Agar Agar

Gracilaria

A jelly like substance, usually a pale yellow / orange with tones of gray in colour and found in bundles of thin membranous acgutinated strips. It is a dried hydrophilic colloidal substance.

Family: Rhodophyta

Which probiotic is it in?: Agar agar is a key herb in Revive

Habit and cultivation: Originally from Japan but now grown in East Asia and California, this is a seaweed that grows both in the sea and in cultivated sea ponds

Actions (known for): Digestive aid, laxative, bone health and brain health

History of Agar Agar

Agar may first have been discovered in Japan by Mino Tarozaemon in 1658. Legend says that when a surplus of seaweed soup was thrown out it gelled after a frozen winter’s night. It was the subject of chemical analysis in 1859 by French chemist Anselme Payen. During the late 19th century it was used as a solid medium for growing various microbes. In more recent years production has fluctuated due to over utilization of seaweed populations. It is used extensively in microbiology, plant biology and motility assays.