Amount of Evidence: Low Potential Benefits: Reasonable Safety: Reasonable
TABLE OF CONTENTS
What is fucoidan?
Fucoidan is a long chain polysaccharide found primarily in brown seaweed. It is primarily being used for immunity but may be beneficial in other areas as well. In this article, we will look at the main benefits of fucoidan, its potential side effects, and how to use it the right way.
Potential benefits
It is important to note that all of the potential benefits mentioned below are dose-dependent. In general, the higher the dose you take, the more pronounced the effects will be. However, they do reach a plateau at a certain point. We will discuss the best dosing protocol later in this article.
Major benefits
Improved immunity – The supplement has the potential to increase both innate and specific immune responses. For example, it increases an immune response connected to vaccinations. While this effect has only been shown in the elderly, it likely applies to young people as well. Probably the main reason behind this effect is that fucoidan helps stem cells move from the bone marrow into the peripheral circulation. Fucoidan has also been shown to have mild antiviral properties.
Anti-cancer properties – The supplement is sometimes used along with other therapies for slowing down the growth of cancer cells. It can likely reduce the risk of getting cancer as well. Fucoidan has been shown to be effective in this regard in microorganism and animal studies. In those studies, the supplement was able to decrease apoptosis and suppress angiogenesis. While human studies are limited, some have shown that taking fucoidan along with chemotherapy has been shown to decrease fatigue and improve well-being.
Minor benefits
Reduced inflammation – The supplement has been shown to lower some markers of inflammation. However, this effect may not apply to humans since all the studies so far have been done in vitro (with microorganisms) or in rat studies.
Increased SIRT1 and SIRT6 – Fucoidan has been shown to increase sirtuin 1 and sirtuin 6 activity, which implies it may be beneficial for slowing down aging. However, the connection between the supplement and healthspan or lifespan has not yet been established.
Reduced symptoms of brain injury – The supplement has a positive effect on healing traumatic brain injury. Besides its anti-inflammatory properties, fucoidan has also been shown to reduce the degeneration of neurons and block white blood cells to enter brain tissue.
Unproven benefits
The effect of fucoidan on these parameters has either not been adequately researched, or the science shows little to no efficacy in these areas.
Skin quality – Unfortunately, fucoidan doesn’t seem to help with acne, wrinkles, or other skin problems. It also doesn’t seem to help hydrate the skin or keep it elastic.
Blood flow – No significant change has ever been observed.
Testosterone – The supplement does not significantly affect DHT, free testosterone, or total testosterone levels.
Cholesterol – The supplement may affect HDL and LDL cholesterol levels but we do not know enough about the connection yet.
Thyroid hormones – There is no significant interaction between the supplement and serum T3 and T4.
Well-being – Fucoidan supplementation doesn’t appear to increase subjective well-being.
Strength and muscle growth – The supplement does not help you gain strength or muscle mass faster, at least this effect has never been shown by scientific studies.
Asthma – The supplement has not been shown to help with asthma to a significant degree.
Power output – Fucoidan has not been shown to directly influence power output during cardio or resistance training. It does not impact VO2 max or aerobic endurance either.
Kidney function – Biomarkers of kidney function are not significantly altered by taking fucoidan.
Sleep quality – The supplement does not appear to directly improve sleep quality. It also doesn’t directly affect sleep duration.
Stress and anxiety – Fucoidan supplements have no direct effect on cortisol levels. However, they may indirectly lower stress and anxiety levels if you are deficient in this nutrient.
Possible side effects
These side effects are dose-dependent and the risk for them increases (most often linearly but sometimes exponentially) as the dose is increased. Some of the side effects only apply to very high doses.
Diarrhea – Diarrhea caused by this supplement is not dangerous (assuming it doesn’t lead to severe dehydration) and usually only occurs if you take very high doses at once.
Nausea – Just like diarrhea, this side effect is not dangerous but can be unpleasant.
Allergy – Some people are allergic to seaweed and should avoid it.
Fucoidan toxicity – While toxicity is rare and may not even be a thing, taking high amounts of fucoidan on regular basis could lead to some health problems. To stay on the safe side, it’s best to avoid very high doses since we don’t yet know for sure whether or not they are safe to take over a long period. Specifically, you want to stay below 6 grams a day.
Who should not take fucoidan?
You should probably avoid taking the supplement if you:
consume a lot of brown seaweed
experience a severe adverse reaction after taking the supplement
are on a tight supplement budget (since there are more cost-effective supplements on the market)
Who will benefit the most?
You should consider taking the supplement if you:
are a cancer patient going through chemotherapy
have a high budget for supplements (since the supplement appears to be safe in most cases and rarely does more harm than good)
How much fucoidan should you take?
The optimal dose of fucoidan appears to be somewhere between 300-3000 mg per day. Higher doses (up to 6000 mg) may provide even more benefits in the short term but since fucoidan likely acts as a hormetic stressor, taking higher doses might make you develop tolerance and actually lead to lower benefits in the long term.
Taking more than 3 grams a day is probably unnecessary, even for cancer patients going through chemotherapy. Also, the higher the dose you take, the higher the risk for certain side effects.
Since the supplement can be very expensive, 300 mg is the best dose if you are on a budget. If you have a lot of money to spend on supplements, 1000 mg is probably a way to go. But as a reminder, there are much more cost-effective supplements out there for most people.
Food sources of fucoidan
The richest food sources of fucoidan are brown seaweed and microalgae.
Specifically, species that contain most of the compound are Odontella aurita, Phaeodactylum tricornutum, Isochrysis, Dictyota coriacea, Myagropsis myagroides, and Fucus vesiculosus.
Best time to take fucoidan
Since fucoidan is water-soluble, you don’t need to take it food to absorb it properly. It may absorb better on empty stomach.
Whether you take the supplement in the morning or the evening doesn’t matter. It does not interrupt your sleep in any way.
Where to buy fucoidan
Amazon seems to be the best option for ordering fucoidan supplements in most countries. They offer some very affordable products that are backed by many positive reviews. Also, you can choose from a wide range of brands there without having to spend time searching through other markets on the internet.
One thing you should pay attention to is that some brands display the dosage per serving and not per pill or capsule. Therefore, you may accidentally buy something less potent than you intended. Do not fall for this marketing trick.
FAQ
The supplement can probably be taken daily and does not need to be cycled. However, it is not a problem at all if you don’t take it every day. Cycling the supplement could lead to better absorption but it has never been proven.
Yes. The nutrient doesn’t impact your sleep in any negative way in the short term.
The supplements rarely go bad but they can lose potency over time.
Keep the supplements in a cold, dark, and dry place and they will remain just as potent for many years.
While we don’t yet know if there is a toxic dose, too much fucoidan in the system can possibly cause some health problems. To prevent these side effects, it is best to stay below 6 grams a day.
Yes, all fucoidan supplements on the market are derived from brown seaweed or algae and, therefore, vegan-friendly.
The nutrient is fat-soluble, just like other carotenoids.
No, it doesn’t. The supplement does not interfere with fasting in any significant way. However, it is still better to take it with a meal to increase its absorption.
References
Most of the information provided in this guide is based on scientific research that can be found and verified in the PubMed medical library. We excluded from consideration studies that are either confounded or have a high conflict of interest.
Anecdotal evidence (from reports on Reddit, YouTube, and other sources) is also taken into account unless it contradicts scientific research.
