5 Important Health Benefits Of Seaweed Supplements

Seaweed supplements are a popular and widely used health supplement. There are multiple variations of supplements from different types of seaweed available, but most of them carry the same great health benefits.

There can be differences in these supplements and it is important to try to find an organic and natural brand that won’t have any bad harmful chemicals added to it and where the seaweed supplements are made of proper quality seaweed. The health benefits of seaweed supplements are plentiful and here are the main ones.

Anti-cancer

Seaweed supplements, especially from brown seaweed, are great for their anti-cancer properties. A 2012 study published in the journal PLoS One found that seaweed contains a compound called fucoidan that is effective in preventing lung cancer. A 2012 article in the Examiner suggested that countries like Japan have high fucoidan content in their diet, which might explain their life expectancy being so high. The article mentions that fucoidans have been found to be important for tissue regeneration, immune system function and cell-to-cell communication.

A 2005 study published in the Journal of Nutrition also suggested that a rich-fucoidan diet might be the reason behind lower rates of breast cancer and hormone-related cancers in Asian women. The study found that fucoidan may regulate the endocrine system and thus help prevent these certain hormone-related cancers.

Radiation protection

An article in SFGate also reports of seaweed supplements helping to protect from radiation and the damage it causes to cells. A 2004 study in the journal of Health Physics found that a component of seaweed called sodium alginate prevented radioactive strontium from getting absorbed. This is an especially good benefit because the protection provided is very effective and it doesn’t have as many bad side effects as some other conventional chemicals.

There has also been more evidence in animal studies of this health benefit of seaweed supplements. A 2011 study published in the Archives of Pharmaceutical Research found that mice that received the compound fucoidan had less damage in their blood cells from radiation than mice that weren’t given the compound.

Anticoagulant

There is also evidence that seaweed supplements are very effective in helping reduce blood clotting. For instance, a 2011 study published in the journal of Thrombosis Research revealed that seaweed supplements can effectively reduce blood clotting. You need to be careful with using seaweed supplements if you have an anticoagulant condition or if you use other blood thinning medications, as this might increase your risk of bleeding.

Weight loss

Seaweed supplements are also very effective in helping you control your weight and can thus benefit weight loss as well. A study reported in the journal of Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism found that an extract from seaweed called fucoxanthin is very good help during weight loss. They provided this supplement for 16 weeks and saw an average weight loss of 7.7 pounds as well as enhanced metabolism. There was also less fat found in the liver and the function of the liver was enhanced by the seaweed supplements.

Remove heavy metals from the body

Seaweed supplements also benefit the body by being a great supplement to use during heavy metal detoxification. According to a Planet Organic blog post from 2009, they have a rich amount of indigestible polysaccharides, which can, when consumed, bind heavy metals from the body to them. It is especially good in getting rid of lead and mercury. The article says that seaweed supplements were given to the victims of the Chernobyl disaster because of this quality and some ideas suggest using it as a water purifier on an industrial scale.