By Anne Gordon

Gigartina is a type of Red Marine Algae (RMA) that has been found effective for skin ailments such as psoriasis, eczema, and herpes.

Gigartina is a type of ocean-growing algae, commonly known as sea vegetables, that could be one of the most important new therapeutic foods.  Sea vegetables contain ten to twenty times the minerals of land plants, as well as an abundance of vitamins and other elements necessary for proper metabolism.  They have been sought for thousands of years for their ability to prolong life, prevent disease, and enhance life.

While sea vegetables have been a common part of the diets of many healthy cultures to prevent aging and prolong life, scientific research has only recently reinforced the nutritional and medicinal importance of sea vegetables.

In the mid-seventies and early eighties, scientists identified some thirty species of Red Marine Algae (RMA) which enhanced the immune system’s regulatory response and were shown to be antiviral.  The most promising part of this discovery was that these species had an antiviral effect against a wide variety of pathogens.

Current research on Red Marine Algae has shown that promising results in the control and reduction of both the Candida albicans yeast (a fungus) and the Herpes simplex virus.  Clinical trials have shown that these sulfated polysaccharides can suppress HIV, herpes, and influenza viruses, and patients have reported a lessening or even a halting of their growth within the body.  Researchers believe that Red Marine Algae may serve as a gateway to resist many other types of bacterial, fungal, and viral pathogens.

Gigartina papillata growing wild.
Copyrighted photo used with permission by AlgaeBase; all rights reserved.

The Gigartina genus of Red Marine Algae is rich in sulfated polysaccharides, or sulfur-containing complex sugars that have been found to improve the body’s immune response.  Gigartina also contains carrageenan, which is extracted from sea vegetables for use as a jelling agent in dairy products, and this carrageenan component seems to help direct the beneficial immune-enhancing effects of Gigartina toward the skin.

My Experience with Gigartina Red Marine Algae

Recently I and other family members traveled to help care for a senior family member who was hospitalized for nearly three months in critical and acute care in a major U.S. city.  While hospitalized, this elder contracted MRSA (Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus, a virulent staph infection) and Clostridium difficile, an intestinal bacteria commonly referred to as “C. dif” by hospitals.  Both are very hard-to-treat hospital-borne bacterial infections that have evolved from the overuse of antibiotics.

These bacteria had colonized in her body and could never be fully eradicated.  With frequent courses of antibiotics they were able to be kept under control briefly, then they would return in a few days due to her weakened immune system and poor overall health.  I tried to talk to the hospital and suggest some of the natural alternatives that I will discuss below as part of my own case, but at the time I didn’t have the personal experience that I now have to support any assertions about their effectiveness.

While frequenting my relative’s hospital bedside for two weeks straight, I myself contracted an acute eczema outbreak that spread all over my body.  Doctors at a local urgent care facility could not diagnose the particular pathogen I had, and we figured it was some sort of hybridized, hospital-borne superbug.  Then my sister got it too, so it became clear that it was caused by an infectious pathogen and not just an allergic reaction.

I called my naturopathic doctor for a phone consultation, and he advised me and my sister to get several supplements at a local health food store:  colloidal silver (which I took both orally and topically), freeze-dried nettles, and pantothenic acid (Vitamin B5).  We also took NaturoDoc’s lomatium product known as 1918, a powerful immune booster that was the method the western Indian tribes used to survive the great influenza epidemic of 1918 unscathed.  See the Related Products section at the bottom of this page to order these.

These were dramatic supports for my adrenal functions and seemed to help control the terrible itching and fight the infection.  But my skin was still dried out, hardened, and scaly all over my body.  It was still uncomfortable and looked terrible.

Enter Gigartina

Gigartina is a strain of Red Marine Algae that is particularly well suited for skin ailments because of its high content of sulfated polysaccharides and carrageenan.  I had obtained some early samples of GigartinaOne™ while it was in the initial stage of production, and when I returned home I decided to try taking it at a therapeutic dose of six capsules (500mg each) per day.

Within about three days, my skin started to show marked improvement.  The scaliness and scabby lesions cleared up, and the skin lost its angry redness.  The tormenting itch completely subsided.  My skin became softer and more supple.

As my skin became healthier and clearer over the next month, I noticed another wonderful effect from the Gigartina that I hadn’t expected.  For over a year I had been experiencing increasing amounts of hair loss (alopecia) that had become a significant concern for me.  I knew the hair loss had something to do with a skin problem in my scalp, and I had been battling scaliness and even eruptions and scabs in my scalp for which I could not find any obvious explanation.

