There has been hopeful data for over 30 years that atherosclerosis in coronary and carotid arteries may be reversed to an extent by lifestyle measures focused on a plant diet.
A "new kid on the block" has been a nutraceutical based on green seaweed combination. Recently, a small study has been published and is presented here. Hopefully, much larger trials will follow.
One of the authors identifes she is a scientific advisory board member of the company making the seaweed product. The authors report on 6 patients with atherosclerotic plaque in the carotid arteries. This condition poses a risk of acute ischemic stroke and indicates potential atherosclerosis elsewhere in the vascular system. The plaque was revealed by routine ultrasound measurement of carotid intima-medial thickness (CIMT) defined as the distance between the lumen-intima interface and the media-adventitia interface.
The 6 patients followed the integrative regimen, which successfully managed existing cardiovascular symptoms and risk factors while keeping various biomarkers under control. However, they continued to exhibit carotid plaque with no improvement. A novel dietary supplement that targets endothelial glycocalyx regeneration was added to the personalized intervention programs. The supplement contains a proprietary extract of rhamnan sulfate from the green seaweed Monostroma nitidum. The 6 participants consumed the supplement daily, and their plaque burden was measured after 6 months using the same CIMT technology.
In every case, the total plaque burden was reduced, with an average reduction in the 6 patients of 5.55 mm, which is statistically significant. Significant reductions in maximum carotid plaque thickness were also observed at the end of the 6 months.
The study suggests that rhamnan sulfate from Monostroma nitidum green seaweed may provide a safe and effective intervention for reducing atherosclerotic plaque, and should be evaluated as an adjunct therapy for prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease.
Further studies will be needed. With precision measurements of plaque burden by carotid IMT ultrasound and AI interpreted coronary CT angiography, each patient can be assessed for efficacy of this and other products. If substantiated, it would be wonderful to have more agents added to lifestyle and pharmaceuticals as indicated to promote reversal of atherosclerosis.
