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Wakame vs. Spirulina — In-Depth Nutrition Comparison

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A recap on differences between Wakame and Spirulina

  • Wakame is higher in Manganese, Folate, Magnesium, Calcium, and Phosphorus, yet Spirulina is higher in Copper, Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, and Iron.
  • Wakame covers your daily Manganese needs 53% more than Spirulina.
  • Wakame contains 22 times more Folate than Spirulina. While Wakame contains 196µg of Folate, Spirulina contains only 9µg.
  • The amount of Sodium in Spirulina is lower.

Food varieties used in this article are Seaweed, wakame, raw and Seaweed, spirulina, raw.

Infographic

Wakame 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.
Wakame
5
Magnesium Magnesium Calcium Calcium Potassium Potassium Iron Iron Copper Copper Zinc Zinc Phosphorus Phosphorus Sodium Sodium Manganese Manganese Selenium Selenium 76% 45% 4.4% 82% 95% 10% 34% 114% 183% 3.8%
Magnesium Magnesium Calcium Calcium Potassium Potassium Iron Iron Copper Copper Zinc Zinc Phosphorus Phosphorus Sodium Sodium Manganese Manganese Selenium Selenium 14% 3.6% 11% 105% 199% 5.5% 4.7% 13% 24% 3.8%
Contains more MagnesiumMagnesium +463.2%
Contains more CalciumCalcium +1150%
Contains more ZincZinc +90%
Contains more PhosphorusPhosphorus +627.3%
Contains more ManganeseManganese +652.7%
Contains more PotassiumPotassium +154%
Contains more IronIron +28%
Contains more CopperCopper +110.2%
Contains less SodiumSodium -88.8%
~equal in Selenium ~0.7µg

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.
Wakame
8
Vitamin C Vit. C Vitamin A Vit. A Vitamin E Vit. E Vitamin D Vit. D Vitamin B1 Vit. B1 Vitamin B2 Vit. B2 Vitamin B3 Vit. B3 Vitamin B5 Vit. B5 Vitamin B6 Vit. B6 Vitamin B12 Vit. B12 Vitamin K Vit. K Folate Folate Choline Choline 10% 22% 20% 0% 15% 53% 30% 42% 0.46% 0% 13% 147% 7.6%
Vitamin C Vit. C Vitamin A Vit. A Vitamin E Vit. E Vitamin D Vit. D Vitamin B1 Vit. B1 Vitamin B2 Vit. B2 Vitamin B3 Vit. B3 Vitamin B5 Vit. B5 Vitamin B6 Vit. B6 Vitamin B12 Vit. B12 Vitamin K Vit. K Folate Folate Choline Choline 3% 3.4% 9.8% 0% 56% 79% 22% 20% 7.8% 0% 6.3% 6.8% 3.5%
Contains more Vitamin CVitamin C +233.3%
Contains more Vitamin AVitamin A +542.9%
Contains more Vitamin EVitamin E +104.1%
Contains more Vitamin B3Vitamin B3 +33.8%
Contains more Vitamin B5Vitamin B5 +114.5%
Contains more Vitamin KVitamin K +112%
Contains more FolateFolate +2077.8%
Contains more CholineCholine +113.8%
Contains more Vitamin B1Vitamin B1 +270%
Contains more Vitamin B2Vitamin B2 +48.7%
Contains more Vitamin B6Vitamin B6 +1600%
~equal in Vitamin D ~0µg
~equal in Vitamin B12 ~0µg

Macronutrient Comparison

Macronutrient breakdown side-by-side comparison
Wakame
3
3% 9% 80% 7%
Protein: 3.03 g
Fats: 0.64 g
Carbs: 9.14 g
Water: 79.99 g
Other: 7.2 g
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 FatsFats +64.1%
Contains more CarbsCarbs +277.7%
Contains more OtherOther +1100%
Contains more ProteinProtein +95.4%
Contains more WaterWater +13.4%

Fat Type Comparison

Fat type breakdown side-by-side comparison
Wakame
3
32% 14% 54%
Saturated Fat: Sat. Fat 0.13 g
Monounsaturated Fat: Mono. Fat 0.058 g
Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 0.218 g
49% 12% 39%
Saturated Fat: Sat. Fat 0.135 g
Monounsaturated Fat: Mono. Fat 0.034 g
Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 0.106 g
Contains more Mono. FatMonounsaturated Fat +70.6%
Contains more Poly. FatPolyunsaturated fat +105.7%
~equal in Saturated Fat ~0.135g

Comparison summary table

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

All nutrients comparison - raw data values

Nutrient Wakame Spirulina Opinion
Calories 45kcal 26kcal Wakame
Protein 3.03g 5.92g Spirulina
Fats 0.64g 0.39g Wakame
Vitamin C 3mg 0.9mg Wakame
Net carbs 8.64g 2.02g Wakame
Carbs 9.14g 2.42g Wakame
Magnesium 107mg 19mg Wakame
Calcium 150mg 12mg Wakame
Potassium 50mg 127mg Spirulina
Iron 2.18mg 2.79mg Spirulina
Sugar 0.65g 0.3g Spirulina
Fiber 0.5g 0.4g Wakame
Copper 0.284mg 0.597mg Spirulina
Zinc 0.38mg 0.2mg Wakame
Phosphorus 80mg 11mg Wakame
Sodium 872mg 98mg Spirulina
Vitamin A 360IU 56IU Wakame
Vitamin A 18µg 3µg Wakame
Vitamin E 1mg 0.49mg Wakame
Manganese 1.4mg 0.186mg Wakame
Selenium 0.7µg 0.7µg
Vitamin B1 0.06mg 0.222mg Spirulina
Vitamin B2 0.23mg 0.342mg Spirulina
Vitamin B3 1.6mg 1.196mg Wakame
Vitamin B5 0.697mg 0.325mg Wakame
Vitamin B6 0.002mg 0.034mg Spirulina
Vitamin K 5.3µg 2.5µg Wakame
Folate 196µg 9µg Wakame
Choline 13.9mg 6.5mg Wakame
Saturated Fat 0.13g 0.135g Wakame
Monounsaturated Fat 0.058g 0.034g Wakame
Polyunsaturated fat 0.218g 0.106g Wakame
Tryptophan 0.035mg 0.096mg Spirulina
Threonine 0.165mg 0.306mg Spirulina
Isoleucine 0.087mg 0.331mg Spirulina
Leucine 0.257mg 0.509mg Spirulina
Lysine 0.112mg 0.312mg Spirulina
Methionine 0.063mg 0.118mg Spirulina
Phenylalanine 0.112mg 0.286mg Spirulina
Valine 0.209mg 0.362mg Spirulina
Histidine 0.015mg 0.112mg Spirulina
Omega-3 - EPA 0.186g Wakame

Which food is preferable for your diet?

ok
ok
is better in case of low diet
Wakame Spirulina
Low Calories diet ok
Low Fats diet ok
Low Carbs 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
28%
Wakame
17%
Spirulina
Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score
65%
Wakame
38%
Spirulina

Comparison summary

Which food is richer in minerals?
Wakame
Wakame is relatively richer in minerals
Which food is lower in Saturated Fat?
Wakame
Wakame is lower in Saturated Fat (difference - 0.005g)
Which food is richer in vitamins?
Wakame
Wakame is relatively richer in vitamins
Which food is lower in Sugar?
Spirulina
Spirulina is lower in Sugar (difference - 0.35g)
Which food contains less Sodium?
Spirulina
Spirulina contains less Sodium (difference - 774mg)
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 ($)

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. Wakame - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/170496/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.