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Modifilan
Removes Radiation Poisoning, Heavy Metals, and Toxic
Chemicals
Responding to the Soviet tragedy at Chernobyl,
scientists found a remarkable plant medicine from brown seaweed that
would grab onto heavy metals and radioactive minerals while
protecting the thyroid metabolism and the GI track. This will be a
major source of assistance to those facing health challenges from the
Fukushima disaster currently taking place in Japan.
This page contains several different articles about
the effectiveness of this extract from Kombu seaweed that is known
as Modifilan. This material is also available in bulk powder form as
the product SuperKombu™.
Click the headings below to jump directly to
these articles.
Introduction to Modifilan
Benefits of Modifilan, by Leonid Gordin, M.D.
About
Seaweed, by Irene Yaychuk-Arabei, PhD, MH, RNC
Alginates Research
Modifilan is a natural dietary supplement extracted
from the richest type of brown seaweed -- Laminaria japonica.
This unique nutritional product is comprised of all the important
organic elements found in seaweed.
Radioactive contamination was known to be very
dangerous to human health, and the healing qualities of seaweed had
been known for centuries. The Russian government sought to
find a powerful remedy for radiation poisoning among that
macrobiotic group. After trying various algae, one type gave
the best scientific data. The synergetic combination of ionic
iodine, laminarin, alginates, and selenium in Laminaria japonica
had the strongest effect compared to all other types of kelp.
It was the perfect group of elements, present in a single natural
source.
A patented process of physical extraction and
low-temperature evaporation removes the seaweed's outer fiber and
extracts only the inner water-soluble part of the Laminaria
leaf. This enhances the availability of the minerals,
vitamins, and polysaccharides for easier digestion and better
results. Forty pounds of raw seaweed are needed for the
production of only one pound of Modifilan. In essence,
Modifilan is the dried juice of seaweed.
The major difference between Modifilan and all other
seaweed products on the market is its bio-availability. Even
the most recognized kelp and algae nutritional supplements are
generally variations of dry, ground seaweed, and nothing else.
In its original form, seaweed is not optimally digestible.
Thick, heavy fibers of seaweed turn into a harsh, sandy substance
when they are dried and ground. Mix any other type of seaweed
product with water and you will see that it does not dissolve
entirely, but rather makes a sludge which never gets digested.
When Modifilan is mixed with water or juice, it develops into a
light, suspended gel. The extract fully dissolves, and this is
the best indication of a product's bio-availability.
Organic Iodine feeds the thyroid gland,
which controls metabolism and promotes maturation of the nervous
system. It is also the main natural disinfection agent in
our body. Every 15 minutes, all of our blood goes through
that small organ.
Laminarin is a polysaccharide that is
helpful in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular
diseases. It helps to balance coagulation of blood.
Alginate is a natural absorbent of
radioactive elements, heavy metals, and free radicals. It
has the unique ability of binding heavy metals and radioactive
elements to its own molecules. Because the Alginate cannot
be broken down by bile or saliva and cannot be absorbed by the
body, it is secreted from the body together with the heavy metals
and radioactive substances.
Removal of the heavy outer fibers of the seaweed
makes it possible to receive all the nutritional qualities and
minerals of seaweed in one simple but very potent, wholesome
product.
This extract was little known in the Soviet Union
for several decades due to its very specific field of application.
The first time it was successfully used in volume was after the
Chernobyl nuclear plant catastrophe in 1989. When used for
detoxification and thyroid gland rehabilitation, Modifilan helped
thousands of nuclear plant workers and people in the area who were
affected by the explosion. A large group of doctors was
assigned to observe the health conditions of those who took
Modifilan for almost a year. The results exceeded all
expectations.
Since then, rigorous scientific and clinical studies
in the USSR have revealed many other benefits of this product.
