Brown algae and other seaweeds are found in cold waters within the Northern Hemisphere. These seaweeds play a crucial role in the marine environment and habitat. However, brown algae are also reproduced in warm waters like in lakes and aquariums due to pollution. Pollution: As it is formed by high levels of nitrogen, silicon, and phosphorus in the water environment. 

It is considered that brown algae are the most consumed seaweed species by humans among other types, i.e., red, green. The brown color of brown algae comes from its xanthophyll pigment, fucoxanthin. This marine carotenoid has many bioactivities like treating and decreasing the chances of obesity, diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and other chronic diseases. 

Brown algae family contains plenty of edible seaweeds like Wakame, Kelp, sea spaghetti, etc. people use it raw, cooked, boiled, as a dressing, fresh salad, or in soup and stews. 

Keep reading to know why it is considered the brown algae is a nutritional and functional food source. 

Complete Nutritional Source

For centuries, brown algae is being used as a food source by native Asians. They believed that brown seaweeds provide complete nutrition to the human body. As follows, researchers nowadays have done plenty of clinical trials to prove brown seaweed as a food supplement to fulfill the need of recommended nutritional intake of some essential minerals and trace elements. They have complex polysaccharides, rich elements of minerals (calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, and iron), proteins, and vitamins, as well as many phytochemicals. 

As a conclusion, it is to be observed that brown seaweed is a great source of food or food supplements with reportedly high nutritional value as well as bioactive compounds. It contains several benefits to human health-specific metabolites like fucoidan, fucoxanthin, phenolic compounds phlorotannin, polysaccharides, and laminaran. 

They have a balanced nutritional value and plenty of bioactive compounds present in them, which makes them a tremendous health-promoting ingredient in the food pantry. Besides eating it directly as a food source, fortified foods that have seaweed extracts in them can also be beneficial. Moreover, supplements that have seaweed extracts in their ingredients come out as possible nutritional substitutes to the original formulations. 

Functional Health Benefits 

The functional key components present in brown seaweed have multiple health benefits that can improve one’s over health and even increase their lifespan. Fucoidan and fucoxanthin are the two root components that pay tribute to this nutritive food. 

Fucoidan is a complex carbohydrate known for aiding and preventing the growth of cancer and tumor cell growth. Moreover, it normalizes blood pressure, regulates blood sugar, reducing inflammation, and decreases the perception of joint pain. 

It is also noted that fucoidan helps with the aging process. Other potential benefits that seaweed shows are fighting fatigue, betterment of cardiac health, minor weight loss, the ability of blood thinning, and protection from radiation, address inflammation, infection, and gastrointestinal problems.

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