Fucoidan as an anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory agent in humans: a systematic review of clinical evidence and translational potential.
Ensieh Sadat Anari, Tingwei Wang, Zhongxiang Fang et al.
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In 30 seconds
This systematic review assessed human interventional studies of fucoidan supplementation for inflammatory, immune, metabolic, and tumour-related outcomes. Five studies were included: three randomised controlled trials and two open-label studies in patients with cancer, with interventions lasting 2 to 24 weeks. Fucoidan was generally well tolerated, with no serious adverse events reported. Individual trials found changes in selected inflammatory cytokines, natural killer cell activity, and gut microbiota, but results were not consistently replicated; tumour-related outcomes were inconclusive. The authors conclude that evidence for clinical efficacy remains limited and heterogeneous.
Key findings
- Five clinical studies were included: three randomised controlled trials and two open-label studies, with intervention durations of 2 to 24 weeks.
- Fucoidan was generally well tolerated, and no serious adverse events were reported.
- Individual controlled trials reported reductions in selected pro-inflammatory cytokines, sex-specific changes in NK cell activity, and gut microbiota changes, but findings were inconsistent.
- Cancer studies reported short-term reductions in inflammatory markers and stable quality-of-life measures; tumour-related outcomes were inconclusive.
Why it matters
The review brings together the limited clinical evidence behind a supplement with proposed immune and anti-inflammatory effects. It suggests possible biological effects in selected settings, but inconsistent findings and inconclusive tumour outcomes mean these signals should not be interpreted as established clinical benefit. The review also highlights the need for better-characterised interventions and clinically meaningful outcomes in future trials.
What to keep in mind
Only five studies were included, with heterogeneous populations, fucoidan characteristics, designs, and outcomes; findings were inconsistently replicated, and meta-analysis was not performed.