Mineral content of agar from Black Sea red seaweed
What it found
Agar taken from a red seaweed in the Black Sea contained several minerals, with potassium and calcium being the most abundant.
The authors suggest it could help people meet daily mineral needs.
What they found
Main minerals found
Potassium, calcium, sodium, iron, and manganese were the most abundant minerals in the tested agar samples.
Sodium to potassium ratio
The ratio of sodium to potassium stayed below 0.6 throughout the year. This is under the maximum limit set by international groups.
Calcium to magnesium ratio
The ratio of calcium to magnesium ranged between 1.44 and 1.55 over the course of the year. These ratios did not change much between seasons.
Ion quotient values
Values for ion quotients fell between 0.36 and 40.54. The authors say these numbers mean the agar could help lower high blood pressure and heart disease risk in people.
What the authors conclude
- They conclude that agar from this red seaweed could work as a food supplement to help meet daily mineral needs.
- They state that the mineral balance suggests the extract is of high quality and suitable for use in nutrition.
How it was done
The researchers wanted to see if agar from this seaweed could serve as a source of essential minerals in the diet.
They measured levels of various minerals in agar taken from a red seaweed across different seasons along the Black Sea coast. They then compared those amounts to official daily intake guidelines from Europe and the United States.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- This work only measured what was in the agar, so it cannot show how well the body absorbs these minerals when eaten.
- It also cannot prove that eating this agar will actually lower blood pressure or heart disease risk 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 30 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error