In recent years, the beneficial health effects of sea cucumbers have been validated by scientific research and have demonstrated their medicinal value, such as wound healing, neuroprotectors, antitumours, anticoagulants, antimicrobials and antioxidants. Sea cucumbers are very low in calories and fat and high in protein, making them a food suitable for weight loss. Adding protein sources to meals and snacks helps keep you full by delaying stomach emptying. Protein-rich foods, such as sea cucumber, may be especially beneficial for people with diabetes who seek to control their blood sugar levels.
In addition, protein-rich diets may benefit heart health, help lower blood pressure and improve bone density. Sea cucumbers are not only full of protein, vitamins and minerals, but they also contain several substances that can benefit overall health. Foods and supplements that contain chondroitin sulfate may benefit people with joint diseases such as osteoarthritis. Sea cucumbers provide an impressive amount of nutrients and beneficial compounds, such as proteins, antioxidants and B vitamins. This is a detailed review of the effects of protein on weight loss. A protein-rich diet can boost metabolism and reduce appetite, helping you lose weight.
Like most seafood, sea cucumber is a good source of protein. A 3.5-ounce serving contains 13 grams of high-quality protein. Your body needs protein to build and repair strong muscles, hair, skin, bones and connective tissue, and it also depends on dietary proteins to support your immune system. Sea cucumbers are an excellent source of nutrients. The sea cucumber, not to be confused with the type of cucumber that grows in the garden, is an invertebrate that lives at the bottom of the ocean, according to National Geographic.
To ensure that sea cucumber stocks are maintained at healthy levels, choose those that are raised through sustainable fish farming or that are fished with sustainable methods. Sea cucumbers are also a good source of magnesium, which helps the heart beat and bones grow, while contributing to the production of healthy DNA. Sea cucumber may not be a staple food in the United States, but if you're looking to expand your culinary horizons, consider adding it to your shopping list. Another study found that ds-echinoside A, a type of triterpene derived from sea cucumbers, reduced the spread and growth of human liver cancer cells. Sea cucumbers are also rich in compounds called triterpenic glycosides, which have antifungal, anti-tumor and immunological properties. While these results are promising, more research is needed to determine the efficacy and safety of using sea cucumber to combat cancer cells. Sea cucumbers have vital vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that provide important health benefits.
Considered a delicacy in areas of Southeast Asia, sea cucumbers are also renowned for their medicinal benefits (via The Conversation). They live on the seabed all over the world, but the largest population is in the Pacific Ocean. For example, a laboratory study showed that the triterpenic diglycosides found in Vietnamese sea cucumbers had a toxic effect on five types of cancer cells, including breast, prostate and skin cancer cells. In addition, a study in rats with hepatorenal disease found that a single dose of black sea cucumber extract significantly reduced oxidative stress and liver damage, in addition to improving liver and kidney function. Sea cucumber is an excellent source of niacin, which is an essential nutrient; however it is not easily produced on its own in the body. In addition to their culinary appeal, sea cucumbers are used in traditional folk medicine to treat a wide variety of ailments.
People with allergies to shellfish and people taking blood-thinning medications should avoid sea cucumbers.
