Category: Health Benefits

Health benefits of seaweed has been known for thousands of years include Mayan, Egyptian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Irish, Welsh, Scot societies for general health and wellbeing. Evidence that seaweed reduces the restrictions and wil be at home.

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Arthritis Biosea Health Health Benefits Heart Health

Six Health Improvements People Are Saying About Pacific Seamoss

six health improvements from Pacific Sea Moss seaweed

Six health improvements are what customers are saying. After consuming Pacific Seamoss for 4 to 12 weeks, what’s their stories? We share below some of the stories. Check out testimonials here.

The good thing about a functional food like Pacific Seamoss, is that it has different effects for different people. Functional foods are so packed with nutrition and natural pharmaceuticals, that they provide the right supplement that your body needs, whether you knew it or not. That said, there seem to be some effects that all our customers are telling us about. Here are the top 6 changes that our Pacific Seamoss customers report.

1. More energy

All our customers reported they were feeling more energetic and able to cope better with the demands of their busy lives. Those that are regular exercisers have found exercise easier. Those that were mostly sedentary tell us they are feeling more energetic and are moving a lot more. The functional foods expert, Professor Lindsay Brown from the University of Southern Queensland, tells us this is because of dramatic changes in the liver allowing faster delivery of nutrients and energy to our cells and muscles.[2,3]

2. General feeling of wellness.

Many of our older customers say they feel better than they have felt for many years. This is not just about more energy but a feeling a positive mindset and am overall sense of wellbeing. All our customers have told us that they are feeling more relaxed, able to cope better with stress and feel less emotionally drained from everyday worries. Pacific Seamoss is packed full of tyrosine, that improves mental alertness and focus during times of stress, giving us a sense of control and reducing anxiety and tension.

3. Reduced Blood pressure

High blood pressure (hypertension) is a silent killer that is much too easy to develop but very difficult to reduce. Many of our customers take regular prescription medications for hypertension. They tell us that even though medicated, their blood pressure continues to creep up. Inevitably the dosage is increased but so are the nasty side effects. But now, our customers have reported that medications had to be reduced because blood pressures are returning to the normal range. Their doctors are pleased because heart health is improving, and risk of major cardiovascular disease is reduced. Our scientists say it’s probably the Potassium in the Pacific Seamoss that helps regulate the Potassium/Sodium balance in the body and is especially important for heart health.

4. Reduced Joint inflammation

Inflammation in joints occurs for many reasons, the two most common being overuse and arthritis. Both conditions interfere with normal function and stop us from leading a healthy active life. With Pacific Seamoss our customers are reporting pain and inflammation is reduced in arthritic or injured joints. They say they are active again, and greatly appreciate the better quality of life. Even our more athletic customers tell us their niggling training injuries have disappeared. Pacific Seamoss contains plant sterols and other macronutrients that interfere with the chronic inflammation process. It also acts as a pre-biotic – up-regulating your healthy gut bacteria that pump inflammation reducing short chain fatty acids into the blood stream.

5. Minds are much sharper

This is one feature of Pacific Seamoss that we didn’t expect. Many of our customers are reporting sharper minds and easier memory recall. This is especially good news for our older customers, who report age related memory issues are much improved. A new study from scientists in Korea shows that Pacific Seamoss provides neurotrophic factors, otherwise known as s nutrition for brain cells. The seaweed helps to regenerate and repair ageing and damaged cells, while also increasing the availability of neurotransmitters that build strong healthy networks and increase brain plasticity. This is great news for anyone with a history of neurodegenerative conditions, including Parkinson’s Disease, Alzheimer’s and Stroke. It’s also great news for those of us trying to prevent the cognitive decline that occurs when we age.

6. Even More

The best part about keeping in touch with our customers us that we get feedback about changes in health and wellbeing that we previously hadn’t studied. This gives us an opportunity to explore the scientific literature and develop new studies to further expand the scientific knowledge about Pacific Seamoss. That’s what good science is all about. Here are some of the anecdotal reports we are currently looking at.

  • Dysmenorrhoea Painful periods are dramatically reduced in long term sufferers. Likely mechanism – oestrogen management, Potassium/Sodium Balance
  • Hair and Nail Growth Increased growth rate of hair and nails. Likely mechanism – liver up-regulation,
  • Healthy Glowing Skin – Skin conditions improved, and signs of ageing reduced. Likely mechanism – collagen released from inflamed organs made available for skin health, improved microbiome.
  • Relief for Parkinson’s Symptoms – Customers with early-stage Parkinson’s disease have reported easier movement. Likely mechanism – tyrosine in Pacific Seamoss is converted to L-Dopa in the body, improved liver function allowing better delivery to the cells.
  • Improved gut and bowel movements.

What has been your experience with Pacific Seamoss? Do you have six health improvements?

Let us know at seaweed@bioseahealth.com

References

[1] Tirtawijaya, G., Haque, M. N., Choi, J. S., Moon, I. S., Meinita, M. D. N., Choi, J.-S., & Hong, Y.-K. (2019). Spinogenesis and Synaptogenesis Effects of the Red Seaweed Kappaphycus alvarezii and Its Isolated Cholesterol on Hippocampal Neuron Cultures. Preventive Nutrition and Food Science, 24(4), 418. (PubMed)

[2] Wanyonyi, S., Du Preez, R., Brown, L., Paul, N. A., & Panchal, S. K. (2017). Kappaphycus alvarezii as a food supplement prevents diet-induced metabolic syndrome in rats. Nutrients, 9(11), 1261.(Pubmed)

[3] du Preez, R.; Paul, N.; Mouatt, P.; Majzoub, M.E.; Thomas, T.; Panchal, S.K.; Brown, L. Carrageenans from the Red Seaweed Sarconema filiforme Attenuate Symptoms of Diet-Induced Metabolic Syndrome in Rats. Mar. Drugs 2020, 18, 97.

