Seaweed species, Undaria pinnatifida fucoidan could be used for the prevention of viral infection, according to new research, specifically flu viruses.
Asian countries historically have the lowest virus related diseases - lower than all other countries combined, including the very dangerous HIV, which Asian countries report less than 0.1% infection (1). The HIV infection rates are the major indicator of a demographic's ability to prevent virus type infections.
As the fall approaches and we worry about the upcoming flu season, new research on supplementation with seaweeed, a common staple in asian diets, can actually prevent infection from occuring.
Researchers from the Czech Republic and Japan examined the defensive effects of fucoidan on mice infected with influenza A. They found that orally delivered seaweed species, Undaria pinnatifida fucoidan increased the total neutralising antibody titre and mucosal immunoglobulin A (IgA) response to infection in a mouse model. Mucosal IgA is an antibody that plays a critical role in mucosal immunity; it is also an important line of defense against airborne pathogens. Fucoidan increased IgA levels up to 2.7 times. This research illustrates that, in addition to being a viral entry blocker, Undaria pinnatifida fucoidan also has the potential to modulate immunity to limit the viral infection (2).
Excellent article and research! Undaria pinnatifida is the species of seaweed in our Infinimin® Ultravitamin!
To your health!!
References
1. http://www.unaids.org/globalreport/HIV_prevalence_map.htm
2. Synytsya A, Bleha R, Synytsya A, Pohl R, Hayashi K, Yoshinaga K, Nakano T, Hayashi T. Mekabu fucoidan: Structural complexity and defensive effects against avian influenza A viruses. Carbohydr Polym. 2014 Oct 13;111:633-44