Healthy Harvesting of Fucoxanthin

Carotenoids are fat-soluble, as long as they are not bonded with proteins. The seaweeds that contain fucoxanthin have been a staple of the Asian diet for many years. People in countries such as Japan eat brown seaweeds, particularly one known as wakame, as a flavoring in salads and soups. As the people of Japan and other Asian countries tend to be healthier and thinner than their American counterparts, much research is being done into the potential health benefits of the foods in their diet, and seaweed in particular. Research indicates that fucoxanthin is one of the ingredients that may promote this healthy trend.

One such study, which was completed in 2006, was presented at the 232nd National Meeting of the American Chemical Society by professor Kazuo Miyashita, Ph.D., of Japan's Hokkaido University. Dr. Miyashita and researchers that are part of the University's Graduate School of Fisheries Sciences studied the effects of fucoxanthin in laboratory mice and rats. The study took 200 rodents that were considered overweight or obese and divided them into two groups. The control group was fed a normal diet. The experimental group was fed a diet supplemented by fucoxanthin. At the end of the study, the mice and rats that were fed fucoxanthin showed a 5% to 10% loss of body fat. Most of the fat was lost in the abdominal area. The control group showed little loss of body fat. A third group was also studied. These mice were fed fucoxanthin with soybean oil. Besides losing body fat, these mice also had an increase in the levels of DHA, a benefitial omega-3 fatty acid, in the liver.

According to the research in Dr. Miyashita's study, the fat loss was due to the stimulation of UCP1, a protein found in abdominal fat. When this protein is stimulated it causes the fat cells to change into heat energy. This burns away the fat cells. The study indicates that the presence of fucoxanthin was what caused this stimulation of UCP1, because the control group of rodents did not show this effect.

Fucoxanthin is found in most brown seaweeds but not in green and red seaweeds. The highest concentration of fucoxanthin is found in brown kelp, which grows well in the coastal waters of the Pacific Ocean. Those who wish to add the carotenoid to their daily diets would have to consume tremendous amount of the kelp in order to absorb much of the carotenoid into their bodies, because much of it is lost through the digestive tract due to the fact that it is bonded to the proteins of the seaweed. Because of this, much of the research currently being done on fucoxanthin is focusing on ways to break the bond between the carotenoid and the proteins in the seaweed in order to add the ingredient to a supplement.

Another line of research is focusing on harvesting the wild marine plants that contain fucoxanthin and then artificially growing them through biotechnology to increase the amount of fucoxanthin that they contain. This would allow fewer plants to be harvested to produce the amount needed for supplements. It would also decrease the amount of fresh seaweed that people would have to consume to effectively add fucoxanthin to their diets.

<<   Back to Fucoxathin Clinical Studies

We are strictly a bulk supplier to manufacturers – we do not sell to re-sellers or individuals. Our minimum order size is approximately 25 kilos. We are one of only a few suppliers that carry $5 million product liability insurance for our customers. AHD International LLC is classified as a importer, exporter, manufacturer, distributor of nutritional ingredients depending on the ingredient specified. AHD has 5 warehouse locations across North America and sales agents in over 10 countries. We are the only ingredient company to be awarded the Dun and Bradstreet's fastest growing company in America twice in 1999 and 2002.

For quotes please click here

*"These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease."