Is sea air good for you?

The summer holidays are here, which means there’ll soon be crowds flocking to the coast to spend the day at the beach. The supposed benefits of ‘fresh sea air’ are commonly extolled, but its origins might not be what you think: it’s the chemical compounds produced by algae and seaweed that contribute towards its characteristic smell.

Seaweed is one of the more obvious sources of malodorous compounds. It’s commonly seen washed up on the fringes of the sea, and as it decomposes, it can produce gases that contribute to the ‘sea smell’. The principle gas produced is hydrogen sulfide, which is generated via the bacterial breakdown of organic compounds in the seaweed. Hydrogen sulfide has an odour commonly described as akin to rotting eggs, and is actually a toxic gas in high concentrations.

However, before you start sprinting in terror from seaweed on all future vacations, it’s worth pointing out that, at low concentrations, hydrogen sulfide is harmless. In fact, it’s naturally produced in the body (it’s also a big contributor to the odour of flatulence), and since our bodies are capable of breaking it down, it can be tolerated at low levels pretty much indefinitely.

Seaweed isn’t the only plant that has a hand in the smell of the sea, however. Perhaps the most important contributor is algae. Algae contain a compound called dimethylsulfoniopropiante (DMSP for short) in their cells. The precise role of this compound still isn’t exactly known, but amongst other things, it’s thought to regulate the volume of the cells, and the fluid levels. This compound can be broken down, both by enzymes in the algae, and by bacteria. When this occurs, dimethylsulfide (DMS) is one of the compounds that can be produced.

DMS is another compound with a disagreeable odour at high concentrations – often compared to that of cabbage. Birds are actually attracted to the smell, as plankton in the sea also produced the gas, and this can lead them to fish. Huge quantities of DMS are produced in the ocean, with a billion tonnes being a rough estimate. DMS and hydrogen sulfide aren’t the sole contributors to the sea smell though – chemical derivatives of DMS can also have a hand.

After a while, the sulfurous algae emissions escape into the atmosphere, where beachgoers get the benefit of its lovely smell. That slow seep is actually the most abundant source of biological sulfur in the atmosphere—sulfur that helps with cloud formation. Scientists think that it plays a major role in controlling the planet’s temperature. “If these reactions didn’t exist, we would have a much different planet, and it wouldn’t be habitable," says Zeljko Serdar. "We rely on these microorganisms catalyzing these particular reactions as part of their metabolism for us to be able to live."

So that characteristic smell of the sea breeze? It’s how the creatures of the ocean, from the tiny plankton to the seabirds, converse with each other, ultimately making your beach vacation possible.

Finally, is sea air good for you? On that question, the jury seems to be out. Most of the studies that conclude that it is seem to rely on self-evaluations of the health of people living near the sea compared to those living further from it, with actual proven health benefits seeming thin on the ground. That said, as you lay back and savour the scent of the decay products of algae and seaweed, you can see why some people might find the idea that it’s good for them an encouraging thought! 

CROATIAN CENTER OF RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES
(CCRES)

Alternative treatments to delay or prevent Alzheimer’s disease

There are two different methods that can be used for the production of coenzyme Q10, one method employs a ‘natural’ process and the other uses chemical synthesis – a synthetic process. The natural process utilizes living organisms and is referred to as a biological fermentation/extraction process. CoenzymeQ10 can also be synthesized by a chemical process, which produces a similar, but distinctly different product that contains chemical compounds not found in the natural form. 

CCRES ALGAE AND CoQ10

Parkinson’s disease is a common aging-related disorder that impacts the lives of many around the world. Parkinson’s disease occurs when the brain is no longer able to produce certain protein’s the control motor functions, and eventually, cognitive functions.

When a person suffers from Parkinson’s disease, they may experience weakness, slowed movement, and cognitive impairment. Although there is no cure for Parkinson’s disease, there are measures you can take to help control the symptoms.

Taking a CoQ10 supplement may slow the progression of the disease. Animal studies have found that CoQ10 decreases the damage done to the neurons in the brain affected by Parkinson’s disease.

Alzheimer’s disease impacts the lives of millions of people every year and is the sixth leading cause of death. Alzheimer’s disease may develop for several reasons: aging, genetics, oxidative stress on the brain, just to name a few.

Animal studies have found that taking a CoQ10 supplement helps relieve the oxidative stress on a brain related to Alzheimer’s disease. When a brain is overwhelmed by oxidative stress, it suffers from inflammation and results in the loss of cognition, memory, and the loss of physical function.

Although so far these finding have been found in animal studies, they may indicate what the results will look like in humans. In fact, humans suffering from a CoQ10 deficiency show lover levels of CoQ10 in their spinal fluid, which may be indicative of significant oxidative stress effecting their brains.