I had suspected that my hair loss might be due to a Candida yeast infection, so I had been taking yeast-fighting formulations, drinking Pao d’Arco tea, and changing my diet to include fewer carbohydrates, but the problem still hadn’t improved much.  Whatever my skin problem was, it was obviously hurting the hair follicles, and lots of hair was falling out every time I washed or brushed my hair.  My hair had been getting noticably thinner, and none of the therapeutic shampoos I was using were having much of a positive effect, either.

About a month after starting to take Gigartina, it suddenly dawned on me one day that the hair loss to which I had grown accustomed was greatly diminished.  My scalp was less itchy and disrupted, and there was a lot less hair coming out when I washed my hair.

I believe that the skin-strengthening effect that results from taking Gigartina is actually reversing the cause of my hair loss.  I don’t know if my scalp irritation was caused by Candida or some other pathogen, or whether Gigartina would work this way for everyone.  However, because of my own experience I am convinced of the power of this sea vegetable extract to correct chronic and acute skin problems by boosting immunity.

I think my hair loss problem was probably related to a skin infection in the epidermis of the scalp, and for me it was reversed by taking Gigartina.  My hair is now growing in thicker, and of course I’m elated about that.  I’m grateful to have finally hit upon a natural food-based supplement that will address the root ca

use of both acute skin problems and hair loss.  I wanted to pass along this information if it can help others who are desperate for relief from skin disruptions.  This amazing plant extract has been highly beneficial for me, and others may find it well worth a try.

The Many Species of Gigartina

According to AlgaeBase™, an online database of information on algae, the Gigartina genus of Red Marine Algae is differentiated into 415 species that are named in the Algae Database at present, of which 38 are flagged as current.

It’s important to note that the product I took, GigartinaOne™, is 100 percent Gigartina papillata (which is currently regarded as a synonym of Mastocarpus papillatus).

References

Arad, Shoshana. Microalgal Ointment for Treating Herpes, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel, 2000.

Cole and Sheath, (Ed.) Biology of the Red Algae, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1990.

Dieg et al. “Development of dermal lesions in adult mice infected with Herpes simplex virus:  Application of the model in the evaluation of antiherpesvirus substance from marine algae.” Office of Naval Research, University of California Sea Grant Program. Unpublished.

Dieg et al. “Evaluation of extracts of marine algae for antiviral activity in experimental Herpes simplex infections of infant mice.” In 52nd Technical Progress Report, Section 4, Naval Biosciences Laboratory, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, 1977.

Dieg et al. “Inhibition of herpesvirus replication by marine algae extracts.” Anitimicrb. Ag. Chemother 6:524-525, 1974.

Douglas et al. “Acyclovir and Genital Herpes.” N Eng J of Medicine, Vol. 310 No. 24, 1551-56, 1984.

Ehresmann et al. “Antiviral properties of algal polysaccharides and related compounds,” in H.A. Hoppe et al. (ed.), Marine Algae in Pharmaceutical Science, W. de Gruyter, NY, 293-302, 1979.

Ehresmann et al. “Antiviral substances from California marine algae.” J. Phycol. 13:37-40, 1979.

Gonzales et al. “Polysaccharides as antiviral agents:  antiviral activity of carrageenan.” Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, 31:1388-1393, 1987.

Hatch et al. “Chemical characterization and therapeutic evaluation of anti-Herpes-virus polysaccharides from species of Dumontiaceae,” in H. A. Hoppe et al. (ed.), Marine Algae in Pharmaceutical Science, W. de Gruyter, NY, 346-363, 1979.

Mitsuya et al. “Dextran sulfate suppression of viruses in the HIV family:  Inhibition of virion binding to CD4 and cells.” Science 240:646-649, 1988.

Nakashima et al. “Antiretroviral activity in a marine red alga:  Reverse transcriptase inhibition by an aqueous extract of Schizymenia pacifica.” Journal Cancer Res. Clin Oncol 113:413-16, 1987.

Neushul. “Antiviral carbohydrates from marine red algae.” Hydrobiologia 204/205:99-104, 1990.

Pitchford, Paul. Healing with Whole Foods. North Atlantic Books, Berkeley, California, 1993.

Richards et al. “Antiviral activity of extracts from marine algae.” Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 14:24-30, 1978.

Straus et al., “Suppression of frequently recurring genital herpes.” N Eng J of Medicine, Vol 310, No. 24, 1984.

Thomson and Fowler. “Carrageenan:  A review of its effects on the immune system:  Agents and Actions,” 11:265-273, 1981.

Note:  Anne Gordon is a member of the NaturoDoc administrative team.

The information in this article is not intended to provide medical advice, which should be obtained from a medical professional, and has not been approved by the U.S. FDA.