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WEIGHT MANAGEMENT

Fucose Complexes, Fucoxanthin, Fucoid and Fat Storage

Introduction

The versatile, medicinal benefits of certain types of seaweed and their derivatives1,2 have been highlighted recently in the weight control arena3-7. While the value of seaweed-derived fucoxanthin has attracted much attention as a thermogenic agent, seaweed contains several other functional components that could benefit an individual with excessive body weight7-9.

The objective of this article is to sort science from speculation on the value of certain types of seaweed and their extracts as natural medicines, with special reference to their use in weight control.

Seaweed: A Brief Overview

Seaweed has been used in the food chain from time immemorial; and there is a colorful history of its application for medicinal purposes9. Seaweed belongs to a large group of plant life, called algae9. There are two major categories of algae, including unicellular and macroalgae1,2,9. Unicellular algae include spirulina, chlorella, and plankton. These single cell algae have been widely applied in dietary supplements because of their content of vital nutrients.

In contrast, macroalgae are much bigger organisms and they are commonly known as seaweed or “kelp.”9 These sea plants have some physiological resemblances to plants on land; and they can range in size from centimeters to up to 200 meters, or more, in width or length9. Seaweeds come in shades of yellow, brown, blue, green and red and there are more than 3,000 species of algae in the oceans worldwide (Table 1)9.

Understanding the “botanical” classification of marine algae is a monumental task1,2,9. There are essentially four major groups of algae what can be classified by color, namely green (Chlorophyta), brown/yellow (Phaeophyta), red (Rhodophyta) and blue green (Cyanophyta) (Table 1)9. The color of algae is determined by mixtures of pigments that play a variable role in photosynthesis. These pigments include chlorophylls, carotenoids and phycobillins1,2,9.

Pigments in seaweeds have important nutraceutical properties, including: antioxidant and biological response modifying qualities9. Most relevant to the present discussions are the carotenoids found in seaweeds9-13. These red, orange or yellow compounds are composed of short, carbon chain connected 6-carbon rings that are hydrophobic (e.g. combinations of mevalonic acid and lycopene or related compounds). Carotenoids cannot transmit sunlight into photosynthetic pathways, but they function as accessory pigments. A prominent accessory, or “helper” pigment is fucoxanthin which is responsible for the “brownish” appearance of kelp9.

BLUE-GREENS pirulina

Chlorella

GREEN Ulva spp.

Monostroma spp.

Enteromorpha spp.

RED Porphyra spp.

Chondrus spp.

Palmaria spp.

BROWN Laminaria spp.

Fucus spp.

Undaria spp.

Table 1. Examples of the genus of algae (seaweeds) classified by color. These lists of examples incomplete (see web links in reference 9).

Seaweed has been used for many medical purposes in several traditional medical systems including: nutritional support, cancer therapy, immune stimulation, body detoxification, weight control, treatment of viral disease, etc.9 The ability of many types of seaweed to be adjunctive to weight control has been known for many years11-13. Recent interests lay with the ability of antioxidant compounds in seaweed, specifically fucoxanthin3, 11-13, to promote weight loss9,11-13. While fucoxanthin has some support for its role as an enhancer of body metabolism (thermogenic effect), with direct effect on fat stores11-13, other components of seaweed that may be of benefit in weight control7.

Many types of seaweed are excellent sources of dietary iodine which is an essential element for normal function of the thyroid gland5. Deficiencies in the function of the thyroid gland may promote weight gain and optimal thyroid function supports lean body mass. Some seaweeds contain a variety of trace minerals and vitamins which provide general nutritional support for individuals who may be engaged in calorie-restricted diets9. The presence of certain poorly-absorbed polysaccharides (or types of “fiber”) in seaweed may assist in providing “bulk” in the diet9. This bulking effect enhances a sensation of fullness in the stomach or regular bowel habits. Some of the complex sugars in seaweed are referred to as fucoids (glucans) which may stimulate immune function9. Overall, there is a large amount of scientific literature on the use of seaweeds as health food, soil fertilizers and sources of medicinal compounds9.