In this blog, I will discuss the fucoidan and kidney function. The kidney is an organ that excretes waste. The glomerulus is a tuft small blood vessels. They are also known as capillaries, which are located within Bowman’s capsule in the Kidney. Most of the people are aware that the kidney is a waste filter and plays an important role.

The blood that enters the aorta is filtered through the glomerulus. However, many substances, like water and electrolytes, are filtered as well. The blood components and proteins that are necessary for the body are not filtered. Any filtered component from the glomerulus passes through a thin tube called the tubule. Any components with the nutritional value needed are returned to the body, and whatever is not needed goes out of the tubule.

Due to unhealthy lifestyle habits, such as eating habits, lack of exercise, and smoking, etc., kidneys are more susceptible to diseases, including failure. Unhealthy habits are also a major cause of obesity, diabetes, dyslipidemia, heart disease, stroke, and hyperuricemia. They are associated with chronic kidney disease.

As for diabetes, it is causes nephropathy by long-lasting hyperglycemia. Dyslipidemia has high levels of neutral fat and bad cholesterol, causing arteriosclerosis.

Dyslipidemia causes kidney disease, heart disease, and stroke. In particular, angina pectoris, myocardial infarction, and heart failure, which are diseases of the blood vessels of the heart. They are called cardio-renal linkage because they progress together with chronic kidney disease.

In hyperuricemia, too much uric acid in the blood accumulates in the kidneys and causes inflammation. This is also called gout kidney and may be accompanied by kidney stones and urinary tract stones.

Now I will explain how fucoidan can help in preventing kidney failure.

By Zhang Q et al., the effect of fucoidan on Chronic Renal Failure (CRF) was investigated in vivo in a rat total nephrectomy CRF model and a low-temperature injury-induced CRF model. Fucoidan showed renoprotective effects in both models. Taking fucoidan (100 or 200 mg/kg orally) significantly reduced serum creatinine levels and urea nitrogen levels. When using fucoidan, histopathological changes in renal tubules and interstitium were significantly alleviated. Also, the mesangium areas were greatly reduced. Fucoidan activity is dose-dependent.