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  6. Seaweed vs. Spirulina

Seaweed vs. Spirulina — In-Depth Nutrition Comparison

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Differences between Seaweed and Spirulina

  • Seaweed has more Vitamin K, Folate, Magnesium, Calcium, Zinc, and Vitamin B5, while Spirulina has more Copper, Vitamin B2, and Vitamin B1.
  • Seaweed's daily need coverage for Vitamin K is 53% higher.
  • Spirulina contains 20 times less Folate than Seaweed. Seaweed contains 180µg of Folate, while Spirulina contains 9µg.
  • The amount of Sodium in Spirulina is lower.

The food types used in this comparison are Seaweed, kelp, raw and Seaweed, spirulina, raw.

Infographic

Seaweed vs Spirulina infographic
Infographic link

Mineral Comparison

Mineral comparison score is based on the number of minerals by which one or the other food is richer. The "coverage" charts below show how much of the daily needs can be covered by 300 grams of the food.
Seaweed
Seaweed
6
:
3
Spirulina
Spirulina
Contains more Calcium +1300%
Contains more Magnesium +536.8%
Contains more Phosphorus +281.8%
Contains more Zinc +515%
Contains more Potassium +42.7%
Contains less Sodium -57.9%
Contains more Copper +359.2%
Equal in Iron - 2.79
Equal in Manganese - 0.186
Equal in Selenium - 0.7
Seaweed
Calcium Iron Magnesium Phosphorus Potassium Sodium Zinc Copper Manganese Selenium 51% 107% 87% 18% 8% 31% 34% 44% 27% 4%
Spirulina
Calcium Iron Magnesium Phosphorus Potassium Sodium Zinc Copper Manganese Selenium 4% 105% 14% 5% 12% 13% 6% 199% 25% 4%
Contains more Calcium +1300%
Contains more Magnesium +536.8%
Contains more Phosphorus +281.8%
Contains more Zinc +515%
Contains more Potassium +42.7%
Contains less Sodium -57.9%
Contains more Copper +359.2%
Equal in Iron - 2.79
Equal in Manganese - 0.186
Equal in Selenium - 0.7

Vitamin Comparison

Vitamin comparison score is based on the number of vitamins by which one or the other food is richer. The "coverage" charts below show how much of the daily needs can be covered by 300 grams of the food.
Seaweed
Seaweed
6
:
4
Spirulina
Spirulina
Contains more Vitamin A +107.1%
Contains more Vitamin E +77.6%
Contains more Vitamin C +233.3%
Contains more Vitamin B5 +97.5%
Contains more Folate +1900%
Contains more Vitamin K +2540%
Contains more Vitamin B1 +344%
Contains more Vitamin B2 +128%
Contains more Vitamin B3 +154.5%
Contains more Vitamin B6 +1600%
Seaweed
Vitamin A Vitamin E Vitamin D Vitamin C Vitamin B1 Vitamin B2 Vitamin B3 Vitamin B5 Vitamin B6 Folate Vitamin B12 Vitamin K 7% 18% 0% 10% 13% 35% 9% 39% 1% 135% 0% 166%
Spirulina
Vitamin A Vitamin E Vitamin D Vitamin C Vitamin B1 Vitamin B2 Vitamin B3 Vitamin B5 Vitamin B6 Folate Vitamin B12 Vitamin K 4% 10% 0% 3% 56% 79% 23% 20% 8% 7% 0% 7%
Contains more Vitamin A +107.1%
Contains more Vitamin E +77.6%
Contains more Vitamin C +233.3%
Contains more Vitamin B5 +97.5%
Contains more Folate +1900%
Contains more Vitamin K +2540%
Contains more Vitamin B1 +344%
Contains more Vitamin B2 +128%
Contains more Vitamin B3 +154.5%
Contains more Vitamin B6 +1600%

Macronutrient Comparison

Macronutrient breakdown side-by-side comparison
Seaweed
Seaweed
3
:
2
Spirulina
Spirulina
Contains more Fats +43.6%
Contains more Carbs +295.5%
Contains more Other +1001.7%
Contains more Protein +252.4%
Contains more Water +11.1%
Seaweed
2% 10% 82% 7%
Protein: 1.68 g
Fats: 0.56 g
Carbs: 9.57 g
Water: 81.58 g
Other: 6.61 g
Spirulina
6% 2% 91%
Protein: 5.92 g
Fats: 0.39 g
Carbs: 2.42 g
Water: 90.67 g
Other: 0.6 g
Contains more Fats +43.6%
Contains more Carbs +295.5%
Contains more Other +1001.7%
Contains more Protein +252.4%
Contains more Water +11.1%

