Identity & origin
BOTANICAL IDENTITY
The right name is the first step.
Brown seaweed with long fronds and oval air bladders in the Fucaceae family. Recorded native range: North Atlantic. The listed pharmacopoeial material is thallus.
Also known as: No synonyms listed.
Check the species, plant part and complete botanical name together. A photograph alone cannot identify a harvest safely for consumption.
An illustration is not enough to identify a plant for consumption. Do not forage for a species based solely on this profile.
Uses & evidence
UNDERSTANDING THE USES
Properties & uses.
Pharmacopoeial material: thallus
This brown seaweed has oval air bladders along long fronds. The listed material is its thallus, not leaves or roots comparable to those of a land plant. This notice infers no therapeutic indication.
The references do not establish a benefit. Lack of evidence is not assurance of safety.
Read the sourceThe traditional uses described are not clinical proof of effectiveness. Evidence for one preparation cannot automatically be applied to another.
Precautions before use
BEFORE ANY USE
Precautions & contraindications.
This guidance does not cover every individual situation