I have been researching fucoidan for years, and increasingly my sources have converged with one main nonprofit, founded in Japan. The NPO Fucoidan Research Institute exists as a clearinghouse for the latest fucoidan studies, collecting them from from scientific journals worldwide. In addition, the Institute partners with universities and hospitals to conduct their own research into fucoidan.
You can check for yourselves the various studies on the institute’s webpage fucoidan-life.com, but here I want to share one interesting conclusion they came to in regards to distinguishing fucoidans.
There has been a movement among some fucoidan producers to cut and break the molecule chains in order to make them more absorbable by the body. They advertise the low-molecular alternative as more effective since it can be absorbed into the blood stream. In fact, the institute says, purveyors of these new fucoidans make a fundamental error in understanding how fucoidan works. Fucoidan is effectively precisely because it cannot be absorbed. The high molecular weight triggers immune reactions that destroy cancer cells and viruses. The long chains of sugars do not break down in the digestive tract, and pass through intact while grabbing heavy metals and other contaminants along the way.
This is a noteworthy finding, a product of the high-level research and development at NPO Fucoidan Research Institute. I advise you to give them a visit and learn more for yourself.
Fucoidan Blog 