The Secret of Okinawa Longevity Oceans are home to the majority of plants and animals that live on the Earth. As you may know, Okinawa is considered the island of longevity, in Japan. Fucoidan, a natural ingredient contained in the slimy exterior and interior of the Okinawa sea vegetable (Mozuku and Mekabu) is the open secret of health-oriented Okinawa people. Okinawa, the southernmost prefecture of Japan, is known as the "islands boasting the highest longevity in Japan." It is also where the mortality rate by cancer is the lowest in the nation. One of the reasons is considered the unique dietary habits of the Okinawan people.The key ingredients of Okinawan cuisine are varieties of sea vegetables such as Kombu, Mozuku and Mekabu. Kombu is usually produced in the northern sea around Hokkaido, but there is a reason people in Okinawa have come to eat Kombu as part of their traditional diet. Japan began exporting Kombu to Qing (the current China) during the middle of the Edo period (around the first half of the 18th century). Okinawa was a gateway port through which kombu was brought to Qing. This is why kombu became a popular food in Okinawa. While people on the island of Honshu (the largest island in Japan) often use Kombu to make soup stock, Okinawans generally eat Kombu directly. When consumed this way, all the natural nutrients can be accessed and absorbed. Okinawa is the largest consumer of Kombu in Japan.
Moreover, it is said that the amount of Mozuku consumed in Okinawa is 10 times as much as the amount consumed in any other prefecture. We often associate mozuku with the small dish accompanying sake. In Okinawa, however, Mozuku is commonly used in Miso soup or Zosui (Japanese porridge of rice and vegetables). Everyone must have heard somewhere that sea vegetables are good for the body, since it is abundant in vitamins as well as iodine, calcium, manganese, iron, zinc, potassium and other minerals. Sea vegetables absorb the abundant minerals dissolved in seawater as they grow, so naturally it is a rich source of minerals. In a sense, sea vegetables are concentrate of all the goodness found in the sea. Plants grow by means of photosynthesis, and sea vegetables in the ocean also conducts photosynthesis. Blue algae-which attaches itself to rocks and quay walls-and the green algae found in relatively shallow seas, grow where they can receive sufficient amounts of light. The red algae can conduct photosynthesis in the presence of relatively little light found in deeper waters, while brown algae often inhabits the intermediate depths.
People of the modern age have an unbalanced diet lacking in vitamins and minerals, and this imbalance tends to invite the onset of diseases. However, Kombu, Mozuku and other varieties of sea vegetable replenish the body with vitamins and minerals. This is why sea vegetables are believed to be good for the health. However, simply understanding the natural goodness of sea vegetables do not reveal the secret of longevity long enjoyed by the people of Okinawa. The key to that secret lies in Fucoidan.
WHAT IS FUCOIDAN?
For thousands of years, the people from Korea, China, and Japan have turned to the sea for nourishment. Scientists are just now discovering that there is wisdom to these “foods from the sea” that goes far beyond simple nourishment. They have found that nutrients in these foods may explain some of the reasons for low disease rates and longevity of these peoples. In particular, brown seaweed, has played a strong role in their diets. An extract of brown seaweed, called Fucoidan (pronounced “foo-COY-dun”) was discovered over 100 years ago and is the subject of over 500 research studies.
The research has found that Fucoidan is known for its immune boosting properties, is an anti-inflammatory, and contains antioxidants. It is hard to believe so much goodness can be wrapped up in one small package, but Fucoidan demonstrates that foods from the sea can not only be nutritious, but health promoting too. Fucoidan is one of the main ingredients in Diamond Tree’s new product Passion Tonic. It is made from a blend of vinegar, fermented herbs, and fruit juices. This powerful drink stimulates and nourishes the digestive system, alkalizes the blood, and is high in antioxidants.
Unique qualities :
Prepared with Moromi vinegar from a special Okinawa brewery and made from rice. Contains Fucoidan, an extract from brown seaweed known for immune boosting properties. Includes passion fruit and noni juices, known for antioxidant properties and excellent for digestion. Known for anti-inflammatory properties. An excellent source of polyphenols which help combat oxidative stress. Exceptional benefits: Vinegar can help absorb minerals from the foods we eat. Adds plant fiber to aid and support digestive functions. Drink it straight or mix with your favorite fruit juice or water... hot or cold.
