Weight Management: fucoTHIN

Supports the Metabolism or Breakdown of Fat

   Incredible Weight Loss Formula

fucoTHIN is an all-natural concentrate with fucoxanthin levels 250-500% higher than wild seaweed. fucoTHIN contains the the first marine algae-derived ingredient with clinically proven thermogenic effect. fucoTHIN supports the metabolism or breakdown of fat in white adipose tissue, including belly fat. When consumed, it does not stimulate the central nervous system nor will not cause jitters or lost sleep.

   What is fucoTHIN?

fucoTHIN is a natural, whole food based supplement that is made with a proprietary concentration of fucoxanthin combined with pomegranate seed oil, for a patent-pending formula that is naturally thermogenic. fucoTHIN has been studied by leading scientists for many years and is the only formula that has human clinical research to confirm its thermogenic effect.

   What is thermogenesis?

Thermogenesis is the process by which the body increases its metabolic rate, requiring utilization of internal stores of energy, such as fat. fücoTHIN supports the metabolism or breakdown of fat in white adipose tissue, including belly fat, without stimulating the central nervous system.

   What is fucoxanthin?

Fucoxanthin is a carotenoid (like lutein and lycopene), which is a powerful antioxidant that protects cells from free-radical damage. It is the pigment that gives brown seaweed its characteristic color and also participates in photosynthesis (the conversion of light into energy). It is found in several different types of brown seaweed.



Marine vegetables (edible seaweed) have long been considered among the most nutritious vegetation on Earth, and have been included in the diets of various Asian cultures since ancient times. Epidemiological studies strongly suggest that the consumption of marine vegetables in this population may be a contributing factor to their good health.



Fucoxanthin is the first marine algae-derived ingredient with clinically proven thermogenic effect. It is also known for its powerful antioxidant effect that protects cells from free radical damage. fücoTHIN contains an all-natural food concentrate of fucoxanthin from specially cultivated strains of brown marine vegetables grown in pristine waters off the Canary Islands.

   What are the benefits of pomegranate seed oil?

Pomegranate fruit seeds are the source of an oil that has a unique fatty acid composition. This unusual fatty acid, punicic acid or conjugated linolenic acid, works synergistically with fucoxanthin to support natural thermogenesis.

   Who will benefit from using fucoTHIN?

Anyone who is seeking to manage body fat and support a healthy metabolic rate while following a balanced diet and a regular exercise regimen.

   In The News

Chemists in Japan have found that brown seaweed, a flavor component used in many Asian soups and salads, contains a compound that appears in animal studies to promote weight loss by reducing the accumulation of fat. Called fucoxanthin, the compound achieved a 5 percent to 10 percent weight reduction in test animals and could be developed into a natural extract or drug to help fight obesity, the researchers say.



The compound targets abdominal fat, in particular, and may help reduce oversized guts, the scientists say. Their study was presented today at the 232nd national meeting of the American Chemical Society.



Fucoxanthin is a brownish pigment that gives brown seaweed its characteristic color and also conducts photosynthesis (the conversion of light to energy). It is found at high levels in several different types of brown seaweed, including a type of kelp that is used in traditional Japanese miso soup. But fucoxanthin is not found in abundance in green and red seaweed, which also are used in many Asian foods, the researchers say.



The brown seaweed used in the current study was Undaria pinnatifida, a type of kelp also known as wakame, which is widely consumed in Japan. As kelp forests are found in abundance along the California coast, the new research findings could represent a potentially lucrative market if kelp of which there are many varieties can be developed into effective anti-obesity drugs, according to the scientists.



I hope that our study (points to a way to) help reduce obesity in the U.S. and elsewhere, says study leader Kazuo Miyashita, Ph.D., a chemistry professor at Hokkaido University in Hokkaido, Japan. The compound appears to fight fat through two different mechanisms, he says.



