Reframing Halophytes: Their Emerging Role in Functional Food Systems and Nutrition
- Sarah Anderson
- 5 days ago
- 5 min read
Author: Holly Giles
Speaker: Dionysia Angeliki Lyra
Panellists: Sumantra (Shumone) Ray, Meis Moukayed, Yasmin Haddad, Sarah Armes
Reviewers: Sarah Armes & Sarah Anderson
What are halophytes, and why are we studying them?
Halophytes are highly salt-tolerant plants, representing around 1% of the world’s flora. There are 1560 halophyte plant species, including trees, shrubs, seasonal plants, and more. These crops offer a wide range of uses: food, oil production, ornamental, skincare products, forage, phytoremediation, fuel wood production, and medicinal.
This is particularly important in the context of climate change, which is causing sea levels to rise and leading to seawater intrusion into freshwater sources. As a result, the salinity of groundwater is increasing. Recent data estimate that over 30% of groundwater resources in the Middle East and North Africa region are saline, rising to 70% in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. This indicates a significant availability of saline water that could be further explored for potential use in agriculture.
What halophytes do we currently eat?
Some of the most well-known halophytes are quinoa, sea fennel, and samphire. Quinoa is a facultative halophyte and can grow in saline environments, with some varieties even thriving under such conditions. While these plants are already valued in coastal communities, increasing awareness of their potential in the context of the climate crisis highlights their wider relevance. Their notable nutritional properties (shown in the image below) further support their potential as valuable alternative crops.
What health benefits are associated with halophytes?
Halophytic plants can play a significant role as “functional foods”, which are defined as unprocessed foods with proven health benefits beyond their nutritional value based on the USDA definition. The exact benefits of halophytic foods depend on the plant species, but this highlights their nutritional potential. A lot of the emphasis in this area has focused on antioxidants.
What is the Nature-based Solutions (NbS) project implemented in the United Arab Emirates?
The aim of the project was “to focus on the protection, restoration and management of coastal ecosystems as a key nature-based solution approach to strength climate change mitigation, enhance biodiversity, and open up benefits for society through opportunities that unlock blended finance to support ecosystem protection, Blue Carbon, ecotourism, and food security”.
This focused on two main halophyte species (Salicornia sinus-persica and Arthrocaulon macrostachyum), including an exploration of the palatability of these products.
The study showed that different growth locations significantly influenced the flavonoid, polyphenol, triterpenoid, and vitamin C content. When brought inside to grow in low-saline water, these levels were lower for all plants. This shows that the external soil, water, and climatic conditions create a specific environment that might trigger the plant to deploy strategies against salinity stress, which influences the composition of the soil as a sequence.
The benefits of these crops, methods for cooking them, and information about their benefits for the climate are highlighted in the online halophyte guide.
What is the halophytic kitchen lab program?
The Halophytic Kitchen Lab Program aims to increase public awareness of halophytes and their potential nutritional benefits. This includes an education session to address food security challenges in hot and arid environments, a desert farm tour where halophytic crops are cultivated, cooking halophytes with a chef using the foraged halophytes and a nutritionist who provides information on the nutritional benefits of the halophytes and their dishes. Click here for more information.
What is the takeaway message?
The webinar highlighted the huge culinary and commercial potential of halophytes as functional foods and potent nutritional powerhouses that could provide potential options to reduce agricultural pressure on freshwater resources and mitigate the impacts of rising salinity due to climate change. The Halophytic Kitchen Lab Program aims to increase awareness of these foods and their adoption into the diet and cultural landscape of hot and arid countries.
References
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