Seaweed – 1 lb (454 g)

Seaweed, known in Chinese as 海藻 (Hǎizǎo) and scientifically as Sargassum, is a valued herb in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). This TCM herb has been traditionally used to support natural wellness, maintain vitality, and encourage holistic balance. At TCMforyou.com, we provide premium-quality Seaweed carefully sourced to preserve its therapeutic properties.

As a herbal supplement, Seaweed helps promote overall well-being and supports natural energy, immunity, and balance. Integrating this herb into your wellness routine offers a gentle, time-tested approach to enhancing daily health. Whether brewed as tea, added to herbal remedies, or taken as part of a TCM formula, Seaweed provides a safe, natural way to experience the benefits of traditional Chinese medicine.

Trusted for centuries, Seaweed has been used in TCM to harmonize the body and encourage optimal functioning of key systems. At TCMforyou, we prioritize authenticity and quality. Each batch undergoes rigorous testing to ensure purity and potency, delivering an herbal product aligned with traditional practices.

Experience the natural support of Seaweed, promoting immune health, vitality, and holistic well-being. Embrace the wisdom of TCM and incorporate this gentle, effective herbal remedy into your daily wellness journey.

[Overview] This herb is also known as Hailuo, Haizao Cai, Wucai, and Haidai Hua. It is the whole alga of Sargassum pallidum (Turn.) C.Ag. or Sargassum fusiforme (Harv.) Setch., both belonging to the family Sargassaceae. The former is mainly produced in Shandong and Liaoning provinces and is commonly called “Large-leaf Sargassum”; the latter is mainly produced in Fujian, Zhejiang, and Guangdong provinces and is commonly called “Small-leaf Sargassum.” It is harvested from the sea in summer and autumn by scooping or cutting, then impurities are removed, washed with fresh water to remove salt and sand, and dried in the sun.
[Properties] Bitter and salty in taste, cold in nature. Enters the Liver, Stomach, and Kidney meridians.
[Actions] Resolves phlegm and softens hardness; promotes urination and reduces swelling.
[Applications]
1. Used for goiter, scrofula, and testicular swelling and pain. For goiter, it is often used together with kelp (Laminaria), or combined with Qingpi (green tangerine peel), Fritillaria (Beimu), Pinellia (Banxia), and kelp; for example, in the formula Haizao Yuhu Tang (海藻玉壶汤). For yin deficiency with fire hyperactivity and phlegm-qi stagnation type scrofula, it is often combined with Rehmannia glutinosa (Sheng Di), Scrophularia (Xuan Shen), Prunella (Xiakucao), and Zhejiang Fritillaria (Zhe Beimu), as in Nei Xiao Luoli Wan (内消瘰疬丸). For testicular swelling and pain, it is often combined with Citrus seed (Juhé), Toosendan fruit (Chuan Lian Zi), Peach kernel (Tao Ren), and Corydalis (Xuan Hu Suo), as in Juhé Wan (橘核丸). In modern clinical practice, this herb is commonly used to treat simple thyroid goiter, hyperthyroidism, thyroiditis, lymphadenitis, and hypertension.
2. Used for edema and urinary difficulty, often combined with Polyporus (Zhu Qin), Alisma (Ze Xie), Plantago seed (Che Qian Zi), and Stephania (Fang Ji).
[Dosage and Administration] Internal use: decoction, 6–12 g; or incorporated into pills or powders.
[Cautions] Contraindicated in cases of spleen and stomach deficiency cold. Incompatible with licorice.
[Modern Research]
1. Chemical constituents: Sargassum pallidum mainly contains alginic acid, mannitol, iodine, potassium, crude protein, Sargassum polysaccharides, and phospholipids primarily composed of brain phospholipids; Sargassum fusiforme mainly contains alginic acid, mannitol, iodine, potassium oxide, polysaccharides A, B, and C, and algal starch.
2. Pharmacological effects: Aqueous extracts of Sargassum have hypotensive effects in anesthetized dogs and rabbits; sulfated derivatives of algal starch (LS) reduce plasma viscosity, improve microcirculation, and significantly antagonize isoproterenol-induced myocardial necrosis in rats; they also exhibit anticoagulant, antithrombotic, blood viscosity-lowering, lipid-lowering, and microcirculation-improving effects. Polysaccharide A from Sargassum fusiforme and crude extracts from Sargassum pallidum show anticancer activity; Sargassum fusiforme and Sargassum pallidum inhibit Bacillus subtilis in vitro; Sargassum polysaccharides inhibit type I herpes simplex virus. Alginic acid strongly adsorbs 89Sr and 90Sr, demonstrating certain anti-radiation effects; LS enhances mice’s hypoxia tolerance, reduces oxygen consumption per minute, and prolongs survival time.