7Release time: 2025/3/17 15:00
Last updated: 2025/3/17 15:00
Low molecular fucoidan is one of the most popular health food options on the market today. Due to its solid scientific research foundation, it not only has cell and animal experiments, but has also completed human clinical trials with remarkable results. In addition to being recognized by health personnel, its use as a health supplement, is also the preferred auxiliary option for people facing critical health problems. At the same time, more and more sub-healthy people choose to use it for daily health care purposes.
There are 3,000 scientific papers on low molecular fucoidan to date, which is mainly used to regulate physiological functions and maintain health, and has played an excellent role.
What is Fucoidan?
Fucoidan, scientifically known as brown algae polysaccharide sulfate, is a natural water-soluble polysaccharide that only exists in brown algae plants (generally multicellular giant seaweeds, such as kelp). Fucoidan is a polysaccharide mainly composed of L-fucose linked to sulfate groups and polymerized in series. The relevant research results were first recorded in an international medical journal in 1957, which marked the beginning of research by medical, academic and research institutions around the world.
What is low molecular weight fucoidan?
The molecular weight of traditional fucoidan is about 20,000~2,000,000 Daltons (molecular weight). However, in 2008, Taiwanese PhD Dr. Pei-An Hwang (currently an associate professor at the Department of Life Sciences at National Taiwan Ocean University) successfully developed a low molecular weight fucoidan extraction technology, which reduced the molecular weight of fucoidan to only 500~3000 Daltons. By reducing the spatial hindrance between molecules, the biological activity was improved. Unfortunately, the solubility of the 1st generation process at that time was low, and a large amount of insoluble impurities were still left. It was not until 2020 that the original R&D team, after 12 years of intensive research and the further introduction of two additional key technologies, successfully developed a new second-generation low molecular weight fucoidan process technology, eliminating unnecessary impurities and improving its soluble purity. Considering that active fucoidan must be water-soluble, the development of a new process for the second-generation low molecular weight fucoidan is a very important breakthrough. (Fucoidan is a water-soluble polysaccharide, so the solubility purity is an important key. For details, please see this article: Is the solubility of Taiwan’s low molecular weight fucoidan important?).
Can ordinary people take low molecular weight fucoidan?
Low molecular weight fucoidan is a water-soluble polysaccharide extracted from brown algae. It is a health food and is suitable for adults, children, or people who need to adjust their physical constitution or supplement their nutrition. There are even some families, when faced with critical health problems, family members feel the effects after oral intake, so the whole family take it together to maintain health (different amounts are used for differentiation). Therefore, in recent years, it has been observed that more and more people with sub-health conditions have begun to incorporate low molecular weight fucoidan into their daily health care. The following table is the classification of groups that low molecular weight fucoidan is suitable for:
Low molecular weight fucoidan applicable group table
Key issue groups and their families
- Regulate physiological functions and maintain physical strength
- Promote appetite and maintain digestive tract function
- Replenishment after illness, health maintenance, and repairs
Senior Citizen
- Promote appetite and aid digestion
- Regulate physiological functions
- Nourishing and strengthening the body
Children and adolescents
- Changing the flora ecology
- Adjust physical condition
General people
- Daily maintenance
- Improve physical strength
- Regulate physiological functions
- Health maintenance
How to take low molecular weight fucoidan?
Fucoidan is available in a variety of dosage forms, including capsules, functional drinks and powders. It is recommended to choose “beverage fucoidan”, which has the widest range of applications and is easily absorbed by the human body. The following are the consumption methods and selection tips of different dosage forms:
Capsules
Easy to carry, can be swallowed directly with warm water and the serving size can be easily adjusted. Young children and the elderly can easily open the capsule and consume the powder inside. The content of fucoidan capsules from different brands varies. If the powder in the capsule cannot be completely dissolved in water, it means that the content of active low molecular weight fucoidan is low. It is not recommended to use it directly because it contains insoluble precipitates.
Powder
Powder has a larger consumption amount and is suitable for those who need to consume large amounts for preventive maintenance purposes. The powder packets, like the capsules, can be taken with water, with the advantage that they can be easily consumed in large quantities. However, powder packets pay more attention to the smoothness of swallowing, and often need to add artificial excipients to avoid lumps in the mouth. Therefore, when choosing powders, you need to pay special attention to the issue of additives. People with sensitive taste buds or wounds in the mouth must also use them with special caution. On the other hand, powders are more susceptible to moisture absorption as they are packaged in larger quantities, so extra care must be taken in their storage.
Aqueous solution
The low moleculer weight fucoidan functional drink (beverage) made into an aqueous solution is the dosage form with the highest technical threshold and cost. Because it needs to be concentrated and produced with high soluble purity low molecular fucoidan as raw material. Its characteristics of not requiring dilution, not requiring filtration, and being drinkable directly after opening make it safer and more convenient for people with dysphagia. It is not like swallowing solid dosage forms such as capsules or powders, which are prone to inability to swallow, choking, or coughing (especially for children, the elderly, or people with dysphagia). Therefore, for people with dysphagia, it is recommended to choose liquid form. In addition, the biggest advantage of drinking fucoidan is that liquid is better absorbed, which can improve absorption efficiency.
Things to note when choosing low molecular weight fucoidan
When choosing fucoidan, it is important not only to consider the amount consumed, but also to pay attention to the supplementation and activity of key nutrients. Especially for those who have poor appetite or need to swallow large amounts of health foods for a long time, it is very important to choose dosage forms that are easy to oral intake to avoid affecting the appetite for regular meals. Smart choices lead to better results.
What are the side effects of fucoidan?
Fucoidan is a food and basically has no side effects. The only thing to note is that fucoidan is extracted from seaweed and contains iodine, an essential nutrient for the human body. Iodine is also an important component for the synthesis of thyroid hormone. People of different ages, breastfeeding women and those with thyroid disease should take an appropriate amount of iodine according to the advice of professional medical personnel. Each packet of the second-generation low molecular weight fucoidan functional drink contains about the same iodine content as a 240 ml glass of milk (about 160 micrograms of iodine). For infants, breastfeeding women, and patients with thyroid disease who are on an iodine-restricted diet, it is recommended to discuss with a health professional to ensure safe and appropriate iodine intake. (For more information, please refer to: Does Fucoidan Contain High Iodine?)
In conclusion
In summary, low molecular weight fucoidan is suitable for people who need to supplement nutrition, promote appetite or adjust physical constitution under specific conditions. Ordinary people can also supplement small molecule fucoidan for daily maintenance, especially the second generation low molecular fucoidan functional instant drink from Translab International Ltd. The sweet and sour taste is highly accepted by children and people with poor appetite, and it is very convenient for the whole family to take it for maintenance.
Althought the low molecular weight fucoidan has received good responses in both clinical and market settings, personal needs and physical conditions should still be considered comprehensively when it is used as a health care option. Maintaining a balanced diet, moderate exercise and a healthy lifestyle can help you achieve your goal of good health.
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