Clinical Findings Fucoidan induces apoptosis of human HS-sultan cells accompanied by activation of caspase-3 and down-regulation of ERK pathways. Aisa Y, Miyakawa Y, Nakazato T, Shibata H, Saito K, Ikeda Y, Kizaki M. Department of Internal Medicine, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
Fucoidan, a sulfated polysaccharide in brown seaweed, was found to inhibit proliferation and induce apoptosis in human lymphoma HS-Sultan cell lines. Fucoidan-induced apoptosis was accompanied by the activation of caspase-3 and was partially prevented by pretreatment with a pan-caspase inhibitor, z-VAD-FMK. The mitochondrial potential in HS-Sultan cells was decreased 24 hr after treatment with fucoidan, indicating that fucoidan induced apoptosis through a mitochondrial pathway. When HS-Sultan was treated with 100 microg/mL fucoidan for 24 hr, phosphorylation of ERK and GSK markedly decreased. In contrast, phosphorylation of p38 and Akt was not altered by treatment with fucoidan. L-selectin and P-selectin are known to be receptors of fucoidan; however, as HS-Sultan does not express either of these selectins, it is unlikely that fucoidan induced apoptosis through them in HS-Sultan. The neutralizing antibody, Dreg56, against human L-selectin did not prevent the inhibitory effect of fucoidan on the proliferation of IM9 and MOLT4 cells, both of which express L-selectin; thus it is possible fucoidan induced apoptosis though different receptors. These results demonstrate that fucoidan has direct anti-cancer effects on human HS-Sultan cells through caspase and ERK pathways. PMID: 15609279 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] http://www.mskcc.org/mskcc/html/69227.cfm
Modulation of human endothelial cell proliferation and migration by fucoidan and heparin. Giraux JL, Matou S, Bros A, Tapon-Bretaudière J, Letourneur D, Fischer AM.Laboratoire d'Hématologie, Tour Pasteur, Hôpital Necker-Enfants Malades, Université Paris V, France.
Fucoidan is a sulfated polysaccharide extracted from brown seaweeds. It has anticoagulant and antithrombotic properties and inhibits, as well as heparin, vascular smooth muscle cell growth. In this study, we investigated, in the presence of serum and human recombinant growth factors, the effects of fucoidan and heparin on the growth and migration of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) in culture. We found that fucoidan stimulated fetal bovine serum-induced HUVEC proliferation, whereas heparin inhibited it. In the presence of fibroblast growth factor-1 (FGF-1), both fucoidan and heparin potentiated HUVEC growth. In contrast, fucoidan and heparin inhibited HUVEC proliferation induced by FGF-2, but did not influence the mitogenic activity of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). In the in vitro migration assay from a denuded area of confluent cells, the two sulfated polysaccharides markedly enhanced the migration of endothelial cells in the presence of FGF-1. Finally, a weak inhibitory effect on cell migration was found only with the two polysaccharides at high concentrations (> or = 100 micro/ml) in presence of serum or combined with FGF-2. All together, the results indicated that heparin and fucoidan can be used as tools to further investigate the cellular mechanisms regulating the proliferation and migration of human vascular cells. Moreover, the data already suggest a potential role of fucoidan as a new therapeutic agent of vegetal origin in the vascular endothelium wound repair.
Antitumor activity and immune response of Mekabu fucoidan extracted from Sporophyll of Undaria pinnatifida. Maruyama H, Tamauchi H, Hashimoto M, Nakano T.Department of Pathology, School of Allied Health Sciences, Kitasato University, Kitasato 1-15-1, Sagamihara, Kanagawa 228-8555, Japan. maruyama@ahs.kitasato-u.ac.jp
BACKGROUND: We showed that fucoidan, extracted from dietary seaweed, could inhibit tumor growth. However, the mechanism of Mekabu (Sporophyll of Undaria pinnatifida) fucoidan antitumor activity and how it enhances the immune response remains unknown.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: We examined the effect of Mekabu fucoidan in P-388 tumor-bearing mice and in T cell-mediated NK cell activity in normal mice. RESULTS: The survival of mice was prolonged when Mekabu fucoidan was administered for 4 days before tumor cell inoculation, compared with non-treated mice. Fucoidan significantly enhanced the cytolytic activity of NK cells and increased the amount of IFN-gamma produced by T cells up to about 2-fold compared with non-treated mice. CONCLUSION: The anti-tumor effect of Mekabu fucoidan appears to be mediated by IFN-gamma-activated NK cells.
