Benefits
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Enhances
Immune System Function*
Cell walls from marine algae contain an
abundance of sulfated polysaccharides. Fucoidan is one class of these
polysaccharides found in brown algae. Polysaccharides are known to have
various effects on immune enhancement and possess other biological
activities.
Researchers studying fucoidan fractions from
algae have tested their ability to enhance immune function in various in
vitro assays. In one such study, isolated fucoidan fractions from a
water-soluble extract of Fucus vesiculosus as well as commercial
sources of fucoidan were shown to enhance resistance and support an immune
response by impacting enzyme-mediated replication activity in the cells
studied in this assay.1
Further in vitro work confirms the immune
modulating activity of fucoidan. Researchers showed that sulfated fucans
were able to inhibit complement-mediated destruction of sheep red blood
cells and rabbit red blood cells in vitro, suggesting a potential
application as immune-supportive agents.2 The complement system
is an important component of our immune system that utilizes a cascade of
small proteins found in the bloodstream to mount an immune response in the
body. However, an overactive immune system can also be problematic. In this
assay, it was found that the immune-modulating activity increased with
increasing molecular weight and with increasing glycolipid content of the
fucoidan fractions. This line of in vitro research suggests that
fucoidan and its various fractions may be potent balancers of immune
function.
Research also suggests that fucoidan may support
a healthy cytokine-based immune response and affect immune function at the
level of immunomodulatory enzymes. This work was done in the laboratory in
human tissue sections. Enzymatic action was shown to be inhibited in these
connective tissue sections with the addition of fucoidan fractions,
suggesting support of healthy connective tissue by fucoidan.3
The results of these individual assays, when put
together, point to the fact that fucoidan possesses the potential to
modulate various significant aspects of immune health.
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Potent
Antioxidant Protection*
Recently, fucoidans have been theorized to have
significant antioxidant potential because of the nature of their chemical
structure. In order to support this notion, researchers began performing
various assays to measure the antioxidant potential of fucoidan fractions.
One such assay is the ferric reducing/antioxidant power (FRAP) assay. This
is an in vitro test measuring the ability of a compound to reduce
iron, which has a pro-oxidant role in the body. The assay quantifies the
ability of the compound being tested to reduce iron, and this correlates to
its potential antioxidant activity levels. Using this measure, it was shown
that fucoidan fractions increased FRAP values considerably between 4 minutes
to 30 minutes of exposure, indicating the antioxidant potential of these
compounds. Further in vitro work has also suggested that fucoidans
have antioxidant effects. A study assessed the free radical scavenging
ability of various seaweed fractions using the DPPH assay. It was shown that
seaweed extracts containing fucoidan had the highest activity levels of all
the extracts tested in this study.4
The potential antioxidative activities of
enzymatic extracts from brown seaweeds have also been demonstrated using
various reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging assays. The assays used in
one particular study included the DPPH, superoxide anion, hydroxyl radical
and hydrogen peroxide scavenging assays. The extracts tested showed
especially high free radical scavenging activity on the hydrogen peroxide
scavenging assay and demonstrated strong protective effects against DNA
damage. Some of the extracts tested also demonstrated high superoxide anion
scavenging ability, when compared to commercial antioxidant controls such as
alpha-tocopherol, BHT and BHA.5
With the dual actions of supporting and
balancing immune health and possessing free radical scavenging properties,
Best Fucoidan 70% extract may be a highly effective supplemental nutrient
for maintaining optimal health and wellness.*
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