By Angela Willard Cl. H

Angela Willard is a Clinical Herbalist and Co-Founder at Harmonic Arts. She’s passionate about growing herbs, herbal consulting, and sharing her love and knowledge of plants. Angela finds balance between nurturing Harmonic Arts' vision and raising a young family. 

Follow Angela on Instagram @wild_angelica and @seaweed_gardens

Disclaimer: This blog is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice. Please consult your health care practitioner before adding any new herbs to your wellness routine. 

In our household, Brown Seaweed Extract is a staple add-on to most of our smoothies, soups and baking. This is a simple way to include the profound health benefits of seaweed in our daily diets. I feel great knowing I’m giving nature’s best to my family.

What is Brown Seaweed Extract?

Brown Seaweed extract is a heat-extracted powder made from the kelp Laminaria japonica, otherwise commonly known as a Sugar Kelp. The main properties extracted from the kelp are two complex polysaccharides; Fucoidan and Laminarin, and a carotenoid known as Fucoxanthin- all unique only to seaweeds. The heat extraction process increases the bioavailability of these properties. 

How do I take it? 

The powder has a subtle flavour and is easy to incorporate into recipes. Since it’s an extract, only a small amount is required (¼-½ tsp daily for adults) to benefit from its therapeutic properties. 

The Benefits of Brown Seaweed Extract:

Let’s dive into each beneficial property to understand why it’s important to add to your diet:

• Anti-tumor ¹ 
• Anti-oxidant, anti-diabetic ² ³
•  Immuno-regulatory, anti-allergic ⁴
• Anti-viral ⁵
• Anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective ⁶

2. Laminarin: This digestive health polysaccharide feeds cells of the intestinal lining, helping to prevent leaky gut. Its prebiotic nourishment protects the colon and contributes to the butyrate (an anti-inflammatory fatty acid) composition in the body, all positively influencing colon health. ⁷ ⁸ ⁹ 
3. Fucoxanthin This carotenoid pigment has been shown to activate the burning of white fat cells, helping the body burn excess fat. Excessive white fat can contribute to estrogen dominance, blood sugar imbalance, inflammation, and increased stress response. ¹⁰ ¹¹

Based on this promising research, I’m confident in supplementing my family’s daily diet with Brown Seaweed Extract. 

REFERENCES:

1. Wang, Yu, Maochen Xing, Qi Cao, Aiguo Ji, Hao Liang, and Shuliang Song. “Biological Activities of Fucoidan and the Factors Mediating Its Therapeutic Effects: A Review of Recent Studies.” Marine Drugs 17, no. 3 (2019): 183. https://doi.org/10.3390/md17030183. 
2. Zhao, Yu, Yizhou Zheng, Jie Wang, Shuyi Ma, Yiming Yu, William White, Shiping Yang, Fan Yang, and Jun Lu. “Fucoidan Extracted from Undaria Pinnatifida: Source for Nutraceuticals/Functional Foods.” Marine Drugs 16, no. 9 (2018): 321. https://doi.org/10.3390/md16090321. 
3. Gunathilaka, Thilina L., Kalpa Samarakoon, Pathmasiri Ranasinghe, and L. Dinithi Peiris. “Antidiabetic Potential of Marine Brown Algae—a Mini Review.” Journal of Diabetes Research 2020 (2020): 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1155/2020/1230218. 
4. Mizuno, Masashi, Kana Sakaguchi, and Iwao Sakane. “Oral Administration of Fucoidan Can Exert Anti-Allergic Activity after Allergen Sensitization by Enhancement of Galectin-9 Secretion in Blood.” Biomolecules 10, no. 2 (2020): 258. https://doi.org/10.3390/biom10020258. 
5. Pereira, Leonel, and Alan T. Critchley. “The COVID 19 Novel Coronavirus Pandemic 2020: Seaweeds to the Rescue? Why Does Substantial, Supporting Research about the Antiviral Properties of Seaweed Polysaccharides Seem to Go Unrecognized by the Pharmaceutical Community in These Desperate Times?” Journal of Applied Phycology 32, no. 3 (2020): 1875–77. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10811-020-02143-y. 
6. Subaraja M, Anantha Krishnan D, Edwin Hillary V, et al. Fucoidan serves a neuroprotective effect in an Alzheimer’s disease model. Front Biosci (Elite Ed). 2020;12:1-34. Published 2020 Jan 1. 
7. “Laminarin.” Laminarin - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics. https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/laminarin. 
8. Devillé, Christelle, Myriam Gharbi, Guy Dandrifosse, and Olivier Peulen. “Study on the Effects of Laminarin, a Polysaccharide from Seaweed, on Gut Characteristics.” Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture 87, no. 9 (2007): 1717–25. https://doi.org/10.1002/jsfa.2901. 
9. Devillé, Christelle, Jacques Damas, Philippe Forget, Guy Dandrifosse, and Olivier Peulen. “Laminarin in the Dietary Fibre Concept.” Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture 84, no. 9 (2004): 1030–38. https://doi.org/10.1002/jsfa.1754. 
10. Gammone, Maria, and Nicolantonio D'Orazio. “Anti-Obesity Activity of the Marine Carotenoid Fucoxanthin.” Marine Drugs 13, no. 4 (2015): 2196–2214. https://doi.org/10.3390/md13042196. 
11. Wijesinghe, W. A., and You-Jin Jeon. “Biological Activities and Potential Cosmeceutical Applications of Bioactive Components from Brown Seaweeds: a Review.” Phytochemistry Reviews 10, no. 3 (2011): 431–43. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11101-011-9214-4.