A dash of sugar kelp for better health

Avani Dave, Jai Hind College

“Looks can be deceiving” and the exhibits are seaweeds. This name paints a canvas of a beautiful beach and a bunch of unusual plant-like strands washed straight to the shore. Consuming seaweed as a source of nutrition has received fame around some parts of the globe. UConn researchers decided to test the trend and warranted a potential benefit of sugar kelp in slowing down weight gain, further averting health issues related to obesity. 

The Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry recently published a study that divulges the newly discovered health benefits of consuming Sugar kelp (Saccharina latissima) – grown in Connecticut. The health benefit was studied in mouse models subjected to diet-induced non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), whereby consumption of sugar kelp was shown to impede liver inflammation and liver fibrosis. The study included three distinct mouse models, The control group was kept on a low-fat diet, the second group was kept on a high-fat diet along with an integrated element of sugar kelp in the diet plan. The third group was kept on a high-fat diet, but sugar kelp wasn’t a part of the diet plan. The mouse models that consumed sugar kelp demonstrated relatively lower body weight and reduced inflammation of adipose tissue. 

The group that ate sugar kelp had lower body weight and less adipose tissue inflammation, this was a striking difference as compared to the other high-fat group that didn’t consume the kelp. Sugar kelp consumption also illustrated the inhibition of steatosis and thereby prevented fat accumulation. NASH is linked to obesity which leads to hepatic inflammation and an ill-functioning liver.

Further comparison amongst the three groups highlighted that the sugar kelp incorporated mouse model had healthier gut-microbiota. The body consists of an entire ecosystem of diverse and helpful bacteria; more than a few trillion of them. However, the greatest concentration of these microorganisms can be located in the gut. They are responsible for maintaining good health for their host. 

Ji-Young Lee (University of Connecticut), a professor and an active part of this study was amazed that this was the first time to have received scientifically reported data; linking the Consumption of Connecticut-grown sugar kelp to the betterment of health. Young-Ki Park (University of Connecticut) also mentioned how their study was one of its kind, and no other study ever indulged in a similar finding. It was Park and Lee’s duo who seized the opportunity to study more about the nutritional aspect of seaweed, and the recent growth of the seaweed industry in the states was an added factor that led them to this research. 

Before conducting the research, they wished to acquire a positive outcome that would document the advantage of consuming seaweed for improved health. Since consumers in the current age are more inclined towards healthier food options for a healthier lifestyle, the results would further help in making more people aware of how beneficial sugar kelp can be. This would be a win-win situation, as the industry in Connecticut would flourish while the people gain health benefits. In Connecticut, the seaweed has the added advantage of being regulated for safety, making sure it is safe for consumption without any heavy metals. 

The study allowed the researchers to hold hands with the farmers and the state for an all-around development of Connecticut. The successful completion of the pre-clinical study has given the researchers higher hopes of stepping into clinical studies so as to be able to explore added health benefits that sugar kelp has to offer. The researchers are also looking forward to helping the consumers with varied ways to incorporate sugar kelp into their everyday diet. 

Also read: Anaerobic gut fungi make way for novel antibiotic production

Source:

• Mi-Bo Kim, Yoojin Lee, Minkyung Bae, Hyunju Kang, Siqi Hu, Tho X. Pham, Ji-Young Lee, Young-Ki Park. Sugar Kelp (Saccharina latissima) inhibits hepatic inflammation and fibrosis in a mouse model of diet-induced nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. The Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, 2021; 108799 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnutbio.2021.108799

• University of Connecticut. (2021, June 24). Researchers find health benefits of Connecticut-grown sugar kelp: A first-of-its-kind study finds nutrition benefits for locally-grown sugar kelp, an increasingly important crop for the state. ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/06/210624152650.htm

• Ani. (2021). Here are the health benefits of Connecticut-grown sugar kelp. Hindustan Times. https://www.hindustantimes.com/l101624594367750.html

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Author Info: Avani Dave is currently in the final year of her bachelor’s degree, majoring in Life Sciences. Holding a good academic and extra-curricular record, she is on a constant journey of acquiring exposure in her field of interest while simultaneously not limiting herself to just that. Avani likes studying Diseases and Syndromes and everything under this umbrella! That being said, she is adept at working across departments and promises to deliver.