Did You Get
Your Seaweed This Morning?
by
Zachary Thompson
Fucose is a Glyconutrient. There are 8 saccharides that make up
this family:
Mannose
Glucose
Galactose
Xylose:
Fucose (not fructose)
N-acetylglucosamine
N-acetylneuramic acid
N-acetylgalactosamine
Fucose can be found in natural products like seaweed and
echinoderms. From ancient times humans have consumed them. The
original gelatin was often made from seaweed before artificial
gelatin was developed.
When handling wet kelp you will experience a slimy sensation.
This is largely due to fucoidans on the surface of the seaweed.
When you pull apart the slime you will see long threads. These
are the extended chains of fucoidan polysaccharides (including
fucose)
Brown seaweed kelp is used to extract alginates for industrial,
pharmaceutical, and food purposes but for a long time Fucoidans
were not considered. Now research has revealed that Fucoidans
have been found to have medicinal benefits like anticoagulants.
Fucoidans are made up mainly of the saccharide fucose. They
have been found in brown marine algae and echinoderms like sea
urchins and sea cucumbers. They are used in a number of
medicines including ones for anticoagulant and antithrombotic
therapy.
There are many different types of brown kelp, which vary in the
amount of fucose they have. Research is only just now being done
on this little known area of science. The kelp has been a highly
prized food and medicine for many centuries. The substance,
extracted from the kelp, Fucus Vesiculosus contains 16
different fucans.
They assist the kelp plant by protecting it and help its cell
walls not to get damaged with changing salt concentrations.
They also help the kelp and echinoderms with their reproductive
systems.
Fucose is also useful for helping the human immune system and
assisting the body to ward off infections, diseases and toxins.
Other uses are help with inflammatory conditions and ulcers. Not
only the brown kelp but also the Japanese seaweed Mozuku is used
for extracting Fucoidan.
Fucose can also have an effect on enzymes by promoting and
inhibiting them. It has been found to be helpful against snake
venom and bites. By controlling the enzymes that can cause the
venom damage.
There are many uses for this useful glyconutrient and it is
only just recently that these uses are coming to light. As
scientists do more research they are discovering new uses for
this saccharide and the other glyconutrients. The new research
is called Glycobiology and is named after the Glyconutrients
they are investigating.
Only during the last 10 years scientists have been researching
the family of foods known as the carbohydrates. Because of
their complex nature it took time for scientists to understand
and be able to analyze them. Now as they go deeper into their
structure and uses they are finding the immense benefits that
Glyconutriants hold for the mankind.
About The Author: Zach Thompson is a Glyconutrients Consultant.
His clients range from pro athletes and actresses, to cancer
patients and children with Learning Disabilities. To learn if
glyconutrients can hep you, visit his Glyconutrients
http://www.myglyconutrientstore.com site for a consultattion.
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