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Biosea Health Health Benefits

Make Seaweed a Habit for Better Health.

make seaweed a habit eat Pacific Sea Moss

If you make seaweed a habit, then the great thing about functional foods is they have benefits without any nasty side effects. Just like medicines, they work best when consumed often enough that the active molecules stay at the optimum level in your body. That’s why we bring you Pacific Seamoss, a functional food, in an easy to take capsule. Let’s be honest, for those of us accustomed to a western diet, it is much easier to take a few capsules than consume a full bowl of seaweed every day. And every day is the key to getting the full benefits.

Our functional food is just food, with benefits.  Unlike many foods that call themselves functional foods but they are just manufactured foods with some compounds added. Think margarine with added sterols.  Nothing is added to Pacific Seamoss.  Its what is in the food itself.

So how do you make Pacific Seamoss a daily habit?

Habit is a wonderful way to make our lives easier. The science shows that having habits reduce stress and free up brain power for other more difficult tasks. Aristotle knew that excellence comes from daily habit but forming those habits can be tricky in the beginning. Here are some tips from the experts to help you along your Pacific Seamoss journey.

1 Set up a reminder.

When learning a new habit consistency is the key. Reminders may be what your busy brain needs to keep that focus in the beginning. They can be as complicated as an electronic calendar entry or as simple as a post-it note on the bathroom mirror. Think about how you use reminders in your everyday life now and apply the same principle to taking your Pacific Seamoss.

2 Context is important.

Creating a place or situation that reminds you of taking your Pacific Seamoss capsules can make the habit rock solid. Perhaps keep Pacific Seamoss near the kettle so your morning cuppa is the reminder. Or in full view on your bedside table so you remember to take them morning and night. Think of a place or activity you do every day and incorporate your Pacific Seamoss into this context.

3 Timing can seal the deal.

Our bodies are chemically designed to make us creatures of habit. We have natural circadian rhythms that release hormones and neurotransmitters throughout the day, triggering time based behaviours. It’s easy to program our bodies to expect things to happen at a particular time. By taking Pacific Seamoss at the same time every day, you will trick your body and brain into sending you an internal reminder every day. Like an internal alarm clock.

4 Link to an established habit.

This is an easy way for quick habit forming. Because Pacific Seamoss is already in capsule form, adding it to your daily medications or vitamins is the easy choice of habit to link to.

5 Choose what works for you.

Look at the habits you already have in your daily routine and decide what makes these habits work. Perhaps one of the above points is the key. Use this knowledge to incorporate Pacific Seamoss into your daily schedule in a way that works for you.
When it comes to getting the full long-term benefits from seaweed, consistency is the key.

THE HABIT QUADRANT

Make Pacific Seamoss a habit – Tips

The four stages of habit are best described as a feedback loop. They form an endless cycle that is running every moment you are alive.

This “habit loop” is continually scanning the environment, predicting what will happen next, trying out different responses, and learning from the results.

Charles Duhigg and Nir Eyal deserve special recognition for their influence on this image. This representation of the habit loop is a combination of language that was popularized by Duhigg’s book, The Power of Habit, and a design that was popularized by Eyal’s book, Hooked.

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Biosea Health Cancer Health Benefits

Cancer Fighting Properties of Seaweed

Cancer fighting properties of seaweed eat Pacific Seamoss

Cancer Fighting Properties of Seaweed

Seaweed has been known for millennia to have anti-cancer properties. The Egyptians used seaweed to treat breast cancer as early as 2640 BC, while both Traditional Chinese Medicine and Japanese Folk medicine use seaweed to treat tumors.   Modern science is now recognizing how important seaweed can be for cancer prevention, with studies showing that a diet rich in seaweed can dramatically reduce blood markers linked to breast cancer.

The growth of abnormal cells characterizes cancer, and there are more than 100 cancerous diseases with an enormous health burden worldwide. Carotenoids are a class of biological pigment which are known to have beneficial effects for cancer prevention. Carotenoids, including fucoxanthin, are in many seaweed species and considered by researchers to have incredible potential cancer-fighting properties with promising applications in other areas of human health. Fucoxanthin is one of the most readily available carotenoids that is the subject of research. It is known to stop the growth cycle of cancer cells leading to programmed cell death dramatically slowing cancer growth. Currently, most of the research studies on the anti-cancer effects of  Fucoxanthin are focused on animal subjects. Scientists are excited by the prospect of developing cancer-fighting medications from seaweeds for humans.

Fresh seaweedMuch of this work is with brown seaweeds that have high levels of fucoxanthin. There is accumulating evidence that shows fucoxanthin may have reduction anti-cancer effects on several cancer cells such as lung, breast, colon, prostate, and bladder cancer.

Fucoxanthin has significantly inhibited the growth of prostate cancer by destroying prostate cancer cells. Fucoxanthin has also been identified to substantially reduce the growth of urinary bladder cancer cells by acting as a cancer-inhibiting agent. In a study on mice with skin tumors, the mice were fed fucoxanthin, which led to the suppression of skin tumors resulting in a reduced number of tumors. Studies on human lung cancer cells treated with fucoxanthin also showed a decrease in the number of human lung cancer cells.

The effect of fucoxanthin does not stop at cancer cell reduction. There have been many reports indicating fucoxanthin has a protective effect against the dangerous side effects of drugs. Because fucoxanthin is a natural compound, it is effective without being toxic to the body. It reduces cancer cells plus decreases side effects of conventional cancer treatments leading to improved quality of life cancer patients.

It is not just brown seaweed with anti-cancer activity. Other seaweeds also have anti-cancer activity, but the mode of action is less well understood.

Cancer Research on Pacific Seamoss

One particular seaweed, Pacific Sea Moss©, a red seaweed, containing fucoxanthin in smaller amounts, has been researched on its anti-carcinogenic effects. In Asian cultures such as Korea, Japan, and parts of China, the red seaweed found in Pacific Sea Moss© has long been part of the diets where its consumption is associated with reduced prevalence of breast cancer. Seaweed is also used to treat tumors in traditional Chinese medicine.

Scientists have undertaken several tests on rats induced with a human breast tumor. Once the rats started eating the red seaweed found in Pacific Sea Moss© (Euchemia denticularum “spinosum”), the breast tumors began to decrease in size and number. The mechanism is complicated, but it seems that the seaweed changes the gut microbiome, which reduces the levels of estrogen, which decreases cancer prevalence. The results highlight the importance of marine dietary fiber as a food supplement.

