Fucoxanthin is derived from an edible brown kelp/seaweed known as undaria pinnatifida, and known in Japan as wakame. A Japanese study was published late last year that is especially interesting in that it shows that fucoxanthin can promote fat burning within fat cells in animals. And apparently, the type of fat most affected is “white adipose tissue” — the kind of fat that concentrates around organs — such as abdominal fat. Fucoxanthin is a natural supplement, it is not without risk. ebiochem.com

Fucoxanthin is found naturally in brown seaweed, specifically wakame and hijiki, is able to help white fat cells behave as brown fat cells. This seaweed is used in many Japanese dishes to improve the flavor of certain dishes and to wrap rolled sushi. If these particular dishes don’t please your palate, the extract can be taken in dried or capsule form as well.In it’s dried form, fucoxanthin can be added to other food or even blended with a shake for convenience. ebiochem.com

According to Miyashita, the compound appears to fight fat through two different mechanisms. First, fucoxanthin appears to stimulate a protein, UCP1, that causes fat oxidation and conversion of energy to heat. The protein is found in white adipose tissue, the type of fat that surrounds internal organs. Second, fucoxanthin also appears to stimulate the liver to produce a DHA, a type of omega-3 fatty acid. DHA supplementation can, in some people, help reduce low density lipoprotein (LDL) — the bad cholesterol. No adverse side effects from fucoxanthin were reported in the mice and rats used in the study. ebiochem.com

Remember that the best way to lose weight and keep it off is through a balanced, nutrient dense diet and consistent exercise, but getting a little boost from fucoxanthin may be just what you need. ebiochem.com