Seaweed Extract Halts Lung Cancer Growth
While surfing the Internet I came across a recent study that Seaweed Kills 80% of Lung Cancer Cells and reduces Risk in Humans [1]. New Zealand researchers found that an extract of the common edible seaweed Undaria pinnataifida (wakame) killed up to 80% of human lung cancer cells in the lab. The same extract also potently suppressed breast cancer, ovarian cancer, colon cancer, skin cancer, and neuroblastoma cells [2].
Algae’s Anti-Cancer Properties Show Promise
Clinical trials of people who eat sea vegetables and algae are generally lacking to support definitive therapeutic recommendations for seaweed. However, analysis of seaweed has shown it to be an extremely good marine resource, it is very nutrient-dense in minerals, vitamins, and trace elements (eg, calcium, magnesium, iodine, selenium), making them an important nutritional resource, especially when compared with terrestrial sources of trace elements and minerals. Seaweed contains several unique compounds such as fucoidan and fucoxanthin—both of which are known to be toxic to numerous different types of cancer cells.
This is very positive news, but many busy people do not have the time to prepare and cook seaweed, and eating it for 5 days every week becomes impractical. Many seaweed snacks sold in stores have a high sodium content and the low-fat low sodium varieties are not to everyone’s taste. Then there are concerns about toxins and heavy metals that now pollute our seas or dried seaweed purchased over the Internet may contain worrisome levels of arsenic.
What’s more, the nutrition can be depleted during cooking or the serving sizes are not large enough to get a decent boost in these nutrients. The density of nutrients can also be affected by the water and the water temperature in which it’s grown. The iodine content in seaweed, for example, can and does vary greatly. Then, of course, too much of a good thing can also be harmful to your health.
So that’s it for this short blog post. I hope you found some value in the information.
Love is like seaweed; even if you have pushed it away, you will not prevent it from coming back.
Nigerian Proverb
Related reading:
The Best Things About Sea Lettuce (Ulva Lactuca)
Original photo: miheco via photopin cc
