What Makes Fucoidan Such a Dynamite Dietary Supplement?
Widely used in certain Asian cultures for hundreds of years, seaweeds – and particularly certain varieties of brown seaweeds – have been revered for their ability to maintain good health and speed healing. The key ingredient in these brown seaweeds is a group of complex polysaccharides called Fucoidan. This group of complex sugars is made up of fucose, glucose, mannose, xylose, and galactose. These essential sugar molecules are all extremely vital for the proper functioning of cellular communication within the body. In recent years, there have been multiple laboratory studies on the ability of Fucoidans to heal and protect the body from various viruses to chronic illnesses like heart disease and cancer. Fucoidan actually plays a major role in the apoptosis of certain cancer cells (Leukemia, colon cancer, and breast cancer to name a few). Cell apoptosis is the process by which cancer cells self-destruct, eliminating the cancerous cells but protecting the healthy cells.
What are the ingredients in Fucoidan and how is it extracted?
Two major ingredients in Fucoidan are iodine and fucoxanthin. These elements work to increase your metabolism, burning more fat than what diet and exercise can do alone. Fucoidan extract is what most people would call the slimy part of brown seaweed. The brown seaweed extraction process is the way it is purified. During this process, the seaweed is dried in the sun, washed and re-hydrated. Then the “slimy” part of the plant is removed and processed through a giant mesh that works to remove any leftover plant elements. The product is then ready to be put into pill form.
What are the benefits of taking a Fucoidan supplement?
Fucoidan is used by many people to boost the immune system. It is known to be a better supplement than Vitamin C and is safe to take daily. Since many parts of the body rely on the immune system in order to function properly, Fucoidan is great for other health issues. For example, without a healthy immune system, our gastrointestinal tract fails. Fucoidan therefore helps those suffering from IBS or other related diseases. Unlike most prescription medicines, it has no side effects because it is 100% natural. Fucoidans are thought to battle viruses by bolstering cellular protection, or, in essence, preventing the introduction of the virus into the healthy cell before it can wreak havoc. They also seem to inhibit the ability of the virus to replicate itself by preventing its duplication in adjacent healthy cells. Fucoidan can help those who are suffering from diabetes because it helps to reduce high blood pressure. It does this by slowing down the release of glucose in the blood. For people who are at risk of diabetes or pre-diabetic, Fucoidan can be a great way to help stabilize blood sugar levels.
Taking Fucoidan for arthritis has also been proven to help with the mobility and flexibility of joints. In fact, low molecular weight Fucoidan carries the ability to reduce the pain often associated with osteoarthritis. Not only does Fucoidan act as an immune boost and anti-arthritic medication, it can also be used as an antiviral for those suffering from the herpes simplex virus 1 and 2. It works to ease the pain that is commonly associated with these common STD’s. Fucoidan has been shown to stop breakouts before they even happen. This way, the disease is not transferred to anyone else and any herpes sufferers will no longer feel pain and embarrassment.
An added benefit to Fucoidans is that they also offer highly effective anti-clotting agents, which have been proven to reduce risk of developing heart disease. As an anticoagulant, Fucoidan works as a blood thinner, preventing conditions such as heart attack or stroke. By taking a daily Fucoidan supplement, you can decrease the likelihood of these fatal attacks.
Fucoidan works to prevent and treat obesity. It does this with its active ingredients that stimulate the breakdown of lipids. The famous Dr. Oz has mentioned Fucoidan on his show, stating that it helps you burn more calories than you would with just exercise; it even works fast than just exercise! Fucoidan carries a certain kind of protein that breaks down extra fat and increases your metabolism. There have even been studies that show that it reduces the formation of new fat and speeds up the breakdown of existing fat, which helps you to lose more weight, faster than other medications.
What effects does Fucoidan have on Cancer?
On a cellular level, cancer acts much like a virus; it spreads by replicating itself and destroying cellular structure in its wake. It appears that Fucoidans can slow down the spread of the disease to other parts of the body by increasing resistance within the healthy cells. The residents of Okinawa, Japan eat about a gram per person of Fucoidan rich brown seaweed every day. These people are known to have the highest life expectancies in the world and are almost completely cancer-free. Scientists have confirmed that the Okinawans’ daily consumption of Fucoidan is the reason behind these discoveries. As stated above, Fucoidan promotes the apoptosis of cancer cells. The self-destruction of cancer cells happens within the harmful cells and does not damage the normal, healthy cells. As a result, there are no negative side effects associated with this self-destruction. In other words, Fucoidan works to only attack cancer cells, causing them to surrender naturally. Other cancer treatments such as chemotherapy also attack the body’s healthy cells. This can be a problem because this is what causes common chemo side effects such as hair loss, nausea, and insomnia. By taking Fucoidan, your body works to fight off cancer without causing painful negative side effects. The process of apoptosis works to boost the natural immunity within the body, enhancing the ability of the body to attack lethal diseases such as cancer. It then stops the generation of new blood vessels; further inhibiting the supply of oxygen and nutrients needed by the disease in order to grow.
Fucoidan extract works to increase the activity of Natural Killer cells (commonly referred to as NK’s). These cells are exactly what they sound; natural killers of tumor cells. They work to reduce the bond and colonization of tumor cells while also promoting apoptosis. Fucoidan works as an apoptotic supplement by reducing the supply of blood to tumors, which eventually ends up starving it to death. After many studies on the anti-tumor effects of this supplement, scientists have found that its apoptosis qualities work better than other conventional cancer treatments. The way that it works is that the seaweed extract stimulates cell growth and division, which reduces the risk of tumors. Since tumors need an ample amount of blood in order to survive, anything that produces angiogenesis is perfect for the reduction of tumor growth.
Why should I use Fucoidan?
With the rising numbers of circulatory disorders and chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart and atherosclerosis, Fucoidans offer a natural, effective alternative to pharmaceutical treatment. Since Fucoidan supports the normal removal of cancer cells, taking this supplement while undergoing cancer treatment has been proven to improve the cancer patient’s quality of life. They no longer have painful side effects and can enjoy life the way that they used to.
As far as side effects go, Fucoidan extract has only one downside: iodine overdose. Since these brown seaweed plants have a high percentage of iodine, you should not take too much Fucoidan because it could lead to iodine poisoning or thyroid damage. However, those that suffer from hypothyroidism (and are iodine-deprived) are safe to take more Fucoidan than those who are not deprived of this ingredient. As long as you take the right dosage, there are no side effects to Fucoidan because it is all natural.