The study involved more than 200 rats and mice. In obese animals fed fucoxanthin, the compound appeared to stimulate a protein, UCP1, that causes fat oxidation and conversion of energy to heat, Miyashita says. The protein is found in white adipose tissue, the type of fat that surrounds internal organs. As the abdominal area contains abundant adipose tissue, the compound might be particularly effective at shrinking oversized guts, the researcher says. This is the first time that a natural food component has been shown to reduce fat by targeting the UCP1 protein, he says.



The pigment also appeared in animal studies to stimulate the liver to produce a compound called DHA, a type of omega-3 fatty acid, at levels comparable to fish oil supplementation. Increased levels of DHA reduce bad cholesteroll (low density lipoprotein), which is known to contribute to obesity and heart disease. But unlike fish oil supplements, fucoxanthin doesn't have an unpleasant smell, Miyashita says. No adverse side effects from fucoxanthin were reported in the mice and rats used in the study.



But eating lots of seaweed is not the quickest or most convenient path to weight loss, Miyashita cautions. He notes that a person would probably need to eat huge amounts of brown seaweed daily to cause noticeable weight loss. That's because fucoxanthin is tightly bound to proteins in the seaweed and is not easily absorbed in the form of whole seaweed. However, he hopes to extract the most active form of fucoxanthin from brown seaweed so that it can be developed into a pill that people can take daily or as needed.



Human studies are planned, the researcher says, but adds that it may take three to five years before such an anti-obesity pill is available to consumers. Until then, people should continue to eat a well-balanced diet and get plenty of exercise, he says. Funding for the current study was provided by the Japanese government. (Article taken from Newswise, Sept 11, 2006)

   Power Plant That Burns Fat

Most people know that eating more calories than you burn is the main contributor to weight gain. While it is easy to understand that caloric intake is entirely dependent on your dietary habits, you might wonder about how the body burns those calories. Besides using energy to allow our organs to function and muscles to contract (like when working out and even for everyday activities like walking), it is also spent to produce heat via a process called thermogenesis. This literally means generation of heat, hence the term "burning" fat.



Fat is the fuel for thermogenesis, which can be amplified by compounds that make the body produce more heat, called thermogenic substances. The thermogenic substances like ephedra, ma huang and guarana can cause undesired side effects, such as jitters, increased heartrate and loss of sleep. Now research has discovered a natural non-stimulant thermogenic compound that supports burning of fat without these undesirable side effects. It is called fucoxanthin.



Garden of LifeFucoxanthin is a brown pigment found in some marine vegetables or seaweeds, such as kombu and wakame. It belongs to the class of compounds called carotenoids, along with beta-carotene in carrots, lycopene in tomatoes and lutein in dark green leafy vegetables. Unlike beta-carotene, which is metabolized into vitamin A in the body, fucoxanthin works by affecting the function of intracellular structures called mitochondria.



Mitochondria are often referred to as "power plants" of the cell. This is where fat burning takes place resulting in generation of heat, or thermogenesis. Research shows that fucoxanthin increases production of uncoupling protein 1(UCP1) in the mitochondria. UCP1 is a protein that causes mitochondria to make more energy that dissipates in the form of heat. This results in higher metabolic and fat-burning rate in the fat cells where the fuel is stored. This effect of a special concentrate of fucoxanthin was shown to be further enhanced by pomegranate seed oil. Two recent human clinical studies reviewed the effect of this fucoxanthin and pomegranate seed oil formulation when used in conjunction with an 1800 calorie diet. In one of the human clinical studies, this proprietary combination produced a statistically significant increase in the energy expenditure rate of 18.2% over placebo in 16 consecutive weeks. In the other clinical study the participants lost an average of 14.5 pounds, compared to 3 pounds in the placebo group. These studies are being prepared for publication in peer-reviewed journals in 2007.



The exact formula that was validated through these two different human trials is found in the all-natural weight management product, FucoThin by Garden of Life. FucoThin is a revolutionary whole food based supplement that is the first to contain the marine algae-derived ingredient, fucoxanthin, with a clinically proven thermogenic effect that breaks down fat. Along with a nutritious diet and moderate exercise, FucoThin can be an effective addition to your healthy-weight plan and help you reach your weight management goals in 2007.