Sea Cucumber is an herbal medicine used to improve the body's ability to fight infection. It is also used to improve muscle strength and to treat arthritis, inflammation (pain and swelling), muscle pain, and high blood pressure.
Other names
Other names for Sea Cucumber include: Stichopus Japonicus Selenka, Beche-de-Mer, Sea Slug, and Trepang.
Sea cucumber as food and medicine
Sea cucumber is considered a delicacy in Far East countries such as Malaysia, China, Japan, and Indonesia. It is highly valued for its supposed medicinal properties. The flesh of the animal is "cleaned" in a process that takes several days. The food item is often purchased dried, and rehydrated before use. The product is used in soups, stews and braised dishes due to its gelatinous texture but may be unappetising on its own.
