A clinical trial has found that high-purity fucoidan derived from the brown seaweed Undaria pinnatifida significantly improved symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), highlighting potential opportunities for the marine bioactive in men's health nutraceuticals.
Published in Research and Reports in Urology, the randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study evaluated 90 days of supplementation in men aged between 45 and 80 with moderate BPH.
Participants receiving the fucoidan extract showed a significantly greater reduction in their International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) than those receiving placebo, with improvements observed in both voiding and storage symptoms.
By day 90, the fucoidan group recorded a mean IPSS reduction of 3.40 points, compared with 0.93 points for placebo.
A greater proportion of participants taking fucoidan also achieved clinically meaningful improvements in symptoms, while urinary symptom-related quality of life improved significantly.
The extract was well tolerated throughout the trial. However, differences between groups in secondary measures, including urinary flow rate, post-void residual volume and prostate-specific antigen, were not statistically significant.
BPH is a common age-related condition that can cause lower urinary tract symptoms including weak urine flow, urgency, frequency and nocturia, creating a significant quality-of-life burden for older men.
The findings therefore add to growing interest in evidence-based nutraceutical approaches targeting healthy ageing and men’s health.
The study used a high-purity U. pinnatifida fucoidan extract produced by Australian biotech Marinova using its proprietary aqueous extraction process.
Fucoidan is a sulphated polysaccharide found predominantly in brown seaweeds and has previously attracted research interest for its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and other biological activities.
The researchers noted that the 90-day study and modest sample size limit broader interpretation, with larger and longer-term trials needed to establish fucoidan’s role alongside established BPH management strategies.
