The best things in life are free. This is true for so many things, like a beautiful sunset, a child’s love, and miso soup! Yes, that complimentary cup of delicious hot soup served at your favorite Japanese restaurant contains a component that may help trim your waistline. This component is called fucoxanthin.

Fucoxanthin is derived from brown seaweed, which is a main ingredient of miso soup. There is evidence to suggest fucoxanthin can help people lose weight. And not just any weight, but the undesirable belly fat that plagues so many. Not long after this evidenced surfaced, was fucoxanthin being isolated and concentrated into pill form. The pills are cleverly called Fucothin, and claim to be the solution for weight loss.

Fucothin is produced and marketed by a company called Garden of Life. They claim that fucoxanthin increases thermogenesis (metabolism), resulting in the use of belly fat for energy. They boast that unlike other weight loss products that claim to increase thermogenesis, Fucothin does not stimulate the central nervous system. This means that it will not cause the restlessness, jitters, and increased heart rate often experienced with other products.

Instead, fucoxanthin has been shown to upregulate a protein called uncoupling protein-1 (UCP-1). UCP-1 is responsible for stimulating the breakdown of fat for the body to use as fuel. Unfortunately, the seaweed in miso soup does not contain nearly enough fucoxanthin to have this effect. So, the makers of Fucothin found a way to concentrate it to 200-500 times its natural strength.

So, is Fucothin truly the solution to the weight loss crisis, or just another bogus supplement with unsupported claims? Let’s review the facts.

Of Mice and Men

Published studies from Japan have shown that giving fucoxanthin to mice resulted in a decrease in their belly fat. This was indeed attributed to the increase in UCP-1 and thermogenesis. Although these studies seem promising, we must keep in mind, mice are not people, and therefore, results may vary. Even more worrisome, side effects may vary!

The makers of Fucothin allege they have conducted a clinical trial on humans. They claim their results showed that those who took Fucothin, and followed a controlled diet and exercise program, lost 4.5 times more weight than those who dieted and exercised alone. The problem is, this study is nowhere to be found!
This means that a journal has yet to find it reliable enough to publish. This may be because it was a clinical trial conducted in Russia, with a small, non-randomized number of participants. Under US standards, these factors make the supposed results undependable and not suited for publication.
Still the makers of Fucothin stand by their claim. Along with diet and exercise, they recommend taking 3 pills per day to achieve weight loss. Increasing the dose to 9-10 pills per day will result in an even greater weight loss in less time. The cost: $35-$50 for 90 pills. On top of that, Garden of Life offers over a dozen other products to support weight loss and well-being. One can’t help but wonder, if Fucothin is so great, why would I need an arsenal of a dozen different products?

The Verdict

Despite the lacking evidence that Fucothin is effective, I wouldn’t be too quick to disregard it completely. The animal studies seem reliable, and the makers of Fucothin claim the study done on humans will be published sometime in 2008. However, until then, it is best not to become a part of the experiment by dabbling in the unknown. My suggestion, stick to the miso soup, it is free, low calorie, and delicious!