Seaweed could be the next big answer to the pill

Artificial eggs made from seaweed could provide women with a popular alternative to the pill.

The ‘very impressive’ work is still at an early stage but it offers hope of a contraceptive that is free of the mood swings, weight gain and other side-effects that dog the hormone-based drugs used daily by millions of women, reports The Daily Mail.

The ZP2 peptide beads, as they are officially called, could also be used to choose the best sperm for use in IVF.

The beads are made from a sugary material that is extracted from seaweed and are so small that 8 million would fit on a little finger nail.

They are coated in a substance that is normally found on the outside of woman’s eggs and that sperm latch on to.

Inserted into the womb in their millions, they acts as decoys, trapping the sperm before they reach the eggs.

Researcher Jurrien Dean, of the National Institutes of Health in Maryland, said: ‘Effective contraception is critical for family planning.

‘This strategy provides highly-effective, non-hormonal, long-term but reversible contraception in female mice.

‘We envisage that the sperm-decoy strategy could one day be translated to reproductive medicine to provide effective female contraception.’

Professor Allan Pacey, a Sheffield University fertility expert, said: ‘I am very impressed. This opens up a whole new avenue for researchers to develop a non-hormonal based contraception for women which would be very welcome and exciting.

‘I wish the scientists every success. It is the kind of study I wish I had thought of and had the technical nous to do.’

Lots of testing still lies ahead. But it sounds like a winner.

What is your preferred method of contraception? Would you be keen to give this a go?

Share your comments below.

Image via Shutterstock

18 Comments

- - cherz said
  - 29 Sep 2016
    2:52 pm
The wonders of science are simply amazing.

- - mom134803 said
  - 06 Jun 2016
    2:33 am
Sounds promising ! I sure would be keen to give this a go !

- - Yasmina Elkadi said
  - 24 May 2016
    4:40 pm
Sounds exciting.

- - mom183717 said
  - 24 May 2016
    2:11 pm
Wow this is so weird! Great concept but still weird haha

- - mom160421 said
  - 13 May 2016
    8:59 pm
It’s amazing the kinds of medical advancements being made.

- - BellaB said
  - 30 Apr 2016
    9:15 pm
It certainly sounds very hopeful.

- - serotonin said
  - 29 Apr 2016
    10:12 am
Sounds amazing! I wish this was around before I got my tubal which has made my life hell.
- june11 replied
  
  01 Oct 2016 , 1:48 pm
  Depending how long since you had your tubal done, they may have only put clips on your tubes – not cut them. Be aware that the clip method is not 100% foolproof. They can come open. I know a lady who has a baby as a result of this happening. An Xray showed the open clip still sitting around the tube.
- - mum4107 said
  - 29 Apr 2016
    6:16 am
I have used the pill, the implananon implant and mirena iud. They have all caused serious side affects. This is something I would definitely be interested in

- - Apey96 said
  - 28 Apr 2016
    9:47 pm
This sounds great! I hate contraceptives as i always have side effects from each type, this would be fantastic 🙂

- - mom81879 said
  - 28 Apr 2016
    6:17 pm
I use the pill and gave fir many many years. I do worry about possible side effects of such long term use. Last time I visited the Dr, she said I was nearly of age to strongly consider stopping the pill. I would much prefer these little seafood pills. Plant and forget and its reversible. Love it

- - mom112217 said
  - 28 Apr 2016
    4:21 pm
Sounds amazing though would have to be proven 100% before you would use it!

- - mom165081 said
  - 28 Apr 2016
    4:10 pm
Wow! who would have thought of this. research is amazing

- - rachelvk said
  - 28 Apr 2016
    3:32 pm
This is incredible. Science is so cool!

- - mom160421 said
  - 28 Apr 2016
    2:33 pm
It’s amazing what medical science is coming up with.

- - Mummytoabeautifulprincess said
  - 28 Apr 2016
    1:29 pm
Hmm…sounds promising. Doubt I will see it in my fertile times but its exciting that its being looked into as an alternative!

- - Nas01 said
  - 28 Apr 2016
    1:07 pm
Ive got the Marina IUD but really beginning to hate it because it making my skin terrible but on the pro, it provides five years of contraception so for now I have no alternative.
- june11 replied
  
  28 Apr 2016 , 8:55 pm
  Is there a guarantee that the IUD will never move?
  Plenty fo research is needed with this new idea. They need to make sure a lady’s body won’t simply reject the seaweed method.