Fucoidan extracted from Cladosiphon okamuranus Tokida induces apoptosis of human T-cell leukemia virus type 1-infected T-cell lines and primary adult T-cell leukemia cells. Haneji K, Matsuda T, Tomita M, Kawakami H, Ohshiro K, Uchihara JN, Masuda M, Takasu N, Tanaka Y, Ohta T, Mori N. Division of Molecular Virology and Oncology, Graduate School of Medicine, University of the Ryukyus, Nishihara, Okinawa, Japan. Adult T-cell leukemia (ATL) is caused by human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) and remains incurable. The highest endemic area of HTLV-1 carriers in Japan is located in Okinawa, and novel treatments are urgently needed in this area.
We extracted fucoidan, a sulfated polysaccharide, from the brown seaweed Cladosiphon okamuranus Tokida cultivated in Okinawa, Japan and examined its tumor-suppression activity against ATL. Fucoidan significantly inhibited the growth of peripheral blood mononuclear cells of ATL patients and HTLV-1-infected T-cell lines but not that of normal peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Fucoidan induced apoptosis of HTLV-1-infected T-cell lines mediated through downregulation of cellular inhibitor of apoptosis protein-2 and survivin and G1 phase accumulation through the downregulation of cyclin D2, c-myc, and hyperphosphorylated form of the retinoblastoma tumor suppressor protein. Further analysis showed that fucoidan inactivated NF-kappaB and activator protein-1 and inhibited NF-kappaB-inducible chemokine, C-C chemokine ligand 5 (regulated on activation, normal T expressed and secreted) production, and homotypic cell-cell adhesion of HTLV-1-infected T-cell lines. In vivo use of fucoidan resulted in partial inhibition of growth of tumors of an HTLV-1-infected T-cell line transplanted subcutaneously in severe combined immune deficient mice. Our results indicate that fucoidan is a potentially useful therapeutic agent for patients with ATL.
Inhibitory effect of fucoidan on the adhesion of adenocarcinoma cells to fibronectin. Liu JM, Bignon J, Haroun-Bouhedja F, Bittoun P, Vassy J, Fermandjian S, Wdzieczak-Bakala J, Boisson-Vidal C. Unité INSERM 428, Faculté de Pharmacie 4 avenue de l'Observatoire 75270 Paris, France.
Fucoidans inhibit tumour cell adhesion to various substrata, but their mechanisms of action are not fully understood. Using 3H-fucoidan, we observed that fucoidan binds to fibronectin, this binding being saturable and sensitive to ionic strength and pH. The interaction occurred on at least four different sites along the polypeptide chain, two of them being the heparin-binding sequences. Moreover, when MDA-MB-231 tumour cells were exposed to DTAF-fucoidan, internalization occurred and punctuated vesicles were observed in the perinuclear region. The treated cells also showed a different morphology with a cytoskeleton devoid of vinculin and a reorganiztion of the repartition of the integrin-alpha5 subunit on the cell surface. Based on these data, we hypothesize that fucoidan inhibits the adhesion of MDA-MB-231 cells to fibronectin i) by blocking the protein's heparin- and cell-binding domains, ii) by modulating the reorganization of the integrin alpha5 subunit and iii) by down-regulating the expression of vinculin.
Oversulfation of fucoidan enhances its anti-angiogenic and antitumor activities. Koyanagi S, Tanigawa N, Nakagawa H, Soeda S, Shimeno H.Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Fukuoka University, 8-19-1 Nanakuma, Jonan-ku, Fukuoka 814-0180, Japan.
Fucoidan, a sulfated polysaccharide extracted from brown seaweed, has anticoagulant and antithrombotic activities. Unlike heparin, it shows an inhibitory action on the progression and metastasis of malignant tumors, although the precise mechanisms have not been elucidated. We have demonstrated previously that fucoidan can inhibit tube formation following migration of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) and that its chemical oversulfation enhances the inhibitory potency. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that fucoidan may suppress tumor growth by inhibiting tumor-induced angiogenesis. Both natural and oversulfated fucoidans (NF and OSF) significantly suppressed the mitogenic and chemotactic actions of vascular endothelial growth factor 165 (VEGF(165)) on HUVEC by preventing the binding of VEGF(165) to its cell surface receptor. The suppressive effect of OSF was more potent than that of NF, suggesting an important role for the numbers of sulfate groups in the fucoidan molecule. Consistent with its inhibitory actions on VEGF(165), OSF clearly suppressed the neovascularization induced by Sarcoma 180 cells that had been implanted in mice. The inhibitory action of fucoidan was also observed in the growth of Lewis lung carcinoma and B16 melanoma in mice. These results indicate that the antitumor action of fucoidan is due, at least in part, to its anti-angiogenic potency and that increasing the number of sulfate groups in the fucoidan molecule contributes to the effectiveness of its anti-angiogenic and antitumor activities.
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