Seaweed Innovations Improve Nutrient Release & Reduce Negative Flavors

11 Apr 2017 --- A new micro-encapsulated seaweed ingredient, developed by Seaweed & Co, has been shown in a study at Newcastle University’s Medical School to protect key nutrients during the stomach phase of digestion, with better release in the small intestine for potentially improved bioavailability and functionality. 

Furthermore, the micro-encapsulated seaweed ingredient has vastly reduced aromas and flavors as compared to standard seaweed ingredients making it ideal in a far wider range of applications, specifically those with sweet flavors such as smoothies and sports nutrition products.

Micro-encapsulation is a well-known process with numerous benefits, although very novel for use with seaweed powders. It was the specific benefits of reducing aroma and flavor, and protection of key nutrients that led Seaweed & Co to work with Newcastle University in the testing of their new micro-encapsulated seaweed powders.

Seaweed & Co’s existing and Patent Pending seaweed ingredients are widely used in nutrition products enabling EU Approved Health Claims, boosting flavor for salt replacement, and research is showing potential in weight and blood sugar management. However, the more savory seaweed flavors can limit the breadth of applications and so solutions were sought to produce a seaweed ingredient with more neutral flavors and added nutritional benefits.

Research at Newcastle University has already demonstrated the potential of Seaweed & Co’s seaweed to help manage blood sugar release. This due to the specific polyphenols present that inhibit the enzymes alpha-amylase and alpha-glucosidase, which are responsible for breaking down carbohydrates, and thus energy may be released more slowly. The potential to address obesity and diabetes using such ingredients is huge, the company says.

This innovative micro-encapsulated seaweed ingredient could enhance this activity through the protection of key polyphenols during digestion, with targeted release in the small intestine where they have the greatest potential for functionality and bioavailability.

The natural levels of iodine in the company's seaweeds allows EU Approved Health Claims of Normal Growth in Children, Normal Energy Yielding Metabolism, Normal Cognitive Function, Normal Functioning of the Nervous System, the Maintenance of Normal Skin, Normal Production of Thyroid Hormones and Normal Thyroid Function, Dr Craig Rose, Managing Director of Seaweed & Co, tells NutritionInsight.

In terms of applications, the micro-encapsulated seaweed offers protection to finished products from more challenging savory flavors of seaweed. Therefore, the potential use in a vast range of products is far greater than has been possible to-date. Because of these properties, this new ingredient joins the Seaweed & Co range and is named “Seaweed& Protect.”

The use of “Seaweed& Protect” as an ingredient in foods and beverages such as breads and smoothies offers huge potential as the plant based encapsulation material is both heat stable and insoluble, meaning no breakdown during processes such as baking or pasteurization. Its near-neutral aroma also opens opportunity in sports nutrition, powder blends and more, where sweet flavors may dominate.

“We are delighted with these preliminary results, which have taken over 18 months to perfect, alongside our investments in our now Patent Pending production processes. We are confident our sustainable seaweed ingredients are world-class, offering a breadth of benefits with extensive research back-up and transparent traceability back to source. The quality of our offer and expertise is recognized via our distribution network around Europe, the USA, South Korea and the Middle East,” Rose says.

“This initial research holds great promise to build on the potential we have already seen from Seaweed & Co’s seaweed supply. Using our unique human gut model system, we can evaluate polyphenol release at any stage of the digestion process from salivary stage until the end of the small intestine, where the vast majority of absorption takes place. Our models are tested against human trials to give excellent correlation. Further work will be done to look at bioavailability using techniques developed by my team at Newcastle University,” says Dr Matthew Wilcox, lead researcher at Newcastle University’s Medical School.

“Seaweed & Co's seaweed is harvested in the pristine sea lochs of the Scottish Outer Hebrides, under exclusive license from the Crown Estate via our production partner Hebridean Seaweed Company,” Rose says. “This remote group of islands off the North West coast of Scotland is an ideal location due to its extensive sea lochs offering ideal sheltered habitat for the seaweeds, and Grade A pristine waters.”