Tests undertaken on human colon cancer cells have showcased the anti-carcinogenic effects of Euchemia spinosum, whereby the human colon cells have died after being administered with the red seaweed found in Pacific Sea Moss©.

Verifiable evidence shows that adding seaweed in our diet may increase the capacity of our bodies to fight against different forms of cancer such as liver, bladder, breast, colon, and prostate cancer. Therefore, these results suggest that the intake of Pacific Sea Moss© has the potential of reducing the risk of several types of cancer.

We make no medical claims.  But we all understand seaweed is healthy. Biosea Health provides seaweed in an easy to consume way with Pacific Sea Moss©  Simply good healthy food.

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Arthritis Biosea Health Gut Microbiome Health Benefits

Seaweed reduces obesity? Will it save Queensland’s Fattest City?

seaweed reduces obesity Eat Pacific Sea Moss

USQ scientists set to break the obesity cycle with leading edge findings. Are functional foods better than dieting and exercise…..

Toowoomba takes out the unenviable title of the fattest city in Queensland according to researchers at the Mitchell Institute. Over 83% of the Toowoomba population is overweight or obese, posing major disease risk and a potential public health crisis in the region. But all is not lost for the Garden City with one of its locals possibly holding the key to ending the city’s obesity problem. Professor Lindsay Brown of University of Southern Queensland at Toowoomba has spent more than a decade investigating functional foods and their affect on lifestyle diseases such as obesity, high blood pressure and cancer. Professor Brown says that seaweed is showing exceptional effectiveness in reversing obesity related health problems in animal studies and would like to see them in human studies.

Prof Brown and his team of researchers fed rats a junk food diet. The rats, just like humans, gained weight especially around the belly, and also developed fatty liver disease, high blood pressure, pre-type 2 diabetes, arthritis and inflammation of the gut.

But eating as little as 5 gm of seaweed per day completely reversed all of these symptoms.  Blood pressure returned to normal and cell damage to the heart and liver was reversed. Fatty deposits in liver and blood vessels disappeared.  The body’s response to sugar reverted back to the healthy functioning and diabetes risk was eliminated. Inflammation throughout the body was minimised so joint and heart health was much improved.  Professor Brown says the results are highly impressive and somewhat unexpected. He anticipated an improvement in symptoms but not a complete reversal, and a result better than if the patient was taking multiple medicines.

Blood pressure control with seaweed dietary supplement also stopped weight gain
From du Preez 2020 Seaweed reduces weight gain from rats on a junk food diet and makes no different to rats on a standard diet.

Professor Brown now wants to get the message out to the residents of his home town to help change Toowoomba’s frightening health reputation.  He openly provides all the science so residents can judge the effectiveness for themselves. However the media and medical industry have been slow to realise the potential of functional foods.

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Biosea Health Gut Microbiome Health Benefits Reviews

Seaweed Reverses Metabolic Syndrome

seaweed reduces metabolic syndrome

Rats fed seaweed reverses metabolic syndrome caused by a junk food diet. Sounds too good to be true?  Professor Brown was astonished. This animal study was published in 2017 but few seem to understand the ramifications.  You can negate a junk food diet with seaweed. Alternatively, you will be able to reverse the ill-health effects of a bad diet.

The Trial

Professor Lindsay Brown University of Southern Queensland supervised this PhD study along with Dr Sunil Pachal at the University of Southern Queensland.  The paper is listed below.

They took rats and fed some of them on an junk food (extra sugar + fat) diet.  Just like in the movie Super Size Me, a 2004 American documentary film directed by and starring Morgan Spurlock. Spurlock’s film follows a 30-day period from February 1 to March 2, 2003, during which he ate only McDonald’s food. The film documents this lifestyle’s drastic effect on Spurlock’s physical and psychological well-being. If you want to see what a human on junk food diet looks like. Or not.

Professor Brown’s trial had 3 groups of 10 rats each.  Group 1 had normal rat diet. Group 2 had a Junk food diet. Group 3 had the junk food diet plus some seaweed (Kappaphycus sp) .  The trial went for 8 weeks.

Outcomes

This data is taken directly from the peer reviewed published paper, and highlights a few key metrics. There are other more complicated conclusions as well.

Seaweed Reverses Metabolic Syndrome:Weight 

Normal          Supersize Supersize+ Seaweed
Final Weight g

350

 431

348 
Energy Intake kJ/day

38

 23

21
Feed conversion efficiency g/Kj   

0.04

 0.2

0.03

Fatness

Indicator     Normal       Supersize Supersize+ Seaweed
Circumference cm 

18.4

 20.5

18.9
Abdominal Fat mg/mm     

342

 632

337
Total Fat Mass Times 

49

 98

53

Bone Density

Indicator  Normal      Supersize    Supersize+ Seaweed
Bone Mineral Density  g/cm2

10

 12

10

Blood Measures

Indicator Normal         Supersize Supersize+ Seaweed
Basal Blood Glucose mmol/L

3.7

 4.7

3.6
Total Glucose mmol/L.min

650

 800

753
Triglycerides  mmol/L

0.6

 1.7

1.3
Systolic Blood Pressure mm

120

 136

127

NO WEIGHT GAIN. WHY NOT?

blood pressure control with seaweed dietary supplement also stopped any weight gain from junk food
From Wanyonyi 2017. The rats on the junk food + seaweed were no different in weight than the standard diet, in contrast to rats on a junk food diet.

BLOOD GLUCOSE BACK TO NORMAL

blood glucose control with seaweed dietary supplement
From Wanyonyi 2017. Blood glucose controlled with seaweed provided as a dietary supplement.

Additional Measures

  • Gut microbiota diversification profiling
  • Metal and metalloid liver analysis
  • Histology
  • Organ weights
  • Body composition
  • Fatty liver disease reversal
  • Gut microbiome reverts to normal
  • Gut inflammation eliminated.
  • Damage to the heart was reversed.

