Vedic Lifesciences' study on fucoidan published in Research and Reports in Urology has highlighted the potential of the nutraceutical in supporting men's prostate health.
It has also been shown to reduce prostate-associated inflammation, which is common in older men and can cause a significant reduction in an individual's quality of life.
This study was commissioned by fucoidan specialist, Marinova.
Fucoidan for men
Fucoidans have been gaining significant popularity in the nutraceutical sector, with many studies highlighting their potential in a range of specialist health areas.
With the significant rise of women's health-catered ingredients, supplement businesses are also starting to recognise the importance of catering to men's health too, states Dr Devanand Shanmugasundaram, Assistant Manager in Compliance & Operations and lead author of this study:
"Men's health concerns, especially prostate issues, are gaining significant attention as men seek proactive wellness solutions," he states.
"While women's health currently dominates the nutraceutical sector, men's health remains relatively unexplored. With an ageing global population, conditions like BPH are becoming increasingly prevalent, which offers brands an opportunity to address these unmet needs, while also tapping into this sector's potential."
The study
To determine if fucoidan may have potential in the men's health category, Vedic Lifesciences looked into whether daily fucoidan supplementation could reduce testosterone-induced benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) in rats.
Researchers achieved this by tracking a range of biomarkers, as well as each animal's body mass, feed intake and prostate mass during the 28 day study period.
Testosterone-treated animal models of BPH were divided into various treatment groups with varying doses of the nutraceutical, while another group was treated with finasteride, a common therapeutic approach to reducing BPH.
Fucoidan as an antioxidant and pro-apoptotic agent
During the 28 day study, fucoidan supplementation significantly reduced both the prostate's mass and index — which are two key indicators of BPH severity — when compared ot the BPH control group.
The presence of testosterone and dihydrotestosterone were also reduced in the prostate and blood, suggesting that fucoidan has some influence in encouraging hormonal balance.
Prostate-specific antigen levels, which tend to be associated with poor prostate health in high numbers, were lower in the groups receiving fucoidan.
The functional ingredient also enhanced the levels of pro-apoptotic cells like BAX and BCL-2, which encourage the cell death of senescent and abnormal cells, thus reducing prostate enlargement.
There was also a reduction in the inflammatory markers TNF-α and IL-1β in the fucoidan group, though this wasn't significant.
Moving forward
The findings from this study highlight the potential that fucoidan has as a men's health ingredient, though Dr Devanand stresses that more research needs to be done to determine the full extent of the nutraceutical's impact on prostate health.
To ensure that this effect is also present in humans, clinical studies should also be conducted.