Sea cucumbers, marine animals that have amazing health benefits

Sea cucumbers are one of the slow-moving marine animals and have a Latin name, namely holothuroidea. The animal, which is also nicknamed "sea cucumber" because of its shape like a cucumber, is often found in seas where the water is clear and shallow. Sea cucumbers are easy to find in the Asia Pacific sea, especially in Indonesia.

It's not just marine life that you can see when you're fun snorkeling of course, in fact these animals can be eaten and beneficial to health. Is it true that these marine animals have certain health benefits? Come on, see the review below.

Benefits of sea cucumbers for health

Apart from being used as medicine, people generally consume these marine animals by drying, frying, pickling, or even eating them raw. This sea cucumber also has a slightly bland meaty taste. That is why, these sea animals are often mixed into stir-fries, soups, or even mixed with other food sources such as meat as a daily meal.

What are the health benefits of sea cucumber?

1. Able to fight cancer

These marine animals contain substances called cytotoxins, substances that have been shown to fight cancer cells. For example, one laboratory study found cytotoxic substances in sea cucumbers in Vietnam. This substance has a resistance effect on five types of cancer cells, including breast, prostate, and skin cancer cells.

Meanwhile, another study also found that Ds-echinoside, a type of triterpene derived from marine animals, can reduce the spread and growth of human liver cancer cells. However, further research is still needed to determine the efficacy and safety of using sea cucumber for cancer treatment.

2. Helps overcome gum problems

According to the Journal of Oral Science, toothpaste containing sea cucumber extract may be beneficial for people who have gum disease. Why?

One study examined 28 adults who had chronic or early stage gingivitis. They were advised to brush their teeth with toothpaste enriched with sea cucumber extract and placebo toothpaste twice a day for three months.

At the end of the study, participants who used sea cucumber toothpaste were shown to have improved gum problems (gums bleeding less and less dental plaque) compared to people using placebo toothpaste.

3. Contains high protein

Sea cucumbers are marine animals that contain a lot of protein in them. According to Subhuti Dharmananda, Head of the Institute for Traditional Medicine in Portland, Oregon, this marine animal is a source of protein that is quite high compared to the protein source from egg whites. So, consuming sea animals can be said to be good for people with heart disease and for those of you who are on a high protein diet.

4. Maintain a healthy heart and liver

Several studies have shown that these animals can improve the health of the heart and liver organs. This was stated after researchers tested mice with high blood pressure that were fed sea cucumber extract. The hypertensive mice showed a significant reduction in blood pressure, compared to mice that were not fed this soft marine animal extract.

Then, another study using young mice showed that rats fed a diet with sea cucumbers had significantly higher cholesterol levels low-density lipoprotein (LDL) —allias bad cholesterol — and triglyceride cholesterol can be reduced.

5. Contains antibacterial substances

A number of laboratory studies have shown that sea cucumber extract can inhibit the growth of a number of bacteria, including bacteria E. coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Salmonella typhi, all of which can cause disease.

In addition, other studies have also found that sea cucumber can fight bacteria Candida albicans. This is a fungus that causes candidiasis. This was evidenced in a week-long study in a nursing home of 17 patients.

Patients whose mouth was infected due to candida overgrowth were said to recover faster because of eating jelly sea cucumber extract. This applies when compared to patients who did not consume sea cucumber during the study.

6. Prevents wrinkles on the skin

Quoted from Prevention, research in the UK found that sea cucumber animals have benefits for the skin. Extracted sea cucumber can treat thin skin, fine lines, and dryness of adult skin.

This happens because the sea cucumber has a substance called peptide. Peptides contain collagen which functions to soften skin tissue and keep skin protected from damage.

Researcher Maurice Elphick, PhD, a professor of physiology and neuroscience at Queen Mary University of London said that although it is believed to be able to treat skin problems, further research is still needed on the properties of sea cucumber in humans. But there's nothing wrong with consuming sea cucumbers for health, right?

Some things that must be considered before eating sea cucumber

Pay attention! Don't just eat sea cucumber if you already have allergies to seafood, such as shrimp, crab, shellfish, or even fish.

Apart from allergies, there are also some other concerns that sea cucumbers can have dangerous effects if they are eaten by people who are also taking blood-retailing drugs. The reason is, these marine animals contain anticoagulant substances that must be avoided if you are taking medications such as aspirin or warfarin.

It is also important to consult a doctor before you eat any seafood for the purpose of treating health problems. The reason is, the benefits of sea cucumbers to overcome health problems still require a lot of further research.

Also keep in mind that supplements or herbal medicines containing sea cucumbers are not necessarily safe. It's a good idea to consult your doctor about safety, how to use it, and the dosage for use.