BLOOD PRESSURE. NO HYPERTENSION

Blood pressure control with seaweed dietary supplement reduces liver inflammatory cells
From du Preez 2020. Seaweed markedly reduces liver inflammatory cells in less than 8 weeks. The damage is completely mitigated by the seaweed.

GUT MICROBIOME CHANGES

gut microbiome changes are the likely reason that blood pressure control with seaweed dietary supplments worked.
Figure from Waynonyi 2017. The microbiome was radically changed with the introduction of Kappaphycus alvarezii to the diets of the junk food animals.

Conclusion

Professor Brown was astonished.  The introduction of seaweed did not reduce the symptoms a little. The seaweed had such a dramatic effect it was if these rats had not eaten the junk food diet. What was going on?

References

[1] Wanyonyi, S; du Preez, R; Brown, L; Paul, N; Panchal, S  2017 Kappaphycus alvarezii as a Food Supplement Prevents Diet-Induced Metabolic Syndrome in Rats. Nutrients (9) 11 DOI:10.3390/nu9111261 (Click for Abstract) (Click to download full paper)

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Alzheimer's Disease Biosea Health Health Benefits

Seaweed Drug for Alzheimers Disease

Seaweed drug for Alzheimers Disease research

Seaweed drug Alzheimers Disease shows promise

Back in early 2005, researchers noticed seaweed reduces Alzheimers disease in elderly patients and wondered if people who regularly eat seaweed were less likely to develop AD. A formal research program was started in 2009 in China.

By 2019, a new drug,  extracted from seaweed was approved. Clinical trials show effectiveness in treating mild to moderate forms of the disease, and it may even improve cognitive function. The news immediately drew worldwide attention, and suspicion ensued. Is it possible that a discovery coming out of China—whose biotech industry is just taking off—could succeed where seasoned researchers from the likes of Biogen and Eli Lilly have failed miserably?

What We Now Know

  1. The microbiome impacts Alzheimer’s Disease and other inflammatory Diseases
  2. Seaweed may prevent onset either in whole form or in an extract of a particular polysaccharide
  3. Human clinical trials are very promising.
  4. If you are concerned about Alzheimers there is no better time to start seaweed. Treatment of the disease once it has progressed may not be reversible.

What’s the Current Thinking about Alzheimers Disease

Despite the tremendous efforts made in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), the past decades have witnessed the continuous failure of β-amyloid (Aβ)- or tau-centric therapeutic strategies in late-stage clinical trials. Only 1 out 200 promising drugs with animals translated to any positive improvements in humans.

There are two promising areas of research and they both involve seaweed. The question is how does seaweed reduces Alzheimers Disease. When researchers talk about AD they often use a term called an axis of Brain-Gut-Microbiota.

The diagram of this “pathway” (from Kowalski and Mulak) is below. Note that it all begins in the gut.

  1. The amyloid beta proteins that are seen in people with dementia are made by the microbiota, the gut nervous system and the brain itself.
  2. What is often seen is leaky gut syndrome, and gut inflammation.
  3. Finally the damage is done in the brain with neuro-degeneration.

Brain gut microbiota pathway

Disturbances of the brain-gut-microbiota axis in Alzheimer’s disease. Disturbances along the brain-gut-microbiota axis, including the central nervous system (CNS) and the enteric nervous system (ENS), contribute to the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease. The gut microbiota is known to upregulate local and systemic inflammation due to lipopolysaccharides (LPS) from pathogenic bacteria and synthesis of proinflammatory cytokines. Alterations in the gut microbiota composition may induce increased permeability of the intestinal barrier and the blood-brain barrier further enhancing inflammation at the gut, systemic and CNS levels. Amyloid beta (Aβ) formation takes place in the ENS and the CNS. In addition, a large amount of amyloids is secreted by the gut microbiota.

Disturbances along the brain-gut-microbiota axis may significantly contribute to the development of neurodegenerative disorders. Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most frequent cause of dementia – with progressive decline in cognitive function and formation of amyloid beta (Aβ) plaques and neurofibrillary tangles. We know poor gut microbiota composition increase permeability of the gut barrier. This results in an autoimmune reaction. E.g. Immune activation leading to systemic inflammation, which in turn may impair the blood-brain barrier and promote neuroinflammation, neural injury, and ultimately neurodegeneration. It has been shown in inflammatory disease but has been extended to AD.

However, current understanding of the specific mechanism between the gut and brain in AD progression is still very limited. There will be many claims until further research is done. The figure below shows the 3 separate areas of activity, but it remains unknown which types of infiltrated immune cells are functionally involved in AD development. What are the underlying driving forces that promotes peripheral immune cells to infiltrate the brain, leading to the enhancement of the residential neuroinflammation. Moreover, as we discover the importance of microbiota metabolites, researchers will try to find the specific metabolites that are involved in linking gut microbiota and brain neuroinflammation in AD progression.

This work is one of a whole new area of studies that show the dynamic interaction between the intestinal microbiota and host innate and adaptive immune system. If the gut microbiota are abnormal, they could jeopardize host immune responses and promote the development of various inflammatory disorders. Remember that Prof Jan Villadsen in the arthritis and gut inflamatory responses – same type of response and in this blog post. (Arthritis stopped in its tracks)

Antibiotics are Bad

It now appears that antibiotics are bad for AD-associated inflammation. Both animal and human studies show an association between dysbiosis of the gut microbiota and the microglia activation during AD development. Minter et al. discovered that perturbations (upset) in gut microbial diversity influenced neuro-inflammation and amyloidosis. Antibiotics-treated mice showed a significant decrease in plaque-localized microglial activation positive for IBA-1. Besides, gut microbiota-produced lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was found in the post-mortem brain samples of AD patients,and peripheral injection of LPS could promote microglial activation.All the evidence suggests that gut microbiota is likely involved in regulating microglia activation and neuroinflammation in AD. Change that microbiome and there is a cascade of other complications.

Promising GV-971 Drug

The media is full of the work of Geng Meiyu and her team at the Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica at the Chinese Academy of Sciences. They suggest that a polysaccharide, oligomannate, a seaweed-derived compound, can reduce AD. The work was supported by Ocean University of China and Green Valley.

