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posted by Fnord666 on Wednesday June 19 2019, @01:35PM   Printer-friendly
from the does-it-affect-tipping? dept.

Submitted via IRC for Bytram

Seaweed feed additive cuts livestock methane but poses questions

"Asparagopsis taxiformis -- a red seaweed that grows in the tropics -- in short-term studies in lactating dairy cows decreased methane emission by 80 percent and had no effect on feed intake or milk yield, when fed at up to 0.5 percent of feed dry-matter intake," said Alexander Hristov, distinguished professor of dairy nutrition. "It looks promising, and we are continuing research."

If seaweed feed supplement is a viable option to make a difference globally, the scale of production would have to be immense, Hristov noted. With nearly 1.5 billion head of cattle in the world, harvesting enough wild seaweed to add to their feed would be impossible. Even to provide it as a supplement to most of the United States' 94 million cattle is unrealistic.

[...] "To be used as a feed additive on a large scale, the seaweed would have to be cultivated in aquaculture operations," he said. "Harvesting wild seaweed is not an option because soon we would deplete the oceans and cause an ecological problem."

There are also questions about the stability over time of the active ingredients -- bromoforms -- in the seaweed. These compounds are sensitive to heat and sunlight and may lose their methane-mitigating activity with processing and storage, Hristov warned.

Palatability is another question. It appears cows do not like the taste of seaweed -- when Asparagopsis was included at 0.75 percent of the diet, researchers observed a drop in the feed intake by the animals.

Also, the long-term effects of seaweed on animal health and reproduction and its effects on milk and meat quality need to be determined. A panel judging milk taste is part of ongoing research, Hristov said.

[...] "It is pretty much a given that if enteric methane emissions are decreased, there likely will be an increase in the efficiency of animal production," said Hristov. Seaweed used in the Penn State research was harvested from the Atlantic Ocean in the Azores and shipped frozen from Portugal. It was freeze-dried and ground by the researchers. Freeze drying and grinding 4 tons of seaweed for the research was "a huge undertaking," Hristov said.


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  • (Score: 2, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday June 19 2019, @02:36PM (6 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday June 19 2019, @02:36PM (#857442)

    If this seaweed extract decreases methane production, let's see if it works for humans. I haven't had much luck with other anti-gas meds (over the counter) to deal with both the embarrassing farts problem and also the abdominal pain problem. Beano is somewhat effective, but something better over-the-counter would be very welcome.

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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday June 19 2019, @02:47PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday June 19 2019, @02:47PM (#857445)

    If the amount needed is small, maybe both can be combined into one pill.

  • (Score: 3, Insightful) by All Your Lawn Are Belong To Us on Wednesday June 19 2019, @03:07PM

    by All Your Lawn Are Belong To Us (6553) on Wednesday June 19 2019, @03:07PM (#857458) Journal

    Then eat your Kombu [wikipedia.org].

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  • (Score: 2) by PinkyGigglebrain on Wednesday June 19 2019, @05:52PM (2 children)

    by PinkyGigglebrain (4458) on Wednesday June 19 2019, @05:52PM (#857538)

    The causes of the methane generation are different in humans and cows.

    For cows it is the result of fermentation of the grass and corn they eat. In humans its usually caused by bacteria in the gut that digest Lactose and other complex sugars. If Beano helps than its likely your problem is a Lactose intolerance since all that product does is add an enzyme that breaks down Lactose. You might try switching to a Lactose free milk and limit/avoid dairy products for a time to see if it helps.

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    • (Score: 2) by takyon on Wednesday June 19 2019, @09:01PM

      by takyon (881) <reversethis-{gro ... s} {ta} {noykat}> on Wednesday June 19 2019, @09:01PM (#857602) Journal

      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beano_(dietary_supplement) [wikipedia.org]

      Beano contains the enzyme α-GAL, which is derived from the fungus Aspergillus niger. The enzyme works in the digestive tract to break down the complex or branching sugars (polysaccharides and oligosaccharides) in foods such as legumes (beans and peanuts) and cruciferous vegetables (cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, and brussels sprouts, among others). The enzyme breaks those complex sugars into simple sugars, making these foods somewhat more digestible, and reducing intestinal gas.

      Ain't no lactose in beans, broccoli, etc.

      Maybe the advice should be: try a lactase supplement first, and if it doesn't work, use the Beano. If that doesn't work, adjust diet or see a doctor.

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    • (Score: 2) by All Your Lawn Are Belong To Us on Wednesday June 19 2019, @09:49PM

      by All Your Lawn Are Belong To Us (6553) on Wednesday June 19 2019, @09:49PM (#857623) Journal

      However, seaweed may help there as well [wikipedia.org] by enzymatically altering other gas-producing saccharides. (Dunno, though, the abstract the statement links to doesn't positively make the connection the paragraph aimed at - maybe it is in the article content... it states so in the Kombu article I linked to above also and the reference there does indeed refer to glucosidase activity).

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  • (Score: 2) by c0lo on Wednesday June 19 2019, @11:59PM

    by c0lo (156) Subscriber Badge on Wednesday June 19 2019, @11:59PM (#857673) Journal

    If this seaweed extract decreases methane production, let's see if it works for humans

    Activated charcoal tablets work wonderfully for me. I never fly without a a bottle of them [chemistwarehouse.com.au]

    , the extra seasoning they need to add to the in-flight meals [bbc.com] promote gas production. Smells aside, the pressure differential acting on my gut walls is not something I particularly enjoy.

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