Six months ago I went to the cardiologist and got put on blood pressure tablets to take it down from >160 to 145. Then extra dose to take me down to 135. The seaweed tablets have dropped me to 120. I feel better, and can now do the exercise I was instructed and want to do. In a month or so I am going back to the Cardiologist and ask to stop taking that double dose of nasties.
My nails are less brittle. So says Beth who has been taking seaweed for 2 months. About a month ago, I noticed my nails were stronger, and less brittle.
I am delighted. I was not expecting such a fantastic side effect.
Beth, Davao, Philippines
The cardiovascular system is made up of the heart and all the arteries, veins and capillaries that are threaded throughout the body. The number one role is to deliver oxygen to every cell in the body. Get a healthy heart on seaweed. The heart is the strong pump that drives the oxygen delivery and beats from the first weeks after conception through to our last breath. No wonder heart health is so important.
The term “cardiovascular disease” can refer to a raft of heart and arterial diseases that affect this system. These range from aortic aneurysms to congestive heart failure, coronary artery disease and stroke. All these conditions have the same underlying causes that are either modifiable, like diet, or non- modifiable like genetics. We are all well educated about how to change our lifestyle to prevent heart disease. But despite major medical advances and public health campaigns over the past decades, Cardiovascular Disease remains the number one cause of death for both men and women in Australia. [1]
Science tells us that the solution may be easier and more readily available than the medical profession would have us believe. Nations with low rates of cardiovascular diseases, such as Japan, eat a diet rich in seaweed. The evidence is clear that on the Japanese diet of 1975 they had healthy heart on seaweed diet. This sea vegetable is rich in novel phytochemicals that create functional changes in the body when consumed regularly.
1. Seaweed reduces blood pressure.The mechanism is not known, but several studies have shown that systolic blood pressure is returned to normal range in rats when seaweed is included in the daily diet for several weeks. [2]. One study compared seaweed intake with blood pressure medication and found regular seaweed consumption caused the same BP reduction as an ACE Inhibitor. [3]. The effect has been shown to be just as strong in humans, dropping high blood pressure to normal measures, while not lowering healthy pressure. [4] This suggests the seaweed is returning the cardiovascular system to health, rather than just dropping blood pressure in isolation.
When the heart muscle is placed under stress because of high blood pressure the body compensates by thickening the walls of the heart. This reduces the size of the chamber into which the blood flows. The heart is unable to effectively pump anymore eventually lead to heart failure. Studies have shown that seaweed prevents the hypertrophic thickening of the heart walls even in the context of a high fat diet. [3]
In any state of cardiac stress or disease, a structural protein, collagen, builds up in the heart muscle causing fibrosis – a hardening and enlarging of the heart muscle. This limits the ability of the heart muscle to contract and interferes with the electrical conduction that makes your heart beat regularly. Cardiac fibrosis is progressive and eventually leads to heart failure. Seaweed removes collagen from heart tissue independent of dietary and lifestyle changes. [2]
Caused by a diet high in fat or genetic predisposition, high cholesterol, particularly bad LDL cholesterol, leads to arterial plaques the eventually block arteries, particularly the coronary arteries. These are the small arteries that run along the outside of the heart bringing blood supply and oxygen to the heart muscle itself. When these arteries are blocked the heart muscles stops functioning and may die – this is called myocardial infarction, commonly known as a heart attack. Seaweed has been shown to interfere with the normal mechanisms of lipid breakdown, preventing dietary fats from building up in the blood stream and causing arterial plaques.[2] One study showed seaweed was as effective as a statin medication in reducing cholesterol. [3]
Most cardiac disease is ultimately caused by inflammatory processes in the body. Damage ranges from hardening of small injuries to the arteries caused by arterial plaques, or invasion of inflammatory cells into the heart muscle itself. Seaweed has a dual action to remove inflammation in the heart and the arteries. The prebiotic component of seaweed upregulates good bacteria in the colon which in turns sends anti-inflammatory molecules into the blood stream to reach the arteries and heart.[5] In a second, unknown mechanism, seaweed removes inflammatory cells that build up in the cardiac muscle from stress, western diet or age. [2]. The Japanese demonstrate that you get a healthy heart on seaweed.
Check out a detailed science review on Blood Pressure Control with Seaweed Dietary Supplement
[1] A. I. o. Health and Welfare, “Deaths in Australia,” AIHW, Canberra2019, Available: https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/life-expectancy-death/deaths-in-australia.
