Cardiovascular

Coronary Artery Disease

Ecklonia Cava’s has been shown to improve coronary artery disease (CAD). Researchers found that ECE is even more effective at inhibiting the oxidation of LDL cholesterol ("bad" cholesterol) than green tea catechins, and appears to scrub the plaque off the endothelial lining. ECE also reduces vascular inflammation by preventing oxidation, which also directly effects the body's inflammatory response.

Coronary Artery Disease: 6-Week Clinical Trial

A clinical trial using ECE was conducted confirming its capacity to regenerate the vascular endothelium (the cells critical to the inner lining of the blood vessels) and recover plasticity of blood vessels after 6 weeks of treatment. The results indicate ECE's remarkable ability to induce recovery of endothelial cells and improve vascular plasticity. These findings demonstrate ECE’s ability to support restoration of vascular integrity by reversing atherosclerosis.

Cholesterol: 6-Week Clinical Trial

Researchers gave 39 adults (average age 55.6) low dose (100 mg) ECE compounds for six weeks. Their average cholesterol dropped from 228 to 224. LDL dropped from 141 to 135. HDL rose from 46.5 to 50.7 (highly significant). Triglycerides fell from 215 to 195, and the atherogenic index dropped 12.5%.

Some of the parameters from the above study show very moderate changes, which in themselves, may not be statistically significant. However, all parameters went in a health-positive direction, so taken together, the changes in LDL, HDL, triglycerides, blood pressure, and antioxidant protection are very significant. Also, endothelial cells were protected against oxidative damage, and were able to produce significantly more nitric oxide, which dilates blood vessels. Dramatic increases in blood flow were also found at this low dose.

High Blood Pressure: 4-Week Animal Study

The extraordinary effect of ECE on vasodilation was clearly confirmed in a study of rats with induced high blood pressure. Upon oral administration of ECE phlorotannin (50 mg/kg) or enalapril (a commercial drug for high blood pressure 10 mg/kg), blood pressure dropped to as low as 160 and 140 mm Hg. Upon termination of treatment, blood pressure increased again in both cases. even though ECE showed a similar pattern to the drug, it also showed a slower rebounding of blood pressure during the no treatment period, which indicates its potential as a vascular protector with prolonged oral administration.

ACE Inhibition

ECE tannins have been found to be powerful natural ACE inhibitors, demonstrating more than 15 times the power to inhibit ACE as the most powerful land-based polyphenols, as well as the natural hypotensive substance catechin found in green tea.

As well, one of the compounds found in ECE (THP-BE) is equivalent to bradykinin, an significant hormone produced by the body that helps keep blood vessels dilated and open, thus encouraging healthy blood flow and blood pressure.

Antiplasmin Inhibition

Plasmin (an important fibrinolytic enzyme that breaks down blood clots) is quickly blocked by a protein called antiplasmin. ECE compounds are natural potent inhibitors of anti-plasmin, capable of efficient promotion of plasmin that performs fibrinolysis. ECE compounds have shown amazing activity which is 40-200 times greater than the anti-plasmin inhibiting drugs Flufenamate and Chloramine T.