Fucoxanthin Rich Brown Seaweed Grown Commercially

Brown seaweed containing Fucoxanthin along with other seaweed have long been a common food source for Japanese and Chinese people. Today, these two cultures along with Koreans are the largest population to consume seaweed on a regular basis. As people from these culture relocate world wide they are introducing seaweed to new areas of the world, such as the US and South America.

Asian people have long been viewed as healthier than western cultures. Because of they're large consumption of Fucoxanthin rich brown seaweed and other seaweed, these marine based algae forms have been studied for decades. Recent findings related to Fucoxanthin and brown seaweed, though inconclusive, have spurred the demand for supplements containing Fucoxanthin and fresh and dried brown seaweed rich in Fucoxanthin in countries where consumption was previously low.

With the recent demand for supplements containing Fucoxanthin, as well as fresh and dried brown seaweed, as food sources, the demand for seaweed is greater than can be supplied from the wild. Because of these greater demands, cultivation methods are being examined as potential new sources of seaweed.

Commercial production of seaweed including Fucoxanthin rich brown seaweed is fast becoming a major industry. The seaweed industry reports annual earnings of over 5 billion dollars, the majority of revenue is for human consumption and supplements including Fucoxanthin, while smaller markets like fertilizer and animal feed are responsible for a small fraction of seaweed demand.

Commercial seaweed farms are mostly located off the shores of Japan, China and Korea. These areas once had vast natural sources of Fucoxanthin rich brown seaweed but as demand grew, the natural sources for brown seaweed rich in Fucoxanthin were dramatically reduced. China initially was dependant on seaweed from Japan and Korea but in the 1950's China developed a cultivation method that became a major income source for many coastal families and has led to China's self sufficient seaweed production including a healthy export market.

Japan's cultivation of brown seaweed rich in Fucoxanthin did not become prevalent until the 1970's when their natural sources became depleted. Japan cultivates all three of the common brown seaweed used for human consumption and the supplement Fucoxanthin; Laminaria, Undaria and Hizikia. These brown seaweeds prefer cool water and can be grown in both the southern and northern hemispheres, the majority of seaweed farms are found in off the shores of Japan, China and Korea, where demand is highest.

While Fucoxanthin rich brown seaweed is mainly produced in Japan, China and Korea, other countries such as Chile and Ireland also produce an abundance of seaweed. Today the seaweed needs are met primarily by cultivation with few to little wild seaweed harvested for human consumption and Fucoxanthin supplement production.

Two main cultivation processes are responsible for most seaweed farming success. The first method uses small cuttings and placing them in a suitable environment to encourage rapid growth. This cultivation process either secures the cuttings to ropes attached to the sea bottom or stable object. They can also be directly planted in the sea bottom. Harvesting, includes cutting the seaweed back while leaving a small piece to re-grow or removing the entire seaweed and replacing with another small cutting for future harvest. The other method is derived from the reproduction cycle of some Fucoxanthin rich brown seaweed. Spores from mature plants are collected and left to grow and mature through the natural process of egg fertilization and then maturity. This is a common method for some Fucoxanthin rich brown seaweed. With the popularity of Fucoxanthin as a supplement and fresh and dried Fucoxanthin rich brown seaweed as a food source cultivation projects are springing up world wide.

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