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Fucoidan Health Benefits
The name fucoidan refers to a group of?highly bioactive compounds found in brown seaweeds.
Many experts now believe that fucoidan is one of the key nutrients responsible for the exceptionally long and healthy lives enjoyed by the residents of?Okinawa,?Japan.
The health benefits of fucoidan extract reveal a phenomenal variety of actions, ranging from helping the body recover from minor illnesses to protecting the body from major diseases.?We explore 8 of these powerful fucoidan benefits in more detail below:
FUCOIDAN BENEFITS: 1. SUPPORTS THE IMMUNE SYSTEM
A healthy immune system is vital for good health as it helps to protect our bodies from invading viruses and bacteria. Unfortunately, modern life can dampen our immune function through chemicals, stress, lack of sleep and unhealthy food. Regular and recurrent infections are a sign that your immune system may not be working as it should.
Luckily, you can enhance and support your immune system to enable it to build resistance to infections and pathogens. Published research papers have shown that fucoidan may help do this with its special immune modulating properties.
Immune modulating substances can?boost or ‘turn on’ the immune system when it is depressed?(such as with chronic fatigue or a cold) and can also?suppress the immune system when it is over-stimulated?(such as with autoimmune diseases like lupus or rheumatoid arthritis).
The powerful ability of fucoidan to bring the immune system back into balance is an extremely useful fucoidan health benefit and enables the immune system to function correctly.
FUCOIDAN BENEFITS:?2. FIGHTS VIRAL INFECTIONS
No one likes getting sick or contracting an infection. There are over 400 different viruses that can cause human infections, such as the common cold, the flu, hepatitus and HIV.
Natural antiviral therapies inhibit the development of viruses in the body. Published research has indicated that fucoidan possesses a remarkable capacity to inhibit a broad spectrum of viruses including?influenza, hepatitis B, citomegalovirus and herpes simplex. Evidence shows that fucoidan can halt the progression of infections through the body by?preventing viruses from entering host cells, and also by blocking attachment of viruses to host cell surfaces.
FUCOIDAN BENEFITS:?3. REDUCES INFLAMMATION
As your immune system loses the ability to shut down after beneficial inflammatory processes (such as healing a sprained ankle, or fighting an infection), you can be left with harmful, chronic inflammation.?Inflammation is thought to be one of the main underlying factors present in just about every chronic health condition, including Crohn’s disease, high cholesterol levels, high blood pressure and asthma. In fact, research has shown that inflammation could be at the root of most disease.
Fucoidan has shown tremendous therapeutic anti-inflammatory potential in addressing conditions caused by chronic inflammation, such as arthritis-related joint inflammation, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and inflammatory bowel disease. There is growing evidence that shows fucoidan can interfere with the migration of leukocytes to the sites of inflammation, thereby stopping the body producing pro-inflammatory cytokines.
FUCOIDAN BENEFITS:?4. ASSISTS DIGESTION
It is becoming evident that gut health and gut flora play a more important role in overall health and wellbeing than previously realised.
There is significant interest in the potential of fucoidan, a natural prebiotic, to improve a range of digestive health conditions.?Fucoidan is a complex carbohydrate and can improve digestive processes by absorbing water and pushing food along the digestive tract.?Fucoidan is also known to have a unique ability to address both inflammation and infection, which are two?known causes of stomach irritation and pain.
Research has also shown that fucoidan is effective in healing gastric ulcers, restraining influenza, inhibiting bacterial infections (such as?E.coli?and?Heliobacter pylori), and reducing gut inflammation and colitis.
FUCOIDAN BENEFITS:?5. ANTI-AGEING SUPPORT
New?research?has recently confirmed the marked effect of fucoidan on ageing-related processes.
Recent studies have revealed that it activates a key enzyme that influences lifespan called sirtuin 6. Sirtuin 6 is one of?seven sirtuin enzymes?that impact a range of cellular processes in humans, such as ageing, telomere function and stress resistance.
Research has also demonstrated that fucoidan may promote vascular health, stimulate immune responses, and protect brain cells.
Finally, new?research has?recently confirmed the soothing, protective and anti-ageing properties of fucoidan for cosmetic and skincare applications.
FUCOIDAN BENEFITS:?6. ANTIOXIDANT ACTIONS
Free radicals are highly reactive molecules that can cause severe damage to our cells if they’re not neutralised by antioxidants. If our levels of natural antioxidants are not high enough to counteract the damaging effect of these free radicals, then oxidative stress will occur. Oxidative stress is known to be a precursor to over 200 different human diseases.?We know that stress, life habits, environmental pollutants, and aging all serve to reduce our own supply of natural antioxidants and increase free radical production. The good news is that we can improve our body’s natural supply of antioxidants with supplementation.
The main mechanism by which fucoidan exerts its primary antioxidant action is by scavenging free-radicals. Research has shown that fucoidan may also improve that natural production of antioxidants. The results also show the presence of polyphenols in fucoidan, which are widely known to have antioxidative actions (such as those found in tea, herbs and red wine). The presence of polyphenols may explain the antioxidative actions of fucoidan.
FUCOIDAN BENEFITS:?7. SUPPORTS BLOOD DISORDERS
Fucoidan is known to possess potent anticoagulant (blood-thinning) properties, which may be beneficial in preventing or treating certain health conditions such stroke, heart attack, or deep vein thrombosis.
Researchers also cite fucoidan as having the potential to be used as a natural antithrombotic agent, potentially reducing the need?for prescription drugs (eg heparin) to treat blood clotting problems.
Because of its anticoagulant ability, it is generally recommended that fucoidan should avoided by people who are taking blood thinning medications.
FUCOIDAN BENEFITS:?8. ASSISTS WITH WEIGHT LOSS & METABOLIC SYNDROME
Obesity has become one of the world’s more serious public health problems. It is estimated that some 58% of the world’s population will become obese by 2030.
Recent studies have been undertaken that illustrate the potential of fucoidan to assist with weight loss.
Fucoidan has been shown to help break down fat cells, promote better digestion, boost the immunity, and also increase anti-diabetic activity such as lowering high blood sugars and helping the body use insulin correctly.
4 Fucoidan Health Benefits (Including Cancer) + Side Effects
Fucoidan is a type of polysaccharide found in seaweeds that has been researched for its anticancer effects. Preliminary research suggests it may benefit those with osteoarthritis, viral infections, and cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy treatment. Read on to see the potential benefits and mechanisms of fucoidan.
What Is Fucoidan?
Fucoidan is a complex sulfated polysaccharide derived from rich sources such as bladderwrack, other brown algae, echinoderms, and seagrasses [1].
Research in marine food sources has helped reveal many potential remedies for an array of health issues – most being attributable to the presence of fucoidan. However, none of them has been sufficiently investigated.
Mechanisms of Action
Fucoidan triggers programmed cell death by decreasing the release of three metalloproteinase enzymes:?MMP-1, MMP-3, and?MMP-9?[8].
Fucoidan decreases?NF-kappaB?binding activity, p65 nuclear movement of proteins from the cellular fluid to the nucleus, and IκB-α degradation, which prevents inflammation [8].
Fucoidan stimulates an increase in natural killer (NK) cells and a decrease of transcription factor AP-I, which is involved in cellular growth and division. Fucoidan also kills T-cell leukemia virus type I (HTLV-1) by inactivating?NF-kB, a regulator of antiapoptotic proteins [9,?10].
Fucoidan activates caspases 8 and 9, which are enzymes involved in programmed cell death [11].
Benefits of Fucoidan and Fucoidan-Rich Foods
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Insufficient Evidence for:
1) Cancer
The disease control rate (DCR) is the percentage of patients who have achieved a complete response, a partial response, and stable disease from a therapy. In a clinical trial on 54 patients with colorectal cancer, 4,000 mg fucoidan powder in addition to chemotherapy resulted in a DCR of 92%, compared to 69% in the placebo group [12].
In mice with colon tumors, treatment with fucoidan extract reduced tumor growth and increased the production of immune cells in the spleen [13].
In mice given chemotherapy, fucoidan prevented gut inflammation and increased the length of villi in the gut [14].
Fucoidan extract killed various human cancer cell types, including leukemia, breast cancer, stomach cancer, lung cancer, prostate cancer, liver, and thyroid cancer [15,?16,?17,?18,?19,?20,?11,?21].
The main anticancer mechanisms of fucoidan are immune cell activation and increased the production of anticancer cytokines [22,?23].
