What is Fucoidan?
The Ocean’s Secret to Improved Health
Many people today are searching for a natural health aide that can improve their general well-being or help improve symptoms of significant diseases. While there are many useful natural health aides on the market, one of the most significant natural health supplements has recently become more popular.
Though it has been largely neglected in Western parts of the world, brown seaweed has been consumed in East Asia for thousands of years. This “sea vegetable” has recently been the subject of more than a thousand clinical studies due to its remarkable health benefits. Research has shown that certain species of brown seaweed – particularly wakame, kombu, hijiki, mozuku and bladder wrack – contain a complex sulfate polysaccharide called Fucoidan.
What is Fucoidan?
Pronounced “Foo – Koy – Den,” this substance is a string of complex sugar molecules (also called a dietary fiber). While it does have wonderful fat-burning and blood pressure-reducing qualities, Fucoidan has been researched extensively mostly because of its unique anti-viral, anti-cancer, and immunomodulating qualities.
Fucoidan naturally occurs in the cell walls of certain forms of brown seaweed, brown algae, and a few species of marine animal life (including sea snails, sea cucumbers, and urchins). No land-based animal has been known to possess this amazing molecular compound, and it is likely this reason that Fucoidan’s health benefits have only just come to light.
A Proven Part of a Healthy Diet
In truth, it is surprising that no one caught on earlier to the amazing health benefits of brown seaweed like wakame. On the Japanese island of Okinawa, Fucoidan-rich seaweed has been a part of the traditional diet for thousands of years. This is significant because Okinawans have statistically had the highest rates of people living over 100 years of age since the beginning of recordings; Okinawa is also known to have an incredibly low mortality rates caused by cancer and cardiovascular diseases.
Sadly, since the 1960s and Western influence have come into Okinawan territory, these rates have begun to dip. As the Okinawan diet has changed, so has their longevity. In spite of recent dietary changes, Okinawa and the small Ryukyu Islands south of Japan still have the highest rates of centenarians in the world. Fucoidan is a completely natural substance found in brown seaweed. Because it has been consumed for thousands of years by most East Asian cultures, you can be assured that it is both safe and incredibly healthy for human consumption.
Health Benefits
This naturally occurring health supplement can be an incredibly effective health aid once it has been extracted from the seaweed. Fucoidan is even more beneficial to take as an extract than in its natural form; a person would need to eat nearly ten pounds of seaweed to gain the equivalent of 1.25 grams of Fucoidan extract. Since seaweed is naturally high in iodine, ten pounds of seaweed would lead to iodine poisoning and thyroid problems; thankfully, condensed and concentrated Fucoidan extract is available without the risk of iodine poisoning when taken appropriately.
Below are some of the amazing health benefits that Fucoidan has to offer that have been researched and proven to be effective:
*Helps fight off viral infections
*Reduces cholesterol
*Relieves HIV, HSV, and Hepatitis C & D symptoms
*Removes the threat of free radicals
*Reduces high blood pressure
*Improves liver health
*Contains anti-cancer properties
*Relieves harmful chemotherapy & radiation side effects
Many of Fucoidan’s health benefits are in part due to its unique ability to boost the human immune system. Fucoidan is a natural chemical, and therefore does not have the harmful side effects of synthetic chemicals. It does not introduce unnatural chemicals into the body to fight off your infections for you. Instead, the Fucoidan stimulates your own immune system into defending you the way it is meant to.
HSV/HIV/Hepatitis & Antiviral Health
Some diseases, such as the herpes simplex virus, HIV, and Hepatitis C & D are inhibited by the immune-boosting effects of Fucoidan. These diseases are insidious – they hide within the remains of healthy cells so white blood cells cannot find them. Fucoidan helps the immune system by improving it and helping it seek out cells infected by the virus. There is no true cure for any of these viruses, but Fucoidan can help reduce the chance of outbreaks for HSV sufferers, and can help improve quality of life for those suffering from other viral diseases.
Cancer, Tumors, and Liver Fibrosis
Fucoidan can even help mitigate the effects of very severe conditions. In research studies, this natural substance has displayed the ability to combat cancer by inducing cancer cell apoptosis (cell death). In addition to apoptosis of existing cells, Fucoidan also protects healthy cells to reduce their chances of being overcome with the virus. Similarly, Fucoidan can be taken to reduce the size of tumors and decrease their chances of growing. If taken preventatively, it can even help reduce the chance of developing more tumors.
Hepatitis C is a common cause of liver fibrosis. Liver fibrosis occurs when the liver’s healthy tissue is replaced with scar tissue, interrupting healthy liver function. Studies have shown that taking Fucoidan can help reduce the amount of fibrotic tissue in the liver, and can also prevent more fibrosis from occurring.
Many natural health supplements do not have the years of dedicated research that Fucoidan has had. Some people grow tired of these dubious claims, but there is no reason to look any further for a natural health aide that can truly boost your immune system and help protect you from potential diseases and disorders. The research doesn’t lie, and the health benefits of Fucoidan are undeniable!
Still not convinced? Read more about Fucoidan’s health benefits or some research summaries of the more than one thousand independently reviewed studies that are available on the U.S. National Library of Medicine.