Here is Geng Meiyu (bottom left – she worked for 30 years on this.

The Chinese Govt has approved the drug GV-971 which was based on a phase 3 trial involving 818 Chinese patients.

In that study, patients on oligomannate scored better on a standard clinical scale called ADAS-Cog that’s used to evaluate cognitive function in Alzheimer’s patients. ADAS-Cog scores range from zero to 70, and higher scores indicate greater dysfunction

In previous animal studies Geng’s team showed in mice that oligomannate works by modulating gut microbiota and hence inhibiting inflammation in the nervous system, reducing beta amyloid buildup and tau tangles.

According to results Geng presented at last year’s Clinical Trials on Alzheimer’s Disease Conference in Barcelona, a statistically significant improvement between the drug and placebo was observed as early as week four and continued over the course of the trial. After 36 weeks, patients in the oligomannate arm had improved their ADAS-Cog scores by a median 2.54 points more than placebo patients.

Seaweed Changes Gut Microbiome

Prof Lindsay Brown of USQ showed in super-sized obese mice they could reverse the changes in microbiome back to normal with Sarconema species seaweed.  This was with Sargassum sp and Laminaria sp It may be that the species is not so important as getting the right microbiome.

What is the Cell Membrane?

Here are two images of the membranes in the gut. There is only a few cells between the gut, and the bloodstream.  If this is not functioning correctly, then the blood says “Whoa.  Nasty bacteria too close”. And starts an autoimmune process.

This simple figure (Minter) shows the intestine as a pipe with a cross section. There is really only 1 layer between health and death.

This gut blood barrier is much more complex.  Here is  simple model which shows some of the dozens of cells identified.

Seaweed Reduces Alzheimers Disease by changing microbiome

Within this are many other processes and involve T-Cells, B-Cells, and range of other immunology pathways.

Proposed Mode of Action of GV-971 Gut Brain Axis

Wang et al in the Nature paper cited below says that this gut blood brain change is what makes the new drug effective. The polysaccharide reconditions the microbiota. The inflammation reduces, and then reduced the nero-inflammation.Alzheimer's gut-brain-axis model for GV-971

The work from The Netherlands by Dr Mulder and others (Bogie et al) in animal studies have seen lipids enter the brain, and this reduces inflammation but also reduced the reduction in the brain size which is also a symptom of Alzheimer’ Disease.

In a separate Nature communication commenting on the drug GV-971 Seo (2019) provides a commentary on the paper on GV-971 and how microbiota influences Alzheimer’s Disease.

Schematic Diagram (from Seo, 2019)

  1. Poor functioning (or dysbiosis) of the gut microbiota alter amino acid metabolism and immunity.
  2. Elevated phenylalanine and isoleucine (Phe/Ile) increase plasma T helper type 1 (Th1) cells
  3. Th1 cells invade through the blood brain barrier.
  4. Get inflammation in the brain
    • Increases pro-inflammatory microglia abundance
    • Get amyloid-β (Aβ) deposition
    • Neurofibrillary tangles (as per research from Europe with Monique Mulder)
  5. Treatment with GV-971 reconditions the gut microbiota and stops progress of Alzheimer’s

Seaweed Reduces Alzheimers Disease with GV971

This mechanism seems to be a consistent finding among Alzheimer’s Disease researchers and why there is continued research on how seaweed reduces Alzheimers disease.

References

CNN News Article  Chinese Alzheimers Drug (Click Here)

Novel Drug Treatment Shows Improved Cognition in a Phase 3 Clinical Trial in Persons with Mild-to-Moderate Alzheimer’s Disease in China. 2018 (News report from Barcelona)

South China News China Approves first new Alzheimers Drug
https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3036119/china-approves-oligomannate-worlds-first-new-alzheimers-drug-20

Fierce Pharma China approves a new, home-grown Alzheimer’s drug—and questions immediately follow (Click Here to read more)

Wang, X., Sun, G., Feng, T. et al. 2019 Sodium oligomannate therapeutically remodels gut microbiota and suppresses gut bacterial amino acids-shaped neuroinflammation to inhibit Alzheimer’s disease progression. Cell Res 29, 787–803 (2019) doi:10.1038/s41422-019-0216-x

Bogie, J., Hoeks, C., Schepers, M. et al. Dietary Sargassum fusiforme improves memory and reduces amyloid plaque load in an Alzheimer’s disease mouse model. Sci Rep 9, 4908 (2019) doi:10.1038/s41598-019-41399-4

Kowalski K, and Mulak A 2019 Brain-Gut-Microbiota Axis in Alzheimer’s Disease J Neurogastroenterol Motil 2019; 25(1): 48-60 https://doi.org/10.5056/jnm18087

Minter M, Zhang C et al 2016 Antibiotic-induced perturbations in gut microbial diversity influences neuro-inflammation and amyloidosis in a murine model of Alzheimer’s disease. Scientific Reports volume 6, Article number: 30028 https://www.nature.com/articles/srep30028

Garrett, W. S., Gordon, J. I., & Glimcher, L. H. 2010 Homeostasis and inflammation in the intestine. Cell, 140(6), 859–870. doi:10.1016/j.cell.2010.01.023

Seo, D., Boros, B.D. & Holtzman, D.M. The microbiome: A target for Alzheimer disease?. Cell Res 29, 779–780 (2019) doi:10.1038/s41422-019-0227-7

du Preez, R.; Paul, N.; Mouatt, P.; Majzoub, M.E.; Thomas, T.; Panchal, S.K.; Brown, L. Carrageenans from the Red Seaweed Sarconema filiforme Attenuate Symptoms of Diet-Induced Metabolic Syndrome in Rats. Mar. Drugs 2020, 18, 97. https://www.mdpi.com/1660-3397/18/2/97

Commercial Interests

The commercial entity in this new drug is Green Valley.  Green Valley is a pharmaceutical company focusing its primary efforts on developing carbohydrate drugs for patients with complex chronic diseases in areas of central nervous system, cardiovascular, and oncology. Founded in 1997 and headquartered in Shanghai with over 1500 personnel, Green Valley’s business presence in China covers more than 31 provinces/municipals including 2 GMP manufacturing sites and has achieved more than $700 million in revenue in 2018. The company’s product Salvianolate is a top 10 drug for cardiovascular disease in China. The new drug registration application and marketing authorization application for GV-971 has been recently submitted to CFDA for treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.  Their website is http://www.greenvalleypharma.com/En

