The Philippines is one of the most renowned countries that pioneered the farming of seaweeds, and we cannot deny the fact that eating sour and salty foods, including the longish, worm-like morsels of aquatic plant, is a staple delicacy that Ilokanos seem to love. Having said that, did you know that seaweeds have properties that can be beneficial to our health? Want to know how?
In a seaweed research conducted by Dr. Ross Dizon Vasquez and his colleagues from the University of Santo Tomas in 2019 discovered a polysaccharide inside the seaweed plant, also called simple sugar. This simple sugar was said to restrain or prevent cancer cells from growing. Amazingly, Filipino locals love to ingest Pokpoklo on a regular basis, so they have ultimate access to the potential medicine.
Serving you dish and health benefits
Pokpoklo or Puppu’lo is the local name of the traditional seaweed dish in Ilocos, Philippines, and many local Ilokano consumers (even most of us!) are unaware that the aquatic plant may serve as a solution to cancer. If you just serve it with freshly-picked tomatoes (and you can opt to squeeze in a dash of sour calamansi juice or some vinegar), you’ll be able to prepare the meal with possible health benefits.
Aside from the anti-cancer properties of the pokpoklo, the aquatic plant also has anti-aging properties. In previous reports issued by the Department of Science and Technology, alongside the mention of Dr. Vasquez’s group, it was brought to light that even the pokpoklo dish has anti-aging properties and may be beneficial to our skin cells. Considering the prevalence of skin care products consumed by millions of Filipinos, this would bring them great news about how the aquatic plant would naturally help regenerate their skin cells.
The pride and joy of Ilokanos
I know for a fact that Ilokanos are delighted to be hearing this great news and are even more passionate about making the local delicacy abundant around the Philippines. Though it is known in some parts of Japan and Hawaii, popularizing Pokpoklo will not only be beneficial to the local identity and authenticity of the city, but will also be beneficial to everyone’s health and skin!
And there is no greater feeling than having pride in your local dish that could possibly cure terrifying diseases like cancer. If I learned that our local dish has potential medicinal properties, I, too, would fuss over it! But it takes guts to discover such things, and ample amount of knowledge and passion are required to attain it.
Although there has been previous research on this in Ilocos, the only thing that will be waiting to be served on our plates is further research and study about the benefits of the seaweed and its medicinal use. Who knows? Perhaps the key to curing cancer is simply flowing in the sea and having the slimiest and saltiest time of its life.
