Fucoxanthin

A Wondrous Compound for Weight Loss?

Along with some other new discoveries, fucoxanthin is being thought as the next big supplement that could make weight loss extremely easy for many people. Not only is this compound likely to change the way in which we think about weight loss, it is also extremely popular with people who have trouble exercising and burning fat.

Understanding Fucoxanthin?

Fucoxanthin is a carotenoid found in chloroplasts of brown algae or seaweed like wakame and hijiki. These ingredients are used in a fair number of Asian cuisines like Miso soup.

A study conducted by Kazuo Miyashita, PhD. and his colleagues on obese rats showed the effects of fucoxanthin on rodents.

Fucoxanthin was added to the animal’s food and it was observed that it produced a protein that helps in increasing the metabolism. It was also observed that the amount of omega-3 increased in the liver when the rodents were fed fucoxanthin along with soybean oil. This study was presented to the American Chemical Society in San Francisco.

Further research is being done on fucoxanthin to establish the various health benefits of the compound, and it is expected that higher levels of omega-3 may also help in decreasing insulin levels which would help in the management of blood sugar levels in those who have diabetes. Fucoxanthin is also thought to have anti-cancer properties, though no studies have proved it yet.

Is Fucoxanthin Safe to Use?

Various studies have been conducted on rats and mice; there has no study been done yet to test the effects of fucoxanthin on humans.

Therefore, the possible side effects of the compound can only be guessed based on what is known.

One thing that emerges as significant is that a fair amount of fucoxanthin is required to achieve the kind of weight loss that was observed in mice. Fucoxanthin is also known to be high in iodine and large quantities of fucoxanthin may cause iodine poisoning, something that can interfere in the normal functioning of the thyroid gland.

Other than this, there are no known side effects of fucoxanthin. Since the seaweed that contains fucoxanthin has been consumed in Asian cuisine regularly for over hundreds of years.

Fucoxanthin and Weight Loss

With regards to weight loss, it is believed that fucoxanthin regulates the UCP1 protein that controls the level of fat that is stored in the body. This protein also regulates a gene that helps in maintaining body temperature.

Due to these properties, fucoxanthin acts like a thermogenic substance that creates heat in the body so that the internal metabolic rate increases. In layman terms, the consumption of fucoxanthin increases the internal temperature of the body ensuring better and quicker fat burning.

Those who have benefited from fucoxanthin claim that it can help in losing about 10% of the body weight in a few weeks. Fucoxanthin does not affect the central nervous system, something that is fairly common with weight loss supplements that work as appetite suppressants.

More research and testing is needed to measure if fucoxanthin is both safe and effective for use as a weight loss supplement.