This article is not medical advice, before starting any health related regimen, please seek the advice of your Primary Care Physician or an M.D.
In some circles, some folks swear by brown seaweed. Especially in chronic mold illness. There has been debate on why some feel so good on this snack.
Well, if you dive into the richest source of Fucoidan, you have your answer. What does Fucoidan do ?
Rescues the cystine/glutamate anti-porter - that exports glutamate out of the cell and transfers cystine into cysteine into the cell to manage reduced glutathione levels inside the cell. What does it 'rescue' it from ? Our best friend, Ochratoxin A. [1]
"The Ca2+ responses induced by NMDA were 100% suppressed by fucoidan, and those induced by Bay K8644 90% in the cortical neurons."[2]
"....fucoidan inhibited glutamate-induced Ca2+ responses by 50%, NMDA-induced ones by 100%,"[2]
"Protective effect of fucoidan against iron overload and ferroptosis-induced liver injury in rats exposed to alcohol"[3]
Fucoidan alleviated the liver oxidative damage induced by long-term alcohol exposure in rats.
Fucoidan treatment could regulate the hepatic hepcidin/intestinal DMT1/FPN1 axis to control iron absorption and maintain iron homeostasis.
Fucoidan could protect hepatocytes from ferroptosis through upregulating p62/Nrf2/Keap1/SLC7A11 pathway.
Protects against Alzheimers....[4]
"Some of this therapeutic activity is accomplished by upregulation of cytoprotective molecular pathways capable of restoring the enzymatic antioxidant activity and normal mitochondrial functions. Sirtuin-3 has been discovered as a key player for achieving the neuroprotective role of fucoidan by managing these pathways, whose ultimate goal is retrieving the entirety of the antioxidant response and preventing apoptosis of neurons, thereby averting neurodegeneration and brain injuries. Another pathway whereby fucoidan exerts neuroprotective capabilities is by interactions with P-selectin on endothelial cells, thereby preventing macrophages from entering the brain proper. Furthermore, beneficial influences of fucoidan have been established in hepatocytes after xenobiotic induced liver injury by decreasing transaminase leakage and autophagy as well as obtaining optimal levels of intracellular fiber, which ultimately prevents fibrosis. The hepatoprotective role of this marine polysaccharide also includes a sirtuin, namely sirtuin-1 overexpression, which alleviates obesity and insulin resistance through suppression of hyperglycemia, reducing inflammation and stimulation of enzymatic antioxidant response."[5]
In general terms, it prevents the fenton reaction (oxidative stress from hydroxyl radicals) when excess iron is present, stabilizes intra cellular glutathione, lowers intracellular glutamate, calms the NMDA receptors, lowers intracellular Ca2+. That should be enough:). But wait, there is more. It upregulates SIRT 1 and SIRT 3 both important in anti oxidant pathways like SOD2, GSR, etc.
References
Ferroptosis as a Potential Therapeutic Target of Traditional Chinese Medicine for Mycotoxicosis: A Review. Wenli Ding,1,† Luxi Lin. Toxics. 2023 Apr; 11(4): 395.Published online 2023 Apr 21. doi: 10.3390/toxics11040395PMCID: PMC10142935PMID: 37112624
Inhibitory effects of fucoidan on NMDA receptors and l-type Ca2+ channels regulating the Ca2+ responses in rat neurons. By Hong Wu,a,b Shuibo Gao,a and Susumu Terakawab . Pharm Biol. 2019; 57(1): 1–7. Published online 2019 Feb 8. doi: 10.1080/13880209.2018.1548626. PMCID: PMC6374951. PMID: 30734636
Protective effect of fucoidan against iron overload and ferroptosis-induced liver injury in rats exposed to alcohol. Xue, et. al. Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy. Volume 153, September 2022, 113402. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopha.2022.113402
Fucoidan serves a neuroprotective effect in an Alzheimer’s disease model. By Mamangam Subaraja. Front. Biosci. (Elite Ed) 2020, 12(1), 1–34; https://doi.org/10.2741/E855 Published: 1 January 2020
Potential Beneficial Actions of Fucoidan in Brain and Liver Injury, Disease, and Intoxication—Potential Implication of Sirtuins. Jasmina Dimitrova-Shumkovska,1,* Ljupcho Krstanoski,1 and Leo Veenman2,*Mar Drugs. 2020 May; 18(5): 242. Published online 2020 May 5. doi: 10.3390/md18050242. PMCID: PMC7281157. PMID: 32380741