Seaweed consumption in China driven by increasing urbanisation and dietary knowledge

Conducted by researchers at the Huazhong Agricultural University in China, they found households living in urban areas consumed more seaweeds on average than those in rural areas. In addition, residents with higher dietary knowledge were likely to consume more seaweed. Edible seaweed is a sustainable and nutrient-rich food, containing dietary fiber, proteins, minerals, and vitamins. It also sequesters large amounts of carbon in the ocean, combating climate change. Many studies on seaweed focus on nutrition, disease, and aquaculture, so this is the first study on seaweed consumption in China, focusing on the effects of urbanisation and dietary knowledge. The data used in this study are derived from the China Health and Nutrition Survey for the years of 2004, 2006 and 2009. Total seaweed consumption increased from approximately 59 g/month/person in 2004 to 94 g/month/person in 2009. Published in the Foods​ journals, researchers said this study could help guide policies on promoting ...