The latest research on brown seaweed in Japan has confirmed the
presence of Fucoidan. This organic element promotes apoptosis
(self-destruction of cancer) and helps to eliminate harmful cells
naturally. Modifilan has 4 percent of Fucoidan by volume in
natural shape -- as much as raw kelp itself.
In the mid-90s, Modifilan received certification
from the Russian Ministry of Health as the leading non-medicinal
prophylactic product. But manufacturing it in Russia's new
free market economy became too costly, because the rising prices of
raw, non-farmed Laminaria made it impossible to extract
Modifilan according to the patented technology.
Today, while the raw seaweed is still harvested in
its natural habitat, the finished product is processed in America.
Request our free product information about Modifilan.
Benefits of Modifilan
By Leonid Gordin, M.D.
Modifilan is a concentrated extract of the brown
seaweed Laminaria japonica. This seaweed is gathered in
the clean waters of the northwestern Pacific Ocean. Forty
pounds of raw Laminaria japonica is needed to make just one
pound of Modifilan. This unique patented technology
"semi-digests" the tough outer layer of seaweed fibers to expose,
concentrate, and make much more bioavailable the macro- and
micronutrient-dense central vein of the Laminaria.
Although the nutritional and medicinal powers of
seaweeds have been known for thousands of years, the scientific
basis of their health benefits has been established only recently.
One of the most impressive aspects of Modifilan that
sets it apart from other types of seaweed products is its very high
content of soluble polysaccharides like Fucoidan, laminarin, and
alginate. Fucoidan is particularly rich in simple sugars as
glucuronic acid, mannose, and fucose that give Laminaria its
distinctive taste.
The ongoing research into Fucoidan has conclusively
demonstrated its ability to induce cancer cell apoptosis (programmed
cell death) in leukemia, stomach, and colon cancer cells. This
biological data supports epidemiological observations that Laminaria
is an important factor contributing to the relatively low breast
cancer rates reported in Japan.
The technology involved in processing Laminaria
japonica preserves and concentrates this vulnerable thermolabile
substance, thus making Modifilan one of the richest sources of
cancer-fighting Fucoidan.
Another polysaccharide in Modifilan that may have
anti-cancer properties is Laminarin. It is known that tumor
formation and growth require a highly charged extra-cellular matrix.
Solid tumors provoke ongoing high-level fibrin leakage from
surrounding capillaries. This fibrin clot gets invaded by
various cells that are recruited by solid tumors, including
fibroblasts and endothelial cells. The former cells lay down a
heavily charged matrix throughout the tumor, and the latter cells
participate in tumor angiogenesis (vascularization).
Angiogenesis is a prerequisite for tumor expansion
and metastasis. It has been shown that laminarin sulfate
inhibits the binding of basic fibroblast growth factor (BFGF) to an
extra-cellular matrix, leading to inhibition of fibrin clot invasion
by tumor-recruited fibroblasts and endothelial cells. This
suggests a novel approach to tumor therapy based on blocking
angiogenesis.
Cancer metastasis involves the tumor cell adhesion
to host tissue basement membranes, followed by tissue invasion.
Fucoidan interferes with cancer cells' metastasis by inhibiting the
physical interaction between tumor cells and basement membranes, as
well as suppressing the proteolytic cascade of plasminogen
activation.
Interaction and organization of cells and tissue in
general, and tumor and host cells in particular, may be mediated by
the interactions between cell membrane polysaccharides and the
corresponding protein receptor. Fucoidan, a sulfated
fucopolysaccharide, inhibits the adhesion process (cell-to-cell
interaction) by blocking lectin-like adhesion molecules
(glycoproteins) on cell surfaces and thus interfering with tumor
cell colonization (metastasis).
Another mechanism of antiproliferative (anti-tumor)
properties of Fucoidan was shown in vitro and in vivo
on a cell line derived from a human bronchopulmonary carcinoma (a
particularly chemo-resistant tumor). Fucoidan exerted
antiproliferative activity, with a block observed in the G1 phase of
the cell cycle.
