Fucus vesiculosus health benefit and side effects, extract for weight loss?

Fucus vesiculosus is a seaweed found on the coasts of the North Sea, the western Baltic Sea, and the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Fucus vesiculosus is a common algae on the shores of the British Isles. This brown alga can absorb heavy metals such as cadmium, mercury, lead and copper.
   Fucus vesiculosus is known by the common name bladder wrack. It is also known as black tang, rockweed, bladder Fucus, sea oak, cut weed and rock wrack. Fucoidan is a polysaccharide purified from the brown seaweed Fucus vesiculosus. There are different types of fucoidans, and they have anti-inflammatory, antiangiogenic, anticoagulant, and antiadhesive properties.
   Marine brown algae such as Fucus vesiculosus accumulate polyphenols composed of phloroglucinol units. These compounds have antioxidative activity and have medicinal value as well.

Benefit of fucus vesiculosus seaweed
Dietary fiber and antioxidant capacity in Fucus vesiculosus products.
Int J Food Sci Nutr. 2008 October. Elena Diaz-Rubio M, Perez-Jimenez J, Saura-Calixto F. Elena Diaz-Rubio M, Perez-Jimenez J, Saura-Calixto F. Departamento de Metabolismo y Nutricion, IF-CSIC, Madrid, Spain.
Several nutraceutical products have been developed from Fucus vesiculosus, a brown edible seaweed, rich in dietary fiber and polyphenolic antioxidants (phlorotannins). The aim of this work was to compare the antioxidant capacity and polysaccharide composition of raw Fucus vesiculosus with those of some common commercial nutraceuticals. All tested products contained a high percentage of dietary fiber (45-59%), raw Fucus vesiculosus powder being the sample with the highest content. Also, raw Fucus vesiculosus powder exhibited significantly higher antioxidant capacity than the commercial fucoidans and commercial antioxidant extracts. Polyphenols (phlorotannins) seem to be the main contributors to Fucus vesiculosus antioxidant capacity in both raw powder and commercial fucoidans.

Fucus vesiculosus and menstrual cycle
The effect of Fucus vesiculosus, an edible brown seaweed, upon menstrual cycle length and hormonal status in three pre-menopausal women: a case report.
BMC Complement Altern Med. 2004 August. Skibola CF. School of Public Health, Molecular Epidemiology and Toxicology Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
The edible brown kelp, Fucus vesiculosus (bladderwrack), as well as other brown kelp species, lower plasma cholesterol levels. Since cholesterol is a precursor to sex hormone biosynthesis, kelp consumption may alter circulating sex hormone levels and menstrual cycling patterns. In particular, dietary kelp may be beneficial to women with or at high risk for estrogen-dependent diseases. To test this, Fucus vesiculosus was administered to three pre-menopausal women with abnormal menstrual cycling patterns and/or menstrual-related disease histories. Intake of Fucus vesiculosus was associated with significant increases in menstrual cycle lengths, ranging from an increase of 5.5 to 14 days. In addition, hormone measurements ascertained for one woman revealed significant anti-estrogenic and progestagenic effects following kelp administration. Mean baseline 17beta-estradiol levels were reduced following 700 mg/d, which decreased further with the 1.4 g/d dose. Mean baseline progesterone levels rose with the 700 mg/d dose which increased further with the 1.4 g/d dose. These pilot data suggest that dietary Fucus vesiculosus may prolong the length of the menstrual cycle and exert anti-estrogenic effects in pre-menopausal women. Further, these studies also suggest that seaweed may be another important dietary component apart from soy that is responsible for the reduced risk of estrogen-related cancers observed in Japanese populations.

Fucus vesiculosus and iodine
Fucus vesiculosus was the original source of iodine, discovered in 1811, and was used extensively to treat goiter, a swelling of the thyroid gland related to iodine deficiency. In the 1860s, it was claimed that bladder wrack, as a thyroid stimulant, could counter obesity by increasing the metabolic rate and, since then, it has been featured in numerous weight Loss remedies.

Fucus vesicularis composition
Fucus vesicularis has fucoidan, phlorotannins.

Types of fucus species
Fucus ceranoides
Fucus distichus
Fucus evanescens
F serratus
Fucus spiralis
Fucus vesiculosus

Types of brown algae
Desmarestia viridis
Dictyota dichotoma,
Fucus vesiculosus
Heterokonta: Phaeophyceae