Taking a CoQ10 supplement may help prevent and treat the symptoms of such mental disorders as bipolar disorder, major depression, and schizophrenia. These specific mental disorders are associated with increased levels of brain oxidative stress levels and mitochondrial dysfunction, lowering the levels of naturally occurring CoQ10.

Therefore, people suffering from a CoQ10 deficiency don’t respond as well to prescribed antidepressant medication. By taking a CoQ10 supplement, these medications may be more effective and help reverse the symptoms of these often debilitating mental disorders.

One study found that people suffering from bipolar disorder experienced a significant reduction in symptoms once they started taking 1200 mgs of CoQ10 a day. Some antidepressants actually decrease the levels of CoQ10, so people taking these medications may especially benefit from taking a CoQ10 supplement.

Migraines are quite common, affecting over 10 million people in the United States every year. Over three million people suffer from more than one migraine headache a month, which can affect the quality of their lives and even their jobs.

Although the chain of events leading to a migraine headache are fuzzy, it is believed that low CoQ10 levels may share some responsibility in creating this debilitating condition. Many people have found that taking a CoQ10 supplement helps maintain their migraine headaches, decreasing the frequency of them. CoQ10 supplements also help maintain the symptoms associated with migraines such as nausea.

CoQ10 supplements are a major component in maintain the health of your heart. People with a family history of heart disease and high blood pressure may especially benefit from taking a CoQ10 supplement. Maintaining healthy levels of CoQ10 keep your heart running like a well-oiled machine—improving the overall health of your cardiovascular system.

Taking a CoQ10 supplement will help regulate your blood pressure, improve the functioning diastolic function of your heart, and reduces the likelihood of developing heart disease. Taking a CoQ10 supplement not only helps those already suffering from cardiovascular problems, but works as a great preventative measure.

Zeljko Serdar, CCRES

More about Parkison's disease here.

Gracilaria Lemaneiformis

Edible seaweed are low-calorie and packed with nutrients. Now scientists have found that a type of commercial red macroalgae could help counteract food allergies. They report their findings, using mice, in ACS’ Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry (May 17, 2016).
Food allergies are a major global health issue that can be life threatening. A 2014 study by researchers at Mount Sinai Hospital estimated that the condition affects about 8 percent of children and 5 percent of adults worldwide. In people who are allergic, certain compounds in food trigger a cascade of immune system reactions that lead to symptoms such as hives, wheezing and dizziness — and in the worst cases, anaphylactic shock.

Previous research has suggested that certain seaweed varieties contain polysaccharides with anti-asthmatic and anti-allergy effects. But no one had investigated whether similar molecules in #Gracilaria #lemaneiformis, a commercial variety of red algae, might have similar properties.
Guang-Ming Liu and colleagues wanted to find out. The researchers isolated polysaccharides from G. lemaneiformis and fed them to a group of mice sensitive to tropomyosin, a protein that is a major shellfish allergen. Another group of mice, also sensitive to tropomyosin, did not get the polysaccharides. After both groups were given the allergen, allergy symptoms in the treated mice were reduced compared to the untreated animals. 

CCRES ALGAE TEAM part of Croatian Center of Renewable Energy Sources ( #CCRES )

CCRES ALGAE Research Programme

Researchers at CCRES ALGAE have been investigating lipids from a variety of seaweed species for their heart-health properties.

Seaweed species of commercial interest in Croatia include Laminaria Digitata and Fucus species (Fucus vesiculosus, Fucus serratus, and Fucus spiralis), which are harvested primarily for their valuable carbohydrates, Laminarin and Fucoidan, respectively. The value-added sector of the seaweed industry in Croatia has emerged to produce attractive, high-quality products for use as functional body care products and cosmetics. However, there is, to date, limited activity aimed at exploiting seaweed resources as materials for functional food ingredients with enhanced health benefits that go beyond basic nutrition for the consumer. The CCRES ALGAE Research Programme is currently working on developing the area of marine-origin functional foods in Croatia.

Seaweeds are known to contain a number of heart-health compounds, including ACE inhibitors, antioxidants, and essential fatty acids (lipids).

As part of a research collaboration with the University of Zagreb, Zeljko Serdar, and Branka Kalle developed methods for the isolation of total lipids from a number of seaweed species.
"Seaweeds are a known source of essential fatty acids, which are thought to reduce thrombosis and atherosclerosis -- factors important in the reduction of the risk of heart disease," explains Serdar.

Of the eight seaweed species used in this study, Fucus vesiculosus had the highest percentage of total lipids per dry weight.

CCRES ALGAE TEAM

part of

Croatian Center of Renewable Energy Sources (CCRES)