[2] S. Wanyonyi, R. Du Preez, L. Brown, N. A. Paul, and S. K. Panchal, “Kappaphycus alvarezii as a food supplement prevents diet-induced metabolic syndrome in rats,” Nutrients, vol. 9, no. 11, p. 1261, 2017.
[3] Z. Eshak, “PROTECTIVE EFFECT OF Kappaphycus alvarezii ON THE HEART OF HYPERTENSIVE AND HYPERCHOLESTEROLEMIC INDUCED SPRAGUE-DAWLEY RATS,” Malaysian Journal of Microscopy, vol. 12, no. 1, 2016.
[4] J. Teas, M. E. Baldeón, D. E. Chiriboga, J. R. Davis, A. J. Sarriés, and L. E. Braverman, “Could dietary seaweed reverse the metabolic syndrome?,” Asia Pacific journal of clinical nutrition, vol. 18, no. 2, p. 145, 2009.
[5] I. Sekirov, S. L. Russell, L. C. M. Antunes, and B. B. Finlay, “Gut microbiota in health and disease,” Physiological reviews, vol. 90, no. 3, pp. 859-904, 2010.
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.
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.
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.
| 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 |
| 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 |
| Indicator | Normal | Supersize | Supersize+ Seaweed |
| Bone Mineral Density g/cm2 |
10 |
12 |
10 |
| 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 |
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?
[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)
Blood pressure readings are a direct measure of the pressure applied on the walls of the arteries as the heart pumps blood around the body. Because there are two phases of the heart pumping, there are two measures of blood pressure. When high, it is called hypertension.
Blood vital sign does not remain constant at all times but varies and adjusts to the bodies needs depending on various factors such as the position of the body, physical activity, breathing, and emotional state. If you do exercise, then the pressure will increase to push more blood around the body. Exercising is usually recommended for improvements in health, and that exercise can raise your resting heart rate by 50 to 70% above the resting heart rate. Just the thought of going to a doctor can increase your heart rate, and doctors describe the elevated blood vital sign level that results simply from being in their office as “White Coat Syndrome.” However, if your hypertension stays persistently high for a long time, it can damage your heart and your blood vessels, leading to severe health problems. It puts extra demand on the heart and blood vessels, thus weakening the heart muscles and increasing the risk of heart disease. When your vital signs remain consistently high for extended periods, it is referred to as hypertension. Hypertension usually does not have any visibly apparent signs or symptoms; therefore, the only way to know if you have hypertension is by having it measured either at home or by your medical practitioner. Uncontrolled high blood levels can lead to a heart attack or stroke.
Blood level pressure can be measured at home with a blood pressure machine, or by your pharmacist or a medical practitioner. The units of measure (millimeters of mercury or mm Hg) are based on the first pressure measurement instruments that used mercury. It is the standard still used in medicine today. Hypertension levels are assessed using two measurements. The first number, which is the higher one, is called systolic blood pressure and measures the pressure in the blood vessels when the heartbeats. The second number, which is the lower number, is called the diastolic blood pressure and measures the pressure in the blood vessels when the heart relaxes between beats.
Although measurements vary from person to person, optimal blood vital sign pressure is in the normal range if the top reading (systolic pressure) is below 120 AND your bottom reading (diastolic pressure) is below 80. i.e., 120 over 80. The typical difference is about 40.
You have Elevated blood pressure if your top reading is between 120 and 129, AND your bottom reading is below 80.
You have Hypertension Stage 1 if your top reading is between 130 and 139 OR your bottom reading is between 80 and 89.
You have Hypertension Stage 2 if your top reading is 140 or higher OR your bottom reading is 90 or higher.
You are in the Danger zone and should seek immediate medical help if your top reading is above 180 AND/OR your bottom reading is above 120.
A person with high vital sign level pressure is wise to make some changes to their lifestyle to help bring the readings down. Some of these changes include eating foods rich in potassium, reducing the amount of salt intake, weight loss, together with regular exercise and reduced alcohol intake. Since having potassium in the diet reduces the effect of sodium, taking foods rich in potassium helps people with hypertension manage this condition.
