September 12, 2021

Sea Weed has Natural Cancer-Fighting Properties

Seaweeds are the natural biomass producers in the marine environment. These contain bioactive compounds such as porphyran and carrageenan (polysaccharides present in red seaweeds) that possess health benefits and anti-cancer properties [more on it later].

Over the years, seaweed became immensely popular for good reasons. There are lots and lots of factors behind why it has gained this level of attention.

The first and perhaps the biggest of them all is the fact that it is packed with natural goodness. Health enthusiasts and fitness freaks from all over the world have started consuming and recommending it.
Similarly, it has so many vital minerals and vitamins that our bodies require to fulfill the daily-life routines activities.

Now, with all that popularity and the level of goodness it contains, scientists and researchers started developing interests in the subject as well. They have been conducting studies to further explore the potential benefits of this amazing superfood. People with certain medical conditions are being recommended to start using it as it surely is something incredible but today’s article will focus on the anti-cancer properties of sea moss.

Scientifically-Proven Anti-Cancer Effects of Seaweed

Cancer is a serious, and most of the time a life-threatening, disease that can affect anyone, particularly people living with an unhealthy lifestyle, radiation exposure, and poor dietary habits. Every year, cancer claims about 10 million lives.

Research shows that marine natural products such as porphyran and carrageenan polysaccharides obtained from red seaweeds possess anti-cancer activity. They act as chemotherapeutic agents and improve immunity by targeting cancer molecules.

Moreover, brown seaweed contains an element called fucoidan that's believed to have positive effects in cancer, i.e. eradicating or at least slowing down the spread of certain types of cancer including breast and colorectal cancer. Regular use of sea moss can therefore serve as a means of protection against cancer. The study was published in Marine Drugs.

Similarly, another element called fucoxanthin present in various seaweeds has an amazing potential to fight cancer as well. Researchers believe fucoxanthin slows down the growth cycle of cancer cells, which, eventually slows down the cancer growth. That is why when cancer is diagnosed in its early stages, it may be a good idea to consume sea moss and let the reports decide if it is working to stop or slow down the disease or not.

Of course, there's a need for more research on the topic of whether sea moss does slow down cancer growth so that everybody can be certain about the situation.

Takeaway

Sea moss is something incredible that we all should add to our daily lives as well evidence tells us that that there's no harm in giving it a try. If you are suffering from some medical condition, particularly cancer, the best recommendation would be to talk to your doctor before you start consuming it on your own. And in case you don't have any serious medical conditions but are conscious about your overall health, you should start consuming sea moss. Take a slow start and see how your bodies react to it. Herbal Vineyard has a collection of quality sea moss products here.

References

Liu, Z, Gao, T, Yang, Y, et al. Anti-Cancer Activity of Porphyran and Carrageenan from Red Seaweeds. Molecules. 2019 Dec; 24(23): 4286. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6930528/

Moussavou, G, Kwak, D.H, Obonou B.W, et al. Anticancer Effects of Different Seaweeds on Human Colon and Breast Cancers. Mar. Drugs 2014, 12(9), 4898-4911. Available at: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-3397/12/9/4898/htm

Hosokawa, M, Wanezaki, S Miyauchi, K, et al. Apoptosis-Inducing Effect of Fucoxanthin on Human Leukemia Cell Line HL-60. J-STAGE Home/Food Science and Technology Re .../Volume 5 (1999) Issue 3. Available at: https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/fstr/5/3/5_3_243/_article/-char/en