[{"command":"settings","settings":{"ajaxPageState":{"theme":"hm_theme","theme_token":"WE1sYyReC4TE09bQtfvVHp1g5ZiR3Yv_HntDUia7qFw","libraries":"eJwDAAAAAAE"},"ajaxTrustedUrl":{"form_action_p_pvdeGsVG5zNF_XLGPTvYSKCf43t8qZYSwcfZl2uzM":true},"pluralDelimiter":"\u0003","user":{"uid":0,"permissionsHash":"2af85631393b514cbde3779a1f71d92618d53b94b54ea1960d28b2e2d121ff12"}},"merge":true},{"command":"openDialog","selector":"#drupal-modal","settings":null,"data":"\u003Cdiv id=\u0022republish_modal_form\u0022\u003E\u003Cform class=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form ecl-form\u0022 data-drupal-selector=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 action=\u0022\/en\/article\/modal\/5824\u0022 method=\u0022post\u0022 id=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 accept-charset=\u0022UTF-8\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHorizon articles can be republished for free under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence.\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003EYou must give appropriate credit. We ask you to do this by:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 1) Using the original journalist\u0027s byline\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 2) Linking back to our original story\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 3) Using the following text in the footer: This article was originally published in \u003Ca href=\u0027#\u0027\u003EHorizon, the EU Research and Innovation magazine\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003ESee our full republication guidelines \u003Ca href=\u0027\/horizon-magazine\/republish-our-stories\u0027\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003EHTML for this article, including the attribution and page view counter, is below:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022js-form-item form-item js-form-type-textarea form-item-body-content js-form-item-body-content ecl-form-group ecl-form-group--text-area form-no-label ecl-u-mv-m\u0022\u003E\n \n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n \u003Ctextarea data-drupal-selector=\u0022edit-body-content\u0022 aria-describedby=\u0022edit-body-content--description\u0022 id=\u0022edit-body-content\u0022 name=\u0022body_content\u0022 rows=\u00225\u0022 cols=\u002260\u0022 class=\u0022form-textarea ecl-text-area\u0022\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EHealth supplements from antioxidant-rich seaweed\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEast Asians have long enjoyed marine vegetables, adding them to soup, as an ingredient for sushi, or making salads with a variety known as sea grapes. However, Europeans generally don\u2019t like seaweed, despite the nutrients it absorbs from the sea.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETraditionally, those eating seaweed-based diets have shown fewer instances of obesity, diabetes, Alzheimer\u0027s disease and other disorders. Now, two EU-funded projects are trying to prove that seaweed can indeed boost health.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf the projects are successful, seaweed could be used as the basis for disease-fighting dietary supplements, even if people choose not to put it on their plates.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEurope\u2019s share of global seaweed production stands at just 1.3 %, according to market data provided by one of the projects, SWAFAX. By contrast, China is the biggest source of seaweed, generating 64 % of the world\u2019s supply.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHowever, the idea in Europe of seaweed as a health promoter is not new. At the start of the 20\u003Csup\u003Eth\u003C\/sup\u003E century, people would head to the Atlantic coast for seaweed baths, and the practice is undergoing a resurgence as people seek to treat conditions ranging from arthritis to eczema.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESWAFAX is studying chemicals found in seaweed called polyphenols, in particular a type called phlorotannins which are found specifically in brown-coloured plants. \u0027Phlorotannins are unique to certain seaweeds,\u0027 said SWAFAX project leader, Ian Rowland.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESWAFAX has developed a polyphenol-based seaweed extract that can be used as a food supplement, as well as extracts based on different types of seaweed. Later this year it will have the results of tests on humans to see if the supplements have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAlzheimer\u2019s and Parkinson\u2019s\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\u0022tw-text-center tw-text-blue tw-font-bold tw-text-2xl lg:tw-w-1\/2 tw-border-2 tw-border-blue tw-p-12 tw-my-8 lg:tw-m-12 lg:tw--ml-16 tw-float-left\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cspan class=\u0022tw-text-5xl tw-rotate-180\u0022\u003E\u201c\u003C\/span\u003E\n \u003Cp class=\u0022tw-font-serif tw-italic\u0022\u003E\u2018Phlorotannins are unique to certain seaweeds.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cfooter\u003E\n \u003Ccite class=\u0022tw-not-italic tw-font-normal tw-text-sm tw-text-black\u0022\u003ESWAFAX project leader, Ian Rowland \u003C\/cite\u003E\n \u003C\/footer\u003E\n\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearchers at SWAFAX suspect that seaweed could be a good source of antioxidants, which are thought to have potential in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer\u0027s and Parkinson\u2019s.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe idea behind SWAFAX is to give small companies the chance to commercialise anything interesting it finds, and it is working alongside three small companies: Scotland-based Hebridean Seaweed Company, which turns seaweed into animal feed; Irish firm Marigot Ltd, a food supplement firm, and Mesosystem S.L, a Spanish cosmetics company.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnother, connected EU project, HYFFI, is examining whether seaweed fibre has prebiotic properties, meaning it could aid digestive health by helping to stimulate the growth of friendly bacteria in the human gut. HYFFI observed a number of compounds that seemed to work, and now the project is running tests to see if they have any effect when introduced into people\u2019s diets. \u003Cdiv class=\u0022moreinfoblock\u0022\u003E\n \u003Ch3\u003EBiofuels, insulation and food packaging\u003C\/h3\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003ESeaweed is not just being used to promote health, it can also be used to make food packaging, as insulation for homes, and could even be turned into methane-based fuel.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe EU-funded project PLANTPACK, which runs until late 2014, is working out how to use seaweed combined with starch to replace oil-derived coating for paper and cardboard food containers. As well as cutting down on the use of oil in food packaging, the technique would mean that food packets degrade more easily.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESEAWEED AD, an EU-backed project which finishes at the end of August 2013, is looking at ways to ferment seaweed and produce methane for fuel, while researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Chemical Technology in Pfinztal, Germany, have found a way to turn seaweed into insulation for houses.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor more information on\u0026nbsp;\u003Cspan\u003EPLANTPACK, visit:\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.plantpack.eu\/\u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/www.plantpack.eu\/\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ETo find out more about SEAWEED AD, visit:\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/cordis.europa.eu\/projects\/rcn\/99329_en.html\u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/cordis.europa.eu\/projects\/rcn\/99329_en.html\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/textarea\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n \u003Cdiv id=\u0022edit-body-content--description\u0022 class=\u0022ecl-help-block description\u0022\u003E\n Please copy the above code and embed it onto your website to republish.\n \u003C\/div\u003E\n \u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cinput autocomplete=\u0022off\u0022 data-drupal-selector=\u0022form-gpvkq3qhc6cxu-wr9vja-ct-onz4jfzkmivguepfm4a\u0022 type=\u0022hidden\u0022 name=\u0022form_build_id\u0022 value=\u0022form-GpVKq3qHc6cXu-Wr9VJA_Ct_oNz4JfzKmiVguePfm4A\u0022 \/\u003E\n\u003Cinput data-drupal-selector=\u0022edit-modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 type=\u0022hidden\u0022 name=\u0022form_id\u0022 value=\u0022modal_form_example_modal_form\u0022 \/\u003E\n\u003C\/form\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E","dialogOptions":{"width":"800","modal":true,"title":"Republish this content"}}]