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Brown algae

Brown algae are edible seaweeds that grow off the coast of Japan, Korea and China. Brown algae is used for a wide range of conditions including cancer, fibromyalgia, arthritis, stress, weight loss, heart disease, high cholesterol and many more.

How does brown seaweed work?

Brown algae contains several chemicals that act as antioxidants. These chemicals are believed to protect the body from damage that can lead to cancer and other diseases. Chemicals contained in brown algae may also have effects on inflammation and the body's immune system.

How effective is brown seaweed?

There is not enough scientific data to say how effective brown seaweed is for cancer, fibromyalgia, arthritis, chronic fatigue syndrome, insomnia, high cholesterol, heart disease, asthma, post-traumatic stress disorder, weight loss and hypersensitivity to certain chemicals. Further scientific research is needed to evaluate the effectiveness of brown seaweed in these applications.

Safety and side effects

There is not enough information available to assess whether it is safe and harmless to use brown seaweed to treat certain conditions.

Precautions and warnings

Pregnancy and lactation: There is not enough reliable information on the safety and harmlessness of brown seaweed during pregnancy and lactation. For this reason, pregnant and breastfeeding women should play it safe and avoid brown seaweed.

Interactions

There is currently no information on interactions.

Dosage

An appropriate dosage of brown algae depends on various factors such as age, state of health and others. At the present time, there is insufficient scientific data to be able to make a statement about appropriate dosage ranges for brown algae products. For this reason, you should follow the dosage instructions on the label and/or consult a doctor or pharmacist before use.

References

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  2. Athukorala Y, Kim KN, Jeon YJ. Antiproliferative and antioxidant properties of an enzymatic hydrolysate from brown alga, Ecklonia cava. Food Chem Toxicol 2006;44:1065-74.
  3. Jung WK, Ahn YW, Lee SH, et al. Ecklonia cava ethanolic extracts inhibit lipopolysaccharide-induced cyclooxygenase-2 and inducible nitric oxide synthase expression in BV2 microglia via the MAP kinase and NF-kappaB pathways. Food Chem Toxicol 2009;47:410-7.
  4. Kang K, Hwang HJ, Hong DH, et al. Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of ventol, a phlorotannin-rich natural agent derived from Ecklonia cava, and its effect on proteoglycan degradation in cartilage explant culture. Res Commun Mol Pathol Pharmacol 2004;115-116:77-95.
  5. Kang KA, Lee KH, Chae S, et al. Eckol isolated from Ecklonia cava attenuates oxidative stress induced cell damage in lung fibroblast cells. FEBS Lett 2005;579:6295-304.
  6. Kang KA, Zhang R, Lee KH, et al. Protective effect of triphlorethol-A from Ecklonia cava against ionizing radiation in vitro. J Radiat Res (Tokyo) 2006;47:61-8.
  7. Kim MM, Ta QV, Mendis E, et al. Phlorotannins in Ecklonia cava extract inhibit matrix metalloproteinase activity. Life Sci 2006;79:1436-43.
  8. Kim SK, Lee DY, Jung WK, et al. Effects of Ecklonia cava ethanolic extracts on airway hyperresponsiveness and inflammation in a murine asthma model: role of suppressor of cytokine signaling. Biomed Pharmacother 2008;62:289-96.
  9. Li Y, Qian ZJ, Ryu B, et al. Chemical components and its antioxidant properties in vitro: an edible marine brown alga, Ecklonia cava. Bioorg Med Chem 2009;17:1963-73.
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  11. Shin HC, Hwang HJ, Kang KJ, Lee BH. An antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent for potential treatment of osteoarthritis from Ecklonia cava. Arch Pharm Res 2006;29:165-71.