褐藻醣膠
Fucoidan is a natural polysaccharide found in brown seaweed (such as kelp, wakame, and giant kelp), rich in fucose and sulfate groups, with proven antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory properties. Over the past two decades, researchers have discovered that fucoidan can induce cancer cell apoptosis, activate natural killer (NK) cells, and inhibit tumor angiogenesis, thereby suppressing tumor growth.
Radiotherapy is a cornerstone of modern cancer treatment. It precisely kills cancer cells and inhibits tumor growth, often used alongside chemotherapy and surgery. However, while destroying cancer cells, radiation inevitably damages surrounding healthy tissue, leading to side effects such as radiation pneumonitis, enteritis, liver fibrosis, skin damage, and severe fatigue.
Colorectal cancer is one of the most common cancers in both Hong Kong and Taiwan. Because early symptoms are often subtle, many patients are diagnosed only at stage III or IV. Besides surgery, chemotherapy and targeted therapies are the main treatment options. However, for some patients with metastatic disease, even with advancing regimens, the five-year survival rate remains far from ideal.
This has led many patients and their families to wonder: Is there a safe, natural adjuvant that can enhance treatment efficacy, reduce side effects, and improve quality of life?
In recent years, oligo-fucoidan has gradually gained recognition worldwide in the medical community. It is a natural polysaccharide extracted from brown seaweed (such as kelp, wakame, and giant kelp), with proven antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory effects. A Taiwanese research team successfully reduced its molecular weight to approximately 500 Daltons, making it far more bioavailable and enabling it to exert physiological activity at the cellular level.
