海蓬子的商品名为西洋海笋，有“海人参”和“植物海鲜”之美誉，亦称为“海芦笋”、“海菜豆”等。这是一种利用海水灌溉种植的新型保健蔬菜，其色泽如翡翠，形状似珊瑚，口感脆嫩，有独特鲜美的海鲜风味。

西洋海笋营养养丰富，富含蛋白质、氨基酸、β-胡萝卜素（维生素A原）、维生素C、膳食纤维以及钠、钙、铁、锌、碘、硒等矿物质、微量元素及皂甙等生物活性物质。西洋海笋能增强人体消化能力，促进胃肠蠕动，消除便秘，并分解附着在肠壁上的脂肪废物，排除体外。长期食用西洋海笋可降低血压、血脂和血糖，预防心脑血管疾病，并具清热排毒、降脂减肥之功效。

Salicornia europaea , known as common glasswort or just glasswort, is a halophytic annual dicot which grows in various zones of intertidal salt marshes. The ashes of glasswort and saltwort plants and of kelp were long used as a source of soda ash (mainly sodium carbonate) for glassmaking and soapmaking. The introduction of the LeBlanc process for the industrial production of soda ash superseded the use of plant sources in the first half of the 19th century.