Health Benefits of Sea Cucumbers

Sea cucumbers have many health benefits thanks to the following vitamins and minerals:

Vitamin B Also known as thiamine, vitamin B1 can help treat metabolic disorders, thiamine deficiency, and poor appetite.

Vitamin B You’ve probably seen vitamin B2 referred to as riboflavin. Riboflavin is crucial for healthy skin functioning and lining the digestive tract.

Vitamin A Some people take vitamin A to improve their vision and treat certain eye disorders. 

Calcium Calcium is crucial for proper bone and teeth development. It can help with indigestion and reverse hyperkalemia, a condition caused by too much potassium in the blood.

Zinc Zinc is essential for your immune system, healing wounds, blood clotting, and thyroid function.

Iron Iron helps your red blood cells deliver oxygen to cells throughout your body.

Magnesium Lower magnesium levels are associated with problems like high blood pressureosteoporosis (the loss of bone density), stroke, and heart disease.

They also contain a high amount of protein and a variety of vital therapeutic compounds:

Collagen The sea cucumber’s body wall protein consists of about 70% collagen, which plays an important supportive role in connective tissue and skin elasticity.

Bioactives Bioactive peptides can protect against cancer cells. Bioactives like triterpene glycosides can lessen body pain, protect nerve tissue, and boost your immunity.

Carotenoids Carotenoids are converted to vitamin A within the body, which can lower breast cancer risk, decrease cataract development, and prevent pregnancy-related deaths. Sea cucumbers likely obtain carotenoids from their main food sources — phytoplankton and seaweed particles.

Fatty acids Fatty acids provide energy and energy storage for your muscles, heart, and organs. Consuming fatty acids can reduce your risk of coronary heart disease and sudden cardiac death.

Amino acids Without amino acids, your cells couldn’t work properly — they’re crucial for a functioning body and muscle growth.

Overall, sea cucumbers can be a healthy addition to a balanced diet.

Medicine Net

Sea cucumbers have long been used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat a range of ailments, including fatigue, joint pain, and tumors. More recently, scientific studies have confirmed the following health benefits of sea cucumbers:

Wound healing. Sea cucumber species like the Stichopus hermanni contain high amounts of sulfated glycosaminoglycan, which has been shown to heal more than 60% of wound areas on rats within 12 days.

Tumor fighting Types of triterpene glycosides present in sea cucumbers have been shown to contribute to the death of tumor and leukemia cells.

Neuroprotection The sea cucumber’s neuroprotective properties can help protect motor function and encourage regeneration following acute injuries.

Antimicrobial properties. Sea cucumbers serve antifungal purposes and can treat conditions like candidiasis by preventing microbial growth. 

Antioxidants Antioxidants like vitamin D, enzymes, and vitamin E protect your body from damage caused by oxygen. 

Overall, sea cucumbers can be a healthy addition to a balanced diet.

Medicine Net

  • Healthline

    Sea Cucumber: An Unusual Food with Health Benefits

    Learn More 
  • Medicine Net

    Can You Eat Sea Cucumber and Are There Health Benefits?

    Learn More 
  • The National Library of Medicine

    Medicinal and Health Benefit Effects of Functional Sea Cucumbers

    Learn More 
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Frequently Asked Questions

How is my order packed?

Fresh-Live Sea Cucumbers are packed in temperature controlled shipping materials, including ice packs, and are shipped overnight directly to you!

First the Fresh-Live Sea Cucumbers are packed in a poly bag inflated with oxygen and a small amount of fresh sea water. The bags are then placed in an insulated recyclable cardboard box. Frozen gel ice packs are included which will keep the sea cucumbers cold during transit to your home.

See our Shipping FAQs page, located at the bottom of the page, for additional information.

How do I keep my sea cucumbers fresh?

Immediately upon receipt, Cucumbers should be removed from the poly shipping bag and placed in a container without a lid so they can respire (breath). For the best shelf life, the cucumbers should be kept between the temperatures of 35-38 degrees fahrenheit.

How long can I keep sea cucumbers before preparing them?

Cucumbers can live a long time out of the water and in proper refrigeration. We expect at least a week of shelf live but have had customers keep them for much longer than that. The key to keeping them is the cold temperature.  Inspect the cucumbers daily and discard any that look white, or have ejected some of their intestines or gills from their body wall.

How do I clean and prepare a sea cucumber?

Great Question! Check out this video of @tidepooltim demonstrating how to clean a sea cucumber. How To Clean A Sea Cucumber

Can I freeze my sea cucumbers?

Yes, most definitely!  They keep very well frozen in vacuum sealed bags, plastic tubs, jars or any other airtight container.

What if I cannot eat all my sea cucumbers?

We highly recommend you save them until Christmas Eve and put them in the stockings of any naughty children on your list.

Cukes are the new COAL!!! 😂