It has also been demonstrated that Fucoidan acts as
a so-called activator of the reticulo-endothelial system,
specifically as an enhancer of phagocytosis. This suggests
another aspect of antitumor activity of Fucoidan related to the
activation of macrophage-mediated tumor cell killing.
There are also non-polysaccharide fractions from
Laminaria that have been found to have significant
cancer-preventative anti-mutagenic (anti-DNA damage) activity
against typical genotoxic substances.
Another promising use of the sulfated
polysaccharides Fucoidan and laminarin is in the prevention and
treatment of cardiovascular disease. Several mechanisms are
involved: the inhibition of smooth muscle cell proliferation
(monoclonal hyperplasia), which is an important step in
atherogeneses; as well as activation of enzymes involved in
the beta-oxidation of fatty acids, which can be useful in the
prevention and treatment of hyperlipedemia. Laminarin has been
shown to have a hypotensive effect. It also exhibits 30
percent of the anticoagulant activity of heparin.
All of these properties of sulfated polysaccharides
make Modifilan clinically applicable in the prevention and treatment
of coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, atherosclerosis,
cancerogenesis, and cancer metastasis.
Another extremely important area of Modifilan
application is in environmental medicine. The polysaccharide
laminarin has been shown in four animal species (mice, guinea pigs,
dogs, and monkeys) to prevent acute radiation sickness and death
(about LD90) when administered within 24 hours after radiation
exposure. This research suggests that the brown seaweed
Laminaria can be clinically useful in the treatment and prevention
of the adverse effects of ionizing radiation.
The non-digestible polysaccharide alginate that
comprises 50 percent of Modifilan’s total dry weight has the unique
ability of binding heavy metals and radioactive substances to its
own molecules. Because the alginate is non-digestible, it is
excreted from the body together with toxic compounds. This is
particularly important for cadmium and mercury, as these metals are
found at dangerously high levels in air, water, and food.
Alginate can also remove isotopes that have
previously been absorbed by the human body from the environment.
Even small amounts of radioactive pollution will expose surrounding
cells to harmful radioactive emission.
A percentage of Strontium molecules stored in the
bone structure (or any other toxic substance stored in the tissue)
is constantly released and traveling in the blood stream.
Since the blood feeds the saliva and bile, part of the released
strontium or other toxic metal ends up in the large intestine.
Most of the liquid in the large intestine is reabsorbed by the body,
including the radioactive isotopes and heavy metals which are
redeposited back into the tissue. Alginate can break this
process, because toxic substances are bound to the alginate
molecules and released from the body with feces. Alginate
binds to all heavy metals, including lead, mercury, cadmium, cobalt,
copper, and radium.
Modifilan should be consumed over at least a
four-month period to expedite removal of toxic substances stored in
the body.
Another interesting potential application of
Modifilan as one of the best sources of Fucoidan is for inflammatory
conditions of the alimentary tract.
The inflammation process involves elevated synthesis
of the proinflammotory mediators like adhesion molecules, white cell
infiltration of gastrointestinal mucosa, and altered mucosal
integrity. Therapeutic use of heparin has produced clinical
remission in the majority of patients with inflammatory bowel
disorder. One of the mechanisms involved is restoration of the
fibroblast growth factor activity that stimulates repair of the
epithelium. Since Fucoidan shares many properties with
heparin, including cell surfact activity, similar therapeutic
benefit can be expected through the use of Fucoidan.
Another mechanism of the beneficial effect of
heparin, heparan sulphate, and potentially Fucoidan is their
mucosal-protective properties as glycosaminoglycans.
Gastrointestinal inflammation may cause alteration in the protective
mucosal layer of glycosalminoglycans, and may cause substances like
heparin and Fucoidan to become "conditionally essential" nutrients
suitable for oral administration, because they can be absorbed
across the GI mucosa.
About Seaweed
By Irene Yaychuk-Arabei, PhD, MH, RNC
There are several hundred species of seaweed.