Dieticians consider that seaweed could potentially replace salt as it naturally has a salty taste. The addition of seaweed in your diet will have a net effect of increasing potassium in your body and reducing the demand for sodium intake as the seaweed replaces the salt. Seaweed also has many nutrients, such as vitamins C, which decreases vital sign pressure. In Japan, several undertaken studies have associated seaweed consumption with protection against heart disease. Seaweed might possess beneficial health effects on the blood pressure of the blood among children according to a study in healthy pre-school Japanese children. Adding seaweed to your diet may help reduce hypertension by reducing blood cholesterol levels because excess cholesterol in your blood can form a clot that can cause a stroke or heart attack.
When it comes to understanding your blood pressure results, and what to do about them, always speak to your medical practitioner. Biosea Health grows pure, organic, Pacific Sea Moss©. Our seaweed is harvested in the pristine waters of the Pacific Ocean. Seaweed intake may lower blood pressure according to several scientific studies and also has for consumers of Pacific Sea Moss. Seaweed is part of a healthy diet, and when combined with regular exercise, heart health likely improves.
As with any dietary supplement, you should consult a healthcare professional if you have any questions about adding seaweed to your diet. We make no medical claims. But we all understand seaweed is healthy. What you may not know is that peer-reviewed scientific papers have shown in countless studies on humans, animals, and in test tubes that seaweed is healthy. BioSea Health provides seaweed as a simple way to consume food. Simply good healthy food.
You can improve heart health with a diet of seaweed because it reduces blood pressure – an essential part of heart health. It improves gut microbiome, is full of essential nutrients, amino acids, lipids, and over 1,000 biologically active compounds. Research globally is chasing some of the compounds. The compounds have anti-microbial, fungicidal, anti-cancer, weight loss, arthritis, Alzheimer’s, and memory function properties. There are some novel compounds in the research phase. Whole seaweed may be as effective as the compounds, but food cannot make health claims.
According to the World Health Organization, more than 1.13 billion people suffer from high blood pressure (hypertension), with only 20% of them having the condition under control. Globally, high blood pressure is estimated to result in the death of about 7.5 million. Hypertension forces the cardiovascular system to work harder, creating pressure within the heart and arteries that can reach dangerous levels. Hypertension is considered to be the most common chronic disease and a significant risk factor for cardiovascular diseases.
One of the main challenges relating to high blood pressure is that an affected person may not know that you have hypertension. About a third of people affected by high blood pressure do not know it. The surest way to see if you have high blood pressure is through regular checkups by a medical professional because the symptoms of high blood pressure can be easily ignored. It is commonly referred to as “the silent killer,” and some common symptoms include dizziness, headaches, nose bleeds, vision changes, fatigue, nausea, and vomiting, depending on the severity of the condition. If left uncontrolled, hypertension can lead to strokes, seizures, heart attacks, irregular heart rhythm, kidney damage, and blocked arteries, all of which can result in death.
Seaweed has become a popular diet due to the association of its intake to longer life expectancy and lower incidence of cardiovascular diseases to improve heart health. In eastern Asia, increased consumption of seaweed has been linked to the reduced rates of high blood pressure. In a study among Japanese preschool children, seaweed has been suggested to have beneficial effects on blood pressure. Seaweed contains several essential minerals, including potassium, copper, calcium, zinc, magnesium, and sodium. These minerals, as part of a healthy diet, can help to lower the risk of both high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease. Other anti-hypertensive compounds found in seaweed include peptides and fucoxanthin, which have promising anti-hypertensive properties and act by counteracting the main mechanisms of high blood pressure. The ingestion of seaweed has been shown to improve the physical structure of the heart in rats.
Seaweed has high levels of potassium. Potassium especially has been recommended as an essential element in helping to improve heart health. A diet that includes increased intake of potassium may help in the prevention and control of hypertension and a decrease in deaths associated with cardiovascular diseases. Consumption of potassium has also been found to help in reducing high blood pressure in adults, which in turn reduces the risk of coronary heart diseases. Potassium helps the heart by relieving tension on the walls of the blood vessels, and this helps to lower blood pressure and reduces the risk of a stroke. A diet with sufficient potassium also helps to remove sodium from the body. There are many ways to ingest the necessary amounts of potassium; however, 18g of dried seaweed contains approximately the same amount of potassium as 700 g of spinach. The World Health Organization guidelines recommend a daily intake (RDI) of potassium of at least 3,510 mg of potassium per day, and this is sufficiently provided by the regular addition of seaweed to your diet.
[1] How too little potassium may contribute to cardiovascular disease 2017 National Institure of Health (Link)
[2] Increasing potassium intake to reduce blood pressure and risk of cardiovascular diseases in adults WHO (Link)