Sodium Alginate For Health Issues

As a common food additive, sodium alginate primarily comprises the sodium salt form of alginic acid and is classified as a biopolymer of polysaccharides. It exhibits several advantageous properties, including non-toxicity, biodegradability, and biocompatibility, which make it highly desirable for use in various industries, such as food, medicine, textiles, printing and dyeing, papermaking, and daily chemicals. Additionally, sodium alginate has recently gained prominence in health issues, adding to its multifaceted value.

What is Sodium Alginate?

SA is a natural polysaccharide with the stability, solubility, viscosity, and safety required for pharmaceutical excipients. It is a gel extracted from brown seaweed such as kelp, generally obtained by extraction and purification with dilute alkali. It is a white or light yellow powder with no odor or taste and has hygroscopicity. It is insoluble in organic solvents such as ethanol and ether but soluble in hot and cold water. At the same time, sodium alginate is also a hydrophilic gelling agent with fine hydration ability. It is non-toxic, highly expandable, flexible, and has good thickening and stability.

Uses of Sodium Alginate

1. Food Industry

① Added to cake and bread premixes with 0.1%-0.5% of the amount, sodium alginate can effectively prevent aging and drying, reduce crumbs, and improve the taste. It can improve the dough’s gas retention properties, increase the bread’s volume ratio, and make the internal structure great and elastic. Its water-holding capacity is also excellent, reflected in its anti-aging effect, and can extend the product’s shelf life.

② Adding a suitable amount of sodium alginate to frozen milk as a stabilizer can significantly enhance the taste without any stickiness or stiffness. In particular, adding 0.2%-1% sodium alginate to yogurt can maintain and improve its curd shape and prevent viscosity reduction during high-temperature sterilization. It can also prolong storage time while maintaining its unique flavor.

③ Using the characteristics of producing sodium alginate calcium gel with sodium alginate solution and calcium salts can be used as a fresh-keeping film for fish, meat, and fruit foods. It not only avoids enzymatic oxidation but also prevents food dehydration. Sodium alginate can add to saltwater and used for freezing as a thickener to increase the economic value of frozen shellfish. 

2. Textile Industry

The water-soluble solution of sodium alginate exhibits strong water absorption capability, allowing it quickly absorb surrounding moisture. Consequently, fabrics produced from this compound demonstrate commendable water absorption performance. Moreover, the stability of this solution guarantees that raw cellulose materials are not prone to deformation or damage throughout the production phase, thereby ensuring the quality of the resultant fabric.

SA is a natural substance that can quickly decompose and absorb. Therefore, the production process will not cause pollution to the environment, which also reflects its environmental friendliness. At the same time, cellulose raw materials are also natural biomass materials that can recycle and reduce environmental impact.

In addition to the above characteristics, sodium alginate-made fabrics have good air permeability and softness. Its water absorption performance makes finality fabrics have good air permeability. The textiles made from it are also very soft and not easy to wrinkle, giving people a comfortable feeling.

Advantages in the Health Field

1. Stomach Diseases

Gastroesophageal reflux disease is a digestive system disease caused by gastric acid reflux into the esophagus. Proton pump inhibitors are the drug for treating gastric reflux disease. The mechanism of action is to inhibit gastric acid secretion and reduce reflux, but there are problems, such as side effects and drug resistance. 

Sodium alginate is a polysaccharide substance extracted from seaweed. Its chemical structure is similar to some natural substances in the human body. It can react with gastric acid to form a mucous barrier to prevent gastric acid reflux into the esophagus and alleviate gastroesophageal reflux symptoms. Compared with proton pump inhibitors, the way sodium alginate works does not produce long-term inhibition of gastric acid secretion, thereby avoiding related side effects.

2. Trauma and Other Applications

Sodium alginate can increase blood volume and maintain blood pressure, stabilize the circulatory system before and after surgery, treat dehydration caused by massive bleeding shock, burn shock, high fever, acute dysentery, etc., and has suitable therapeutic effects. It also can excrete cholesterol out of the body, protect the intestines and stomach, lose weight, and reduce blood sugar.

Where to Buy SA

At JHchemCO, we specialize in providing high-quality products to meet the needs of our customers. Our sodium alginate is manufactured to the highest standards of purity and consistency, ensuring that they deliver outstanding performance and reliability in every application.  

If you would like to explore us or learn more about sodium alginate, we invite you to browse our official website at http://jhchemco.com/ further.