For centuries people throughout Asia have consumed Ecklonia Cava Extract (ECE), a species of edible brown algae. Harvested from the coastal waters of Japan, Korea and China, a number of studies indicate that ECE offers outstanding health benefits. Here are some of the many health conditions it can help with:

Fibromyalgia

Patients with fibromyalgia were given ECE as part of a 2-month, double- blinded study and results showed improved sleep patterns and energy levels, a 30% reduction in pain and 40% overall improvement. The placebo patients, by contrast, showed no improvement.

Vascular inflammation

Researchers into coronary artery disease have found that ECE inhibits the oxidation of LDL or ‘bad’ cholesterol better than green tea. It helps remove plaque and reduces vascular inflammation, which also affects the body’s inflammatory response.

Atherosclerosis

A clinical trial has demonstrated ECE’s ability to reverse atherosclerosis. The trial confirmed that ECE has the capacity to regenerate the cells which are critical to the inner lining of the blood vessels and recover their plasticity after 6 weeks’ treatment.

Cardiovascular protection

Ecklonia Cava Extract’s many health benefits provide additional cardiovascular protection for obese patients, who are more prone to cardiovascular and coronary heart disease.

Memory

Memory can be improved by ECE through increasing the blood flow
rate in the carotid artery. Another study revealed that ECE compounds prevented sleepiness in bus drivers and students due to extra blood flow and oxygen delivery to the brain.

Antioxidant activity

Where the aged brain may suffer reduced blood flow and inflammatory reactions, the ECE compound Fucoidan has a protective effect. Its antioxidants and anti-inflammatory activity disable neuro-toxic free radical activity.

Cholesterol

Researchers gave a group of 39 high cholesterol sufferers, with an average age of 55, low dose ECE compounds for 6 weeks. This resulted in moderate drops in LDL cholesterol and Triglycerides and a rise in ‘good’ HDL.

Joint support

A favourable combination of ECE’s natural anti-inflammatory and tissue- protective properties appears to help improve arthritis and neuralgia. Research shows that cartilage cells treated with ECE had up to an 80% reduction in degeneration.

Brain function

Researchers have found that ECE inhibits beta-amyloidal deposits in the brain; the accumulating substance of Alzheimer’s disease. Studies have also shown that ECE helps rats to learn maze challenges faster, showing short-term memory improvement.

Relaxation

An EEG study on healthy, middle-aged volunteers found that ECE compounds can increase alpha-waves – an indicator of relaxation.

Allergies

ECE plays a beneficial role in significantly relieving allergic reactions without the side-effects of antihistamine drugs.

Lung disease

Findings suggest that ECE compounds may prevent or reverse progressive chronic lung disease such as asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

Weight loss

A beverage containing 200mg ECE was given daily to 141 young adults. After 2 weeks their weight dropped by 2.5lbs, muscle mass increased by 2.5lbs and body fat dropped by 4lbs.

Diabetes

A study carried out on mice showed that ECE reversed fat deposits in the liver and cells of the pancreas and also inhibited inflammation. Excessive fat deposits and inflammation result in insulin insensitivity and type 2 diabetes.

Erectile dysfunction

ECE compounds produce the chemical nitric oxide (NO) which keeps the arterial walls relaxed and dilated. Scientists studied 31 men with erectile dysfunction for over 6 months, comparing eight weeks of ECE use to Viagra. The results showed that ECE scored higher than Viagra on all counts.