Fat Type Comparison

Fat type breakdown side-by-side comparison
Seaweed
Seaweed
1
:
2
Spirulina
Spirulina
Contains more Monounsaturated Fat +188.2%
Contains less Saturated Fat -45.3%
Contains more Polyunsaturated fat +125.5%
Seaweed
63% 25% 12%
Saturated Fat: 0.247 g
Monounsaturated Fat: 0.098 g
Polyunsaturated fat: 0.047 g
Spirulina
49% 12% 39%
Saturated Fat: 0.135 g
Monounsaturated Fat: 0.034 g
Polyunsaturated fat: 0.106 g
Contains more Monounsaturated Fat +188.2%
Contains less Saturated Fat -45.3%
Contains more Polyunsaturated fat +125.5%

Comparison summary table

Pay attention to the rightmost column. It displays the amounts side by side, giving a clearer understanding of the difference.
Seaweed Spirulina
Lower in Sugar ok
Lower in Sodium ok
Lower in Saturated Fat ok
Rich in minerals ok
Lower in Cholesterol Equal
Lower in Glycemic Index Equal
Lower in price Equal
Rich in vitamins Equal

All nutrients comparison - raw data values

Nutrient Seaweed Spirulina Opinion
Net carbs 8.27g 2.02g Seaweed
Protein 1.68g 5.92g Spirulina
Fats 0.56g 0.39g Seaweed
Carbs 9.57g 2.42g Seaweed
Calories 43kcal 26kcal Seaweed
Sugar 0.6g 0.3g Spirulina
Fiber 1.3g 0.4g Seaweed
Calcium 168mg 12mg Seaweed
Iron 2.85mg 2.79mg Seaweed
Magnesium 121mg 19mg Seaweed
Phosphorus 42mg 11mg Seaweed
Potassium 89mg 127mg Spirulina
Sodium 233mg 98mg Spirulina
Zinc 1.23mg 0.2mg Seaweed
Copper 0.13mg 0.597mg Spirulina
Manganese 0.2mg 0.186mg Seaweed
Selenium 0.7µg 0.7µg
Vitamin A 116IU 56IU Seaweed
Vitamin A RAE 6µg 3µg Seaweed
Vitamin E 0.87mg 0.49mg Seaweed
Vitamin C 3mg 0.9mg Seaweed
Vitamin B1 0.05mg 0.222mg Spirulina
Vitamin B2 0.15mg 0.342mg Spirulina
Vitamin B3 0.47mg 1.196mg Spirulina
Vitamin B5 0.642mg 0.325mg Seaweed
Vitamin B6 0.002mg 0.034mg Spirulina
Folate 180µg 9µg Seaweed
Vitamin K 66µg 2.5µg Seaweed
Tryptophan 0.048mg 0.096mg Spirulina
Threonine 0.055mg 0.306mg Spirulina
Isoleucine 0.076mg 0.331mg Spirulina
Leucine 0.083mg 0.509mg Spirulina
Lysine 0.082mg 0.312mg Spirulina
Methionine 0.025mg 0.118mg Spirulina
Phenylalanine 0.043mg 0.286mg Spirulina
Valine 0.072mg 0.362mg Spirulina
Histidine 0.024mg 0.112mg Spirulina
Saturated Fat 0.247g 0.135g Spirulina
Omega-3 - EPA 0.004g Seaweed
Monounsaturated Fat 0.098g 0.034g Seaweed
Polyunsaturated fat 0.047g 0.106g Spirulina

Which food is preferable for your diet?

ok
ok
is better in case of low diet
Seaweed Spirulina
Low Fats diet ok
Low Carbs diet ok
Low Calories diet ok
Low Glycemic Index diet Equal

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Vitamins & Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score

The summary scores indicate the extent to which this food can fulfill your daily vitamin and mineral requirements if you consume 3 servings, consisting of 100 grams of each (an approximation of 3 serving sizes).
Vitamins Daily Need Coverage Score
36%
Seaweed
18%
Spirulina
Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score
41%
Seaweed
38%
Spirulina

Comparison summary

Which food is lower in Sugar?
Spirulina
Spirulina is lower in Sugar (difference - 0.3g)
Which food contains less Sodium?
Spirulina
Spirulina contains less Sodium (difference - 135mg)
Which food is lower in Saturated Fat?
Spirulina
Spirulina is lower in Saturated Fat (difference - 0.112g)
Which food is richer in minerals?
Seaweed
Seaweed is relatively richer in minerals
Which food contains less Cholesterol?
?
The foods are relatively equal in Cholesterol (0 mg)
Which food is lower in glycemic index?
?
The foods have equal glycemic indexes ()
Which food is cheaper?
?
The foods are relatively equal in price ($)
Which food is richer in vitamins?
?
It cannot be stated which food is richer in vitamins. See the charts below for detailed information. See the charts below for detailed information. See the charts below for detailed information.

References

All the values for which the sources are not specified explicitly are taken from FDA’s Food Central. The exact link to the food presented on this page can be found below.

  1. Seaweed - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/168457/nutrients
  2. Spirulina - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/170091/nutrients

All the Daily Values are presented for males aged 31-50, for 2000-calorie diets.

Data provided by FoodStruct.com should be considered and used as information only. Please consult your physician before beginning any diet.