Can eating seaweed help prevent Parkinson’s disease? A Japanese study suggests it does
Japanese researchers discover a form of brown algae ‘appears to protect against neurodegeneration’ thanks to its antioxidant properties
Eating seaweed could help prevent Parkinson’s disease, according to researchers in Japan, where the highly nutritious plant has long been a staple crop.
A team from Osaka Metropolitan University has discovered that a brown algae seaweed species called Ecklonia cava “appears to protect against neurodegeneration”.
The scientists carried out a series of tests, including on mice, and found that antioxidants in the seaweed exert “neuroprotective effects” and offer protection against Parkinson’s, a neurodegenerative disease. The research was published in the science journal Nutrients.
Parkinson’s is caused by the depletion of neurons that produce dopamine, which acts as “a neurotransmitter involved in motor control and cognitive function”, according to the Osaka Metropolitan University researchers. Like serotonin, dopamine is sometimes called a “happy hormone” because of its effects on mood.
