Nutritional Value of Salicornia

The whole Salicornia plant contains vital nutrients, so you can consume any part of the plant to extract the following:

• Vitamin A
• Ascorbic and dehydroascorbic acids
• Carotene  
• Polyphenols  
• Tocopherol
• Flavonoid 
• Lutein
• Iron
• Sodium
• Potassium
• Magnesium 

Salicornia Health Benefits

Owing to its nutritional composition, Salicornia has numerous health benefits. The bioactive metabolites of Salicornia have important pharmaceutical applications. For instance, it provides: 

• Oxomefruside. Effective against hypertension
• Clonidine. Used to treat high blood pressure, anxiety, and certain types of pain
• Carmustine. Antineoplastic
• Gangliosides. An anti-inflammatory

Other health benefits are discussed below:

Salicornia slows the aging process

Due to its lutein content, Salicornia helps prevent age-related macular degenerative diseases. 

It can be used as a salt substitute

The trans-ferulic acid in Salicornia has a protective effect on vascular dysfunction and hypertension. As a result, it can be used as a salt substitute. In a study conducted on rats, high salt intake resulted in increased blood pressure. However, when the rats were given Salicornia containing the same amount of sodium, it had little effect on their blood pressure. 

Salicornia prevents hypothyroidism

It contains iodine, which is important in the prevention of hypothyroidism.

It is an antibacterial agent

Salicornia has powerful antibacterial activity, which is helpful to the body when this plant is used as food, medicine, or cosmetics.

Medicinal Applications of Salicornia

Some Salicornia species are widely used in folk medicine, and recent studies have found that this vegetable shows important biological properties such as antioxidant, anti-microbial, anti-proliferative, anti-inflammatory, hypoglycemic, and cytotoxic activities.

These properties are why, for a long time, Salicornia has been prescribed in traditional medicines to treat:

• Bronchitis
• Hepatitis
• Diarrhea
• Intestinal ailments
• Nephropathy
• Atherosclerosis
• Hyperlipidemia
• Diabetes

References
WebMD