The Health-Promoting Properties of Seaweeds: Clinical Evidence Based on Wakame and Kombu

This review highlights the health-promoting benefits of the brown seaweeds Undaria pinnatifida (wakame) and Saccharina japonica (kombu), focusing on clinical studies primarily from Japan. Both seaweeds contain bioactive metabolites like carotenoids, polysaccharides, and sterols, contributing to various health benefits. Wakame exhibits properties such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, and antiobesity effects, while kombu shows anticoagulant, anticancer, hypoglycemic, and neuroprotective activities, among others. Clinical evidence for wakame is based on 16 studies, and for kombu, on 5 studies, including a case study on severe alopecia areata. The review suggests areas for future research and draws on data from multiple scientific databases.