Although this is the best known among the claimed benefits of fucoidan, the existing evidence is clearly insufficient to support its use. Most of the research has been done in cells and only one small clinical trial has been carried out. You may discuss with your doctor if it may help as an adjuvant therapy. Importantly,?never use fucoidan (or any other supplements) as a substitute for proven anticancer therapies.
2) Osteoarthritis
In a pilot study of 12 people with osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee, a fucoidan supplement given for three months reduced symptoms of arthritis by 18% at a dose of 100 mg and by 52% at a dose of 1,000 mg [24].
However, 255 mg fucoidan from bladderwrack was as effective as the placebo in another trial of 122 people with OA of the knee and hip [25].
In a cell-based study, fucoidan reduced the viability, survival, and invasiveness of the cells that trigger rheumatoid arthritis (fibroblast synoviocytes), by reducing the activation of the?NF-κB?and?p38?inflammatory pathways [8].
Again, this is a typical fucoidan use insufficiently supported by scientific research. Only 2 clinical trials (with mixed results) exist. Further clinical research is needed to shed some light on this claimed benefit.
3) Viral Infections
In a small trial on 13 people with a tropical viral disease that causes weakness, muscle spasms, and sensory disturbances (tropical spastic paraparesis), 6 g fucoidan daily for 6-13 months decreased the blood levels of the virus that causes the disease (HTLV-1) by 42% [26].
In another trial on 70 elderly people, supplementation with fucoidan increased the immune response to seasonal influenza vaccination. The supplement increased antibody production after the vaccination, possibly helping prevent the flu [27].
Evidence for the effect of fucoidans against viruses in animals and cells include:
The evidence is promising but insufficient to support the use of fucoidan against viral infections. Larger, more robust clinical trials are needed to confirm these preliminary results.
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4) Preventing Blood Clots
In a pilot study of 20 volunteers, 2,250 mg fucoidan for 12 days moderately decreased clotting ability by interfering with the final stage of the coagulation process [35].
In another trial on 33 healthy volunteers, seaweed capsules with 400 mg fucoidan prevented blood clotting. Fucoidan increased the production of hydrogen peroxide, which acted as a messenger molecule to produce the anti-blood clotting protein PGI2 [36].
In a cell study, fucoidan increased the activity of proteins that block the coagulation process [37].
Two small clinical trials and a study in cells cannot be considered conclusive evidence that fucoidan prevents blood clot formation. More clinical trials on larger populations are warranted.
Animal and Cell Research (Lack of Evidence)
No clinical evidence supports the use of fucoidan for any of the conditions listed in this section. Below is a summary of the existing animal and cell-based research, which should guide further investigational efforts. However, the studies should not be interpreted as supportive of any health benefit.
Protecting the Brain
Fucoidan delayed the onset of disease in mice infected with scrapie, which leads to mitochondrial dysfunction in the brain [38,?39].
Treatment with fucoidan reduced the encephalitogenic response (brain swelling and spinal cord swelling) in rats with encephalomyelitis [40].
In a rat brain model, fucoidan prevented the death of brain cells caused by β-amyloid plaques, which are involved in Alzheimer’s disease [41].
Fucoidan prevented the overactivation of microglia that may lead to neurodegeneration in brain cells [42].
Protecting Against Radiation
Fucoidan provided protection from radiation in cells and in mice [43].
Protecting the Stomach
In rats given aspirin to cause ulcers, fucoidan prevented the ulcers from developing [44].
Fucoidan inhibited Helicobacter infections in the stomach by preventing the bacteria from sticking to gut lining cells [45].
Protecting the Liver
Bladderwrack’s fucoidan helped to protect against chemically-induced excess scarring of the liver in rats [46,?47].
Fucoidan also reduced alcohol-induced fatty liver disease in rats [48].
Malaria
Fucoidan helped fight malaria infection in mice and cell studies [49].
Kidney Stones
Kidney stones can be caused by high levels of?oxalate. In rats with excessive oxalate in their urine, fucoidan normalized its levels. Fucoidans also improved their antioxidant status and reduced the risk of developing stones [50].
Obesity
Mice exposed to a?high-fat diet?gained less weight when fucoidan was included in their diet [51].
Fucoidan increased the activity of the enzyme that breaks down fat (lipase) in fat cells. Fucoidan also blocked?glucose?uptake into these cells [52].