Aquamin supplement may halt fatty liver disease progression, study finds

05 Apr 2022 --- Multi-mineral dietary supplement Aquamin may be utilized as an effective strategy to minimize the long-term health effects of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, a new study has revealed.

The research carried out at the University of Michigan highlights that mice fed a high-fat diet and a supplement rich with calcium and magnesium did not develop liver cancer. Aquamin is derived from calcified red marine algae, is rich in calcium, magnesium and 72 other minerals and trace elements.

“If these proof-of-concept findings demonstrate success in humans, then this could have a huge impact on human health. It will suggest the possibility of mitigating the downstream consequences of steatosis,” Muhammad Nadeem Aslam, research scientist and MD at the University of Michigan, tells NutritionInsight.

“Most people living in Western society do not meet the USDA daily intake guidelines for the intake of calcium and magnesium and presumably, other minerals nutritionally associated with these minerals,” says Isabelle Harber, an undergraduate researcher in Aslam’s lab.

“We are working to find out if a mineral supplement could provide a low-cost, low- to no-toxicity approach to mitigating the devastating consequences of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.” 

Calcium as potential driver
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, defined by an excess of fat accumulated in the liver, affects about 25% of adults in the US. Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH) is a more aggressive version of this illness that causes the liver to become inflamed. Fibrosis, advanced scarring known as cirrhosis, liver failure, and cancer can all result from this.

Mice fed a high-fat diet with calcium and magnesium supplements did not develop liver cancer (Credit: Aslam MN, University of Michigan).According to the researchers, it is unclear how the mineral supplement affects the liver and slows the onset of fatty liver disease. “Based on research that has been conducted in our laboratory, we can speculate that calcium, which is the most abundant mineral in Aquamin, is the quintessential ‘driver’ of differentiation in epithelial cells,” Aslam observes.

The researchers detected protein alterations related to NASH in short-term tests lasting about 24 weeks, while tumor development was suppressed in longer studies.

“Thus, epithelial cell differentiation induced by calcium and other trace elements provides a potential mechanism. It is well-documented that several of the trace elements in the multi-mineral product can act like calcimimetic agonists, promoting a ‘left-shift’ in the calcium dose-response curve.”

“A higher affinity for the extracellular calcium-sensing receptor than calcium itself has been documented with several of the cationic trace elements in Aquamin. Thus, taking balanced minerals over time can help improve epithelial differentiation and tissue integrity.”

Observing impact
In preliminary trials, the researchers fed mice a high-fat diet to generate non-alcoholic fatty liver disease or NASH. They observed the full spectrum of liver illness in these mice for 15 to 18 months, including advanced fibrotic alterations and liver cancer.

Aquamin is a calcium and magnesium-rich supplement derived from calcified red marine algae.“In the current short-term study, we found that multiple cytochrome P450 family members – enzymes that serve to metabolize and detoxify numerous chemicals, including fats – were downregulated with the mineral supplement,” says Aslam.

“During detoxification, cytochrome P450 enzymes can cause oxidative stress that results in liver cell injury. Eventually, repeated cycles of injury and repair lead to the end-state consequences we are trying to prevent.”

Future studies to access safety for humans
As the short-and long-term studies used different types of mice, the researchers plan to conduct both sets of experiments on the same animals in the future.

This will enable them to detect early protein changes in individual animals that may predict or be linked to protection from later repercussions.

The researchers recently completed a 90-day pilot phase experiment in 30 healthy patients at risk of colorectal cancer randomly assigned to Aquamin or a placebo. The trial revealed that the mineral supplement was safe and tolerable, with no evidence of potential liver harm.

The researchers are also initiating preliminary clinical tests to see how safe and tolerable Aquamin is over 180 days. The study’s goals will include signs of liver injury and inflammation.

Previously, a Ben Gurion University of the Negev study found that eating a “green” Mediterranean diet rich in plant-based proteins and polyphenols can reduce non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

By Nicole Kerr