Only a handful of these -- kelp, nori, moss, and dulse -- are
familiar to North Americans. Seaweeds are nonpoisonous,
although not always palatable. We assume that people living
close to the sea (such as Japanese, Scandinavians, or Irish) consume
seaweeds. They are not the only ones, however.
Several decades ago, Dr. Weston Price, a dentist,
found that natives of the high Andes carried a small bag attached to
the neck. In it was a greenish-brown substance, a quantity of
which was consumed everyday. The substance was seaweed
obtained from coastal Indians. In spite of the difficulty in
obtaining such seaweed, these extraordinarily healthy dwellers of
the high Andes would not do without it.
The sea contains in solution every element necessary
to maintain healthy life. Thus, seaweeds are considered the
most nutritious plants on earth. Their nutritive values
greatly exceed those found in other food sources -- and are in an
organic form that humans can readily utilize. Seaweeds are
especially rich in calcium and iodine. They also suppliy
chromium (essential for glucose utilization), zinc (for collagen
strength and healthy skin), iron, potassium, copper, sulphur,
silver, tin, zirconium, phosphorous, and silicon (crucial to skin
elasticity), magnesium, manganese, boron, bromides, and other trace
minerals necessary for health.
The most important nutrient provided by kelp is
iodine. This is particularly crucial for inland, iodine-poor
soil, such as that found in the Great Lakes area of North America
and in central Europe. The amount of iodine in sea plants
exceeds that found in inland plants by as much as 20,000 percent.
Kelp iodine facilitates the passage of nutrients into the
mitochondria (small components of cells). It also helps to
nourish the thyroid gland and maintain good thyroxin balance.
Improved Metabolism
Thyroid function directly affects body metabolism.
Native Hawaiians tend to be stocky and overweight, yet they
experience little heart disease or other health problems. They
attribute this to lima lip, their native kelp. Both Norwegians
and traditional Japanese are healthy people who are also great
consumers of sea vegetation.
Often obesity and sub-clinical iodine deficiencies
are related. That may be why some reducing diets encourage the
use of algae. Calories in sea vegetables are also negligible,
and fat content is only from one to eight per cent.
Bladderwrack is often used in "slimming tea" formulas.
A smoothly functioning thyroid also helps to balance
estrogen levels. The dietary factor most often associated with
breast cancer is the amount and quality of fat intake; however,
seaweed may have a protective role in that regard.
The Japanese have a very low incidence of breast
cancer. However, migrant Japanese in Hawaii (who ate less then
one fifth of the seaweed eaten by the Japanese living in Japan) had
a significantly higher incidence of breast cancer. According
to the Ebers Papyrus, ancient Egyptians gave seaweed to patients
with breast cancer.
Beneficial Intestinal Flora
Nutrients in sea vegetation appear to help cleanse
the colon and improve digestion and absorption. A study of
fecal flora in the Japanese diet versus the Western diet showed
significant differences in the numbers of beneficial aerobic
(oxygen-loving) organisms in fecal flora. This is believed to
be due to the antibiotic activity of seaweed that destroys harmful
anaerobic bacteria.
Seaweed provides organic chlorine compounds that are
important in the manufacture of hydrochloric acid in the stomach.
The mucilage in seaweeds is soothing to the intestinal tract and
promotes peristalsis. The gels in sea vegetables are
nutritious and provide roughage as well. Vitamins A, D, and C
found in seaweed help to rebuild the mucous membranes of the
intestinal tract.
A 1946 Philippine Medical Journal reported the use
of seaweed as an anti-helmintic, or destroyer of intestinal worms.
During the war, anti-helmintic medication was unavailable, so
powdered sea vegetation was used. It proved itself to be 73
percent effective, and non-toxic as well.
Antioxidant Activity
Antioxidants keep our cells young, protect us from
cancer, and act as a preservative to keep fats from becoming rancid.
