybdenum and selenium in agar obtained from Gelidium latifolium along the Black Sea coast in different seasons. They then compared the amounts with dietary reference intakes from the Institute of Medicine and the Official Journal of the European Union.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- The study measured minerals in agar in the lab. It did not test whether eating the agar improves mineral levels or health in people.
- The claim that the agar can reduce hypertension, preeclampsia and heart disease is based on ion quotient values, not on studies in people.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- Recep Tayyip Erdogan University, Turkey
The paper
- Title
- Potential Contribution to Dietary Reference Intake (DRI) of Agar Extracted from Gelidium latifolium (Gelidiaceae, Rhodophyta) as a Mineral Source
- Type
- Study
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Öğretmen ÖY (2023). Potential Contribution to Dietary Reference Intake (DRI) of Agar Extracted from Gelidium latifolium (Gelidiaceae, Rhodophyta) as a Mineral Source. Biological trace element research. doi:10.1007/s12011-022-03381-6PubMed 35943707DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error