The type of seaweed, known as “kajime” in Japanese, is a member of the kelp family and is found along the Pacific Ocean’s warm coastlines. Researchers analyzed the effect of the seaweed’s polyphenols and antioxidants in preventing Parkinson’s in cell and animal models. Akiko Kojima-Yuasa, an associate professor at Osaka Metropolitan University’s Graduate School of Human Life and Ecology and one of the study’s authors, told The Epoch Times via email, “Ecklonia cava is rich in phlorotannins, a type of polyphenol specific to brown algae, and has strong antioxidant properties.
” Affecting about 1 million people in the United States, Parkinson’s disease is a progressive condition that causes loss of ability to walk, speak clearly, and overall control of body functions. Next to Alzheimer’s disease, it is the most prevalent neurodegenerative disease in the world. “In this study, we conducted animal and cell experiments using a Parkinson’s disease model mouse to investigate the preventive effects of ECP (Ecklonia cava polyphenols) on Parkinson’s disease and its underlying mechanisms as a new physiological function,” Kojima-Yuasa said.
Parkinson’s is caused by a loss of neurons that produce dopamine, a neurotransmitter involved in motor control and cognitive function. However, the underlying cause of the degeneration of those nerves remains unclear, researchers wrote in the study. According to the researchers, seaweed antioxidants prevent nerve damage by.