Lipids from porphrya were analyzed and tested for antioxygenic
activity. It was found that components of this seaweed have
antioxidant activities similar to butylated hydroxytoluene, (BHT), a
preservative used in vegetable oils. Another protector against
cancer is the trace element selenium. Many seaweeds, notably
porpyra, contain significant levels of selenium.
Pollution Antidote
Seaweed is noted for its ability to bind heavy
metals and radioactive pollutants. Dr. Yukio Tanaka of the
Gastrointestinal Research Lab at McGill University demonstrated that
kelp may inhibit the absorption of lead, cadmium, and radioactive
strontium (one of the most hazardous pollutants).
80 to 90 percent of radioisotopes of Strontium 90
could be removed from the intestinal tract in the presence of
seaweed. Sodium alginates actually chelate the remaining
amount out of the bone structure. So much Strontium 90 has
been released by nuclear explosions, power plants, and nuclear
weapons facilities that it is believed that every person has
detectable levels in their bone tissue. Many cancers are
attributable to this contamination.
Request our free product information about Modifilan.
Alginates Research
Scientific studies relating to alginates found in
Modifilan have been published in the articles summarized here.
Biochem Mol Biol Int 1996 Jul;39(4):789-95.
Development of a metallothionein-based heavy metal biosorbent.
Pazirandeh M. Center for Biomolecular Science and Engineering,
Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC 20375, USA
The potential utility of a recombinant E. coli
expressing the Neurospora crassa metallothionein gene (NCP) as a
heavy metal biosorbent was investigated. It was shown that the
NCP was capable of efficiently removing low levels of several metals
(including cadmium, lead, and mercury) from solutions. The
reusability of the NCP was demonstrated through five cycles of metal
binding, stripping with dilute acid, and regeneration of the binding
sites with out any adverse effect on the metal binding activity.
The NCP was successfully encapsulated in alginate and acrylamide
without any inhibitory effect on its metal uptake activity.
Furthermore, the metal uptake activity of the NCP was shown to be
metabolism-independent and resistant to solvents and other compounds
(e.g. polyaromatic hydrocarbons) which are often present along with
heavy metals in waste waters, thereby creating the potential for
non-viable, encapsulated cells to be used.
Radiats Biol Radioecol 1996 May-Jun;36(3):427-33
The effect of algisorb on the level of the accumulation of
zirconium, ruthenium, iodine and cesium radioactive isotopes in the
body of rats. [Article in Russian]. Ivannikov AT,
Altukhova GA, Parfenova IM, Popov BA
The sorption effect of Algisorbum has been studied
in rats following single and multiple intragastric administration.
Algisorbum doses of 250-2000 mg/kg decrease the absorption of 106Ru
and 95Zr by 50 percent, that of 137Cs by 15 percent and have no
effect on 131I absorption. Application of a complex of agents
to protect the body from nuclear fission products is discussed.
Lebensm Unters Forsch 1992 Nov;195(5):455-8.
Application of polyuronides for removing heavy metals from vegetable
oils. III. Application of alginic acid, pectic and
pectinic acids for demetalization of hydrogenated sunflower oil.
Ivanov K, Popova M, Denev P, Kratchanov C. Hochschule fur
Lebensmittelindustrie, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
Laboratory experiments have been carried out for the
removal of heavy metals from hydrogenated vegetable oils using
hydrated polyuronides (degree of swelling from 4 to 12.8 ml/g) such
as alginic acid, pectic, and pectinic acids. The effect of the
type of polyuronide, degree of esterification, and oil treatment on
the degree of demetalization has been studied. It has been
shown that with increase in the degree of esterification of the
polyuronide, the efficiency of demetalization decreases. The
second and third treatment of the hydrogenated oil with pectinic
acid resulted in a high degree of heavy metal removal. The
possibility of efficient demetalization of hydrogenated oils by
treatment with water solutions of pectinic acids has also been
demonstrated.
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