Compound In Brown Seaweed Promotes Weight Loss

Category: Diet and Nutrition

A compound that was isolated from wakame, a brown seaweed used in Japanese cooking, promoted weight loss in animal studies. The compound, fucoxanthin, was found to increase fat burning via a specific protein in mitochondria. The findings from this study were reported on at the 232nd American Chemical Society's national meeting this September.

In the study obese rats and mice were fed the compound or placebo. Then cellular expression of UCP1, a protein that upregulates fat metabolism, was meausured, as well as total fat tissue on the animals. Both rats and mice in the fucoxanthin group had increased levels of UCP1 and less fat mass at completion of the study when compared to their equally obese counterparts fed a placebo.

The Japanese researchers also found that the compound, fucoxanthin, expressed an anti-diabetes characteristic. This was determined by increased production of DHA, an omega 3 fatty acid, in the liver. DHA is also found in fish and has many other health promoting characteristics.

The lead researcher, Dr. Miyashita, was very pleased with this new evidence proving further health benefits of the edible and widely popular seaweed variety, wakame. Hopefully human studies will follow these positive results from animal studies.

Posted by Dr. Christina Gutierrez on January 22, 2014 10:00 AM