The 1,000-Won Miracle: Kelp (dasima) Becomes a Natural 'Vessel Cleaner'
Creatrip Team
a month ago
A Seoul noodle shop owner warns against throwing away kelp (dasima) after making broth — the leftover seaweed is a nutritional powerhouse. Dried kelp contains about 27g of fiber per 100g, far exceeding sweet potato, making it excellent for relieving constipation and promoting satiety. Its sticky mucilage, alginate, acts like a magnet inside the gut to bind and help excrete heavy metals, pollutants and other wastes, earning kelp nicknames like ‘respiratory cleaner’ and ‘vascular cleaner.’ The white powder on kelp is mannitol (a natural sweet/umami compound), not mold — avoid rinsing it off with water to preserve flavor and nutrients; wipe it gently instead. Kelp is rich in potassium and laminarin, which can help lower blood pressure by promoting sodium excretion, but its high iodine content means people with thyroid disorders or those preparing for radioactive treatments should limit intake (e.g., 2–3 times weekly and favor eating the flesh over drinking concentrated broth). Chefs recommend slicing used kelp into seasoned side dishes (e.g., kelp jangajji) rather than discarding it.
