Brown Seaweed Fucoxanthin Information

Brown seaweed is used in Asia in soups and salads. It contains a compound known as fucoxanthin that is thought to promote weight loss. It can be found in many different species of brown seaweed, but not in red or green seaweed.

Fat Reduction

• Research conducted by Dr. Kazuo Miyashita of Japan has shown a reduction in white adipose tissues (fat) around the midsections of laboratory rats that are fed edible versions of brown seaweed. It is thought that the fucoxanthin encourages a specific fat burning protein that is commonly found in fat tissues to express or remove itself. This process speeds up metabolism.

Cholesterol Reduction

• Fucoxanthin has shown to have an anti-diabetes action, similar to that of fish oil supplements, by encouraging the liver to produce larger quantities of DHA acid. DHA is also linked to the reduction of bad cholesterol.

How to Ingest

• The fucoxanthin in brown seaweed is not readily absorbed by the body, though, and eating large amounts of brown seaweed will not cause weight loss. The fucoxanthin will need to be synthesized into an easily absorbable supplement before it will be an effective weight loss tool.

Other Effects of Brown Seaweed

• In experiments on lab rats, brown seaweed has reduced high blood pressure. This result is thought to have been produced by tetrapeptides in the seaweed, however, and not the fucoxanthin.

Side Effects

• So far, there have been no adverse side effects reported from consumption of brown seaweed or fucoxanthin.