Categories
Alzheimer's Disease Biosea Health Gut Microbiome Health Benefits Reviews

Seaweed Reduces Alzheimers?

seaweed reduces alzheimers disease Pacific Sea Moss

Seaweed reduces Alzheimers in animal studies and work is underway with dietary Sargassum fusiforme as it has demonstrated improvement of memory and moreover reduces amyloid plaque load in an Alzheimer’s Disease Mouse Model. The research was presented by Dr Monique Mulder at the Seagriculture 2019 Workshop in Ostende Belgium in September 2019. Dr Mulder is from Erasmus University Rotterdam and working with colleagues globally.

Seaweed Reduces Alzheimer’s Disease – Background

Alzheimer’s disease (AD), also referred to simply as Alzheimer’s, is a chronic neurodegenerative disease that usually starts slowly and gradually worsens over time. It is the cause of 60–70% of cases of dementia. The most common early symptom is difficulty in remembering recent events.

Seaweed reduces alzheimers disease
Aging Memory Decline

An ever-increasing reduction in memory occurs in patients. Language proficiency, the ability to solve problems and other cognitive functions also decrease. The disease is not yet treatable. 44 million people worldwide suffer from Alzheimer’s disease. The costs involved are $ 1,000 billion. Due to the aging population, these numbers will increase drastically in the coming years. Over the past 20 years AD research has focused on either:

  • Early detection. Catch early and stop progression.
  • Drugs to stop the disease and the symptoms.

AD disease progression is complex.

  • Brain shrinkage. As neurons are injured and die throughout the brain, connections between networks of neurons may break down, and many brain regions begin to shrink. By the final stages of Alzheimer’s, this process—called brain atrophy—is widespread, causing significant loss of brain volume.
  • Beta amyloid.  There is an abnormal build up of a protein called beta amyloid, which forms “plaques” outside the brain cells.
  • Tangles. Inside the brain cells, another protein called tau builds up into “tangles”

Seaweed Reduces Alzheimers in Mouse Memory

Dr Mulder has been working for the past 15 years on dietary and genetic approaches to Alzheimer disease in animal models. Dr Mulder explains that “I ended up in the seaweed by accident. I have always been interested in the relationship between nutrition and health. We were looking for a certain substance (the plant sterol Saringosterol) and found in the scientific literature that this substance had been detected in seaweed. Then it appeared that mice that we had fed with seaweed performed better in the field of cognition (information processing in the brain). That was the trigger for further research.”.

Seaweed Reduced Brain Atrophy

The brain atrophy is due to lack of cholesterol.  The brain cannot get cholesterol from the body as cholesterol cannot move across the Blood Brain barrier.  Dr Mulder’s previous work showed that the memory of mice with Alzheimer’s disease improves if the transport of cholesterol in the brain is activated with synthetic substances that stimulate certain receptors (LXR α and β). Unfortunately, serious side effects occur, such as fatty liver and accumulation of fatty substances in the blood, so that ruled out the synthetics.

But with in Sargassum, a natural substance was (Saringosterol) did work. It activated fat transport in the brain via LXR β. In mice with Alzheimer’s disease, she saw an improvement in memory and fewer brain abnormalities when they let them eat seaweed. Moreover, no adverse side effects occurred.

Reduction of brain with Alzheimer diseaser

Dr Mulder presented that the key issue is that the brain has to synthesis its own cholesterol – there is no blood to brain transfer. Defective synthesis in the brain causes brain disease. The regulation is with compounds called LXR. Brain sterols also play a part.

Details of the Research

In previous published work, when they increased the cholesterol turnover by LXR activation with compounds at about 0.015% w/w then mice improved their object recognition and object location tasks. (Did not affect mice without AD).

It turns out that common plant sterols (such as those from Sargassum) can enter the brain, and they are very similar to cholesterol but the ones they have tried previously do not change the LXR levels.

It is not simple, as the compounds have to turn on / turn off genes.  These compounds have to “agonist”. An agonist is a chemical that binds to a receptor and activates the receptor to produce a biological response.

A few years the research discovered that a sterol from Sargassum fusiforme is a novel selective LXR. The work at Erasmuwas done in collaboration with Shulalongkorn University in Bangkok.

Sargassum is very active anti oxidant

The researchers compared a range of plants and compounds including Azadirachta indica (neem oil) which has reputed health benefits.  You can see the much larger response from Sargassum

Sargassum fusiforme activates LXRb

This figure shows that the Sargassum stopped the folding of the brain which is associated with brain atrophy and tangles. There was no sign of fatty liver from the eating of the sterols, and that is consistent with research with research with the seaweed Kappaphycus alvarezii where it was protective.

Sargassum activates LXR target genes in the brainThis figure shows that Sargassum actually affected 3 of the genes that regulate the LXR target genes.

The microbiome: A target for Alzheimer disease?

All the evidence from this work, and from others such as Lin 2019 shows that the getting the gut from a leaky gut to a healthy gut is subtle but very important. The Toll Like Receptors (TLRs) play a huge part in the regulation. The Blood Brain Barrier (BBB) is very important as well. Normally nothing gets into the brain except glucose.

Microbiota Gut Brain Axis

From Lin Fig. 1. Potential implications of TLRs and gut-brain-axis for AD. In healthy subjects, the gut epithelium is guaranteed by tight junctions between the cells. TLRs are expressed on macrophages, dendritic cells (DCs), and intestinal epithelial cells, serving as sentinels to monitor the pathogens in gut. Vagus nerve appears to modulate communication between the gut and the brain. The whole microenvironment maintains in homeostasis. During aging, the tight junction of intestinal and BBB become permeable. In AD patients, the diversity of gut microbiota decreased, while the population of pro-inflammation bacteria increased. Bacteria and their excretions could cross the leaky gut and then activate the TLRs in epithelium, IECs and macrophages, leading to production of pro-inflammation cytokines. These cytokines make their way through circulation or vague nerves to the brain, enlarge the neuro-inflammatory responses, and promote neuro-degeneration in CNS.

Findings from the Current Research

Seaweed improved memory in mice.  There are multiple reasons.

  • Sargassum seaweed is much more effective than other compounds or “anti-oxidants”
  • Sargassum increased cholesterol levels and that shows promise that brains won’t shrink.
  • Sargassum activates LXR-targets genes in the brain and there is half as much brain folding (i.e. degradation) and there has been reduction in beta amyloid and less tangles.
  • There is no downside.  Sargassum did not induce fatty liver or other side effects.

Will this Work in Humans?

In over 400 animal studies since 2002, the failure of drug development has been over 99% when the drugs trials were transitioned from animal studies to human studies. These studies by Mulder and her teams are different in that the Sargassum appears to be affecting all 3 of the causes of dementia.

  1. Plant sterols cross the blood-brain barrier to give a supply of cholesterol like plant sterols that are used in brain regeneration.
  2. One of the compounds works on the LXRb gene expression process
  3. There is less amyloid plaque deposited

So this is very promising work.  Would you consume seaweed now to prevent AD?

References

Are some animal models more equal than others? A case study on the translational value of animal models of efficacy for Alzheimer’s disease. Veening-Griffioen et al Eur J Pharmacol. 2019 Sep 15;859:172524. doi: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2019.172524.

Lin C, Zhao, S et al 2019 Microbiota-gut-brain axis and toll-like receptors in Alzheimer’s disease 2019 Computational and Structural Biotechnology Journal Volume 17, 2019, Pages 1309-1317
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.csbj.2019.09.008

24(S)-Saringosterol from edible marine seaweed Sargassum fusiforme is a novel selective LXRβ agonist. Chen et al J Agric Food Chem. 2014 Jul 2;62(26):6130-7. doi: 10.1021/jf500083r.

Good Catch! https://amazingerasmusmc.nl/actueel/goeie-vangst/

Categories
Biosea Health Gut Microbiome Health Benefits

The Ultimate Sea Vegetable

The ultimate sea vegetable is Pacific Sea Moss

Could Pacific SeaMoss be the ultimate Sea vegetable?

Seaweed has been identified as a key food supplement that can be consumed conveniently in capsule form. Due to increased awareness about the nutritional and health benefits of seaweed, there has been a growing market for seaweed products in Europe. Seaweed is a good source of Vitamin (A, C, E, and K), and many minerals such as potassium, magnesium, copper, calcium, iron, and manganese that are often lacking in modern diets. Furthermore, food products made from seaweed are low in saturated fats and cholesterol. Seaweed contains iodine that helps in the proper functioning of the thyroid glands and normal energy-yielding metabolism.

Consumer demand for seaweed products in Europe

Utilisation of seaweed in Europe is still at its infancy, however, consumers are gradually seeking new sources of healthy and nutritious products and in effect looking towards seaweed. Demand from Europe is expected to increase due to increased consumer awareness on the health benefits of seaweed. In Europe seaweed could well become the next superfood and it is slowly being incorporated in very many different food and drink products. With the anticipated increase in seaweed for health, many leading health companies are now appreciating the potential impact of seaweed as a key ingredient in the manufacture of healthy food products. Food and beverage manufacturers are also looking into ways of incorporating seaweed ingredients into their products. 

Consumers of food supplements search for products that help them maintain a healthy lifestyle and are extremely conscious about their health. These consumers have a preference for natural and organic products, and as a result, they purchase the organic seaweed food supplements. Therefore, the demand for seaweed is growing because it is recognized as a certified organic product. In Europe, in 2016 the market for certified organic products grew by 11.4% to over €33.5 billion. Countries that have great demand for organic products in Europe include Switzerland, Italy, the United Kingdom, Germany, and France.

Companies that produce organic seaweed food supplements ensure that they maintain high-quality standards and have to always monitor the production process to avoid detoxification.

What is driving the demand for seaweed in Europe?

According to the World Health Organization, about 70% of European adults are overweight or obese, which has increased demand for food and diet supplements for weight loss. There is growing consumer awareness about the use of seaweed in pharmaceuticals as more and more people are preferring to use natural products for their health. Also, there is a growing popularity for Asian foods in Europe, and this is expected to support the growth of the target market. Seaweed food supplements have also been used to improve immunity and improved immunity is linked to preventive health. This opens up opportunities for seaweed supplements. Seaweed has fiber and sugars that can be used as food sources for good bacteria to nourish your gut. Seaweed is thought to help in preventing chronic diseases such as cancer and also aid in the prevention of high blood pressure in humans.

Maybe the ultimate sea vegetable is Pacific Sea Moss

Clean. Green, Sustainable. Good Food. Food for Health

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Health Benefits Seaweed for Humanity

Amazon Rainforest Vanishing Faster Than Ever

Amazon rainforest wildfires

The Amazon rainforest is vanishing faster than ever due to wildfires and needless destruction

Climate help may come from An Unexpected Place: Underwater.

Wildfires causing deforestation

Global warming impacts all life on Earth, gradually heating the planet and threatening the delicate balance. Rainforests and other carbon sinks scrub the air removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and providing oxygen. Unfortunately, deforestation is taking a heavy toll on the world’s largest forest. The Amazon rainforest is vanishing faster than ever and, with the recent fires, attention has once again focused on building carbon emissions.

Seaweed has photosynthesis

Seaweed, a form of algae, grows in both fresh and salt waters all over the world [1]. In the same way that trees clean the air through photosynthesis, seaweed “forests” support marine life by filtering carbon dioxide from the water and producing oxygen. A new look into this unlikely environmental hero shows that there is potential for sea vegetables to offset terrestrial carbon emissions [1]. 

Seaweed as effective as Amazon Rainforest as a carbon sink

Marine scientist Halley Froelhich, of the University of California, is the lead author of a new study. According to the recently published paper, industrial-sized farms would grow and harvest seaweeds which would then be sunk, along with the captured C02, into the deep ocean. There, the carbon dioxide would be trapped for hundreds, even thousands, of years [1]. 

