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Ecklonia Cava Extract (ECE), a polyphenol/phlorotannin
rich nutraceutical, is
derived from a specific species of brown algae
Ecklonia cava. Over
30 million dollars has been spent on research, which has presented
intriguing treatment leads, stemming mostly from ECE's powerful
antioxidant function, for much of present-day illness. ECE offers
nutritional intervention for fibromyalgia, hypertension, sexual and
erectile dysfunction,
memory enhancement, relaxation and alertness, deep sleep, allergies,
asthma and lung disease, cardiovascular health, arthritis, neuropathy,
weight loss, increased muscle mass and obesity, Syndrome X, and diabetes. Fibromyalgia
Phase I Clinical Trial Results (Preliminary)
A preliminary Phase I study of established fibromyalgia (FM) patients was undertaken
with an original recruitment of 36 patients and completion by 29 patients.
This eight-week clinical study was a double-blind, placebo-controlled study
using ECE as an adjunct therapy to the FM patients' current standard
of physician care. The trial was conducted to establish safety of ECE with
FM patients as well as initial indications of efficacy on both a single dose
and high dose. Standard FM clinical trial assessment forms typically found
in FM clinical trials were used, together with physician visits to monitor
for toxicity, adverse events, as well as performance of blood tests and EKGs.
Aside from the discontinuation of the study by six patients who had pre-existing
diarrhea form of IBS, the results established the general safety of ECE. Preliminary
efficacy measures showed statistically significant changes in the following:
1. sleep: mean time to sleep (<47 min, p<.024), amount of sleep (+1.6
hrs/night, p<.001), soundness of sleep (+80%, p<.01);
2. fatigue (-30%, p<.001);
3. energy (+71%, p<.001);
4. number of "good days" (+56 hrs/week, p<.001); number of lost "work" days/week
(-31 hrs/wk, p<.001);
5. pain (-31%, p<.001); and
6. global assessment of general condition (+39%, p<.001).
A strong dose-response relationship was not established at statistically significant
levels. ECE was concluded to offer reasonable safety and statistically significant
improvement in symptoms for most of the study population over the eight-week
trial period (Figures 1-7).
Figure 1: Hours Slept Each Night
Before and After Therapy
Figure 2: Quality of Sleep
Figure 3: Reduction on Overall
Fatigue
Figure 4: Summary Data for Pain
Inventory
Figure 5: Pain Inventory
Figure 6: Number of Good Days
Figure 7: Reduced Work Days Lost
by 40%
The Molecular Structure of ECE Compared with other Polyphenols
Resveratrol
Resveratrol belongs to a well-known class of phytochemicals called flavonoids.
Flavonoids and related compounds are called polyphenols. A phenol is a simple
ring chemical.
Quercetin
Polyphenols are phytochemicals (plant-made) with multiple, interconnected phenol
rings. Flavonoids have a typical three-ring structure as seen in Figure
8.
Figure 8: Quercitin Structure
Green Tea Catechins
Catechins from green tea have four rings (corresponding to their four peaks
under high-pressure liquid chromatographic [''HPLC"] analysis)
(Figure 9).
Figure 9:
Catechin Structure
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Keywords: fibromyalgia, hypertension,
sexual and erectile dysfunction, memory enhancement, relaxation and
alertness, deep sleep, allergies, asthma
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