Agar, dried

Agar is a substance extracted from seaweed and used to thicken or set foods. The figures here describe dried agar, rather than agar prepared with water or added to a recipe. Its main listed nutrients are minerals: per 100g, it provides 760mg of calcium, 620mg of magnesium, 21mg of iron and 14mg of zinc.

Calcium helps maintain bones and teeth, while magnesium supports normal muscle and nerve function. Iron is needed to make haemoglobin, which carries oxygen in the blood. The amount of these nutrients in a food made with agar depends on how much agar is used and the other ingredients. Full nutritional figures are provided in the tables below.