Seaweed and aquaculture

According to Froelhich’s study, 18.5 million square miles of ocean suitable for seaweed cultivation [1]. (This number does not include freshwater varieties of macroalgae.) The scientists behind the study propose that farming 0.001 percent of the world’s seaweed-growing waters could offset the entire carbon emissions of the rapidly growing global aquaculture industry. For a scaled example, farming seaweed in 3.8 percent of federally controlled waters off the coast of California could offset the carbon emissions of the state’s multi-billion-dollar (terrestrial) agriculture industry [1]. 

With half the world’s seafood being supplied through aquaculture, countering the industry’s carbon emissions could prove a huge relief both environmentally and economically. Seaweed farms may prove a viable business model for socio-economically troubled coastal communities [2]. Many societies that traditionally rely on fishing face the real possibility of depleting local marine life. Lessening dependence on fishing would in turn decrease concerns of overfishing [3] and may have the added benefit of attracting marine life [2]. Researchers have found that, in California alone, kelp forests are home to over 800 species of marine life [2].

A profitable commercial crop, seaweed is widely used in beauty products, medicines, and food for humans, livestock and fish [1]. Currently, China is the industry leader in kelp farming, having produced more than seven million metric tons in 2015 [2]. Kelp, a variety of macroalgae found in cold coastal waters, grows quickly and prolifically in its natural environment. These underwater forests require no fertilization as they pull carbon dioxide from the water, as well as excess nitrogen and phosphorus [2]. 

Other uses for seaweed

The harvested materials could be converted into livestock feed, which research has shown can reduce methane emissions from grazing cattle by up to 70 percent. Seaweed can also be converted into biofuel or used as a natural fertilizer, replacing petroleum-based products [1]. All that is needed now, Duarte states, is to find a way for seaweed production to meet the demand.

References

[1]  https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/2019/08/forests-of-seaweed-can-help-climate-change-without-fire/

[2]   https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/2017/11/explore-sustainability-kelp-farming-seaweed/

[3]   https://www.ecomagazine.com/news/regulation/overfishing-is-a-huge-problem-here-s-what-you-need-to-know

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  1. Seaweed and the Environment
  2. The Many Uses of Seaweed
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Categories
Biosea Health Health Benefits

Healthy Seaweed Snacks

Healthy seaweed snacks

Healthy Seaweed Snacks of Seaweed

How Pacific Sea Moss© provides a quick and convenient way for you to get everything you need from seaweed.

Seaweeds have amazing health benefits. They are a rich source of vitamins, amino acids, and minerals. These nutrients have antioxidant properties that help reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes and cancer. Pacific Sea Moss©  has high fiber content and is low in calories and can help in weight management.

Seaweeds absorb trace nutrients from the seabed that are not available on land, therefore, they are richer in nutrients than land-grown fruits vegetables. As people start understanding and appreciating the immense health benefits of seaweeds, it has become a super-food that is now being incorporated in many types of food products, drinks, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics.

Benefits of eating healthy seaweed snacks?

Every once in a while we tend to feel hungry in between our main meals. This is a normal feeling that can be an effective way of staying healthy and managing your weight. Healthy snacking is important because it helps you maintain your blood sugar levels. Healthy snacking also helps in preventing overeating and consequently helps you to maintain your weight. The choice of your snacks is important because they can also help in boosting your body with the right nutrients for your body. Seaweed snacks have gained great popularity due to their high quality and health benefits.

BE CAREFUL OF “HEALTHY” SNACKS

Healthy seaweed snacks sushi

SEAWEED SNACKS MAY HAVE HIGH LEVELS OF NA AND FAT

healthy seaweed snacks may be high in calories and oil

Six + One ways of consuming seaweed

Seaweed snacks are an excellent option of providing our bodies with the health benefits of healthy snacking. BioSea Health provides seaweed as a simple way to consume food and manufactures healthy snacking options that provide our bodies with the desired nutrients.

Here are some ways of seaweed snacking:

  • Seaweeds can be added to crackers to manufacture a low sodium but still salty snack that is packed with more nutrients and lower calories.
  • Seaweeds can also be incorporated with noodles to make a healthy snack that is rich in fiber and gluten-free. This snack is also low in carbohydrates and high in omega-3 fatty acids, that are great for cognitive health and may help in improving memory.
  • Seaweeds can also be added to juice, smoothies or yogurt. With the right blend of the extra ingredients, the taste of seaweed is barely noticeable and can be blended with bananas, spinach, coconuts, and avocados to make a very healthy smoothie. Addition of the salty seaweed flavor helps in bringing out the sweet flavors of the other ingredients. 
  • You can crumble dried seaweeds and add it to your toast. It can then be used to make healthy tea sandwiches and when taken they will pack your body with nutrients.
  • If you want to regulate your salt intake you can substitute salt with seaweed granules that will boost your iodine take and keep you healthy.
  • Dried seaweed can also be added to popcorn providing extra proteins and vitamins with the added signature salty taste of seaweeds.

Best Of All – The Seventh Option

You can easily  take Pacific Sea Moss© capsules to get all the seaweed you need in a convenient form. When you take about 5 grams of dry seaweed (about a whole bowl of wet seaweed) in the form of  6 – 8 capsules, the seaweed has been shown to get through your stomach into your intestines.  People who have taken the seaweed say it makes them feel full.  There are some 32 hormones responsible for appetite, and a “full stomach” is the increase in leptin and other hormones released in the upper intestine. This process of counteracting the “feeling hungry” hormones with “I’m feeling full” or satiety hormones is the continual hormonal response to eating food. In clinical trials, people reported feeling full. Those who consume Pacific Sea Moss© report similar observations.   

Pop 6-8 Pacific Sea Moss©  capsules at the start of the day to get all the health benefits of seaweed in a convenient form. 

“Seaweed – all the weed you will ever need.”

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  1. The Many Uses of Seaweed
  2. How Is Seaweed Linked to Weight loss
  3. Health Benefits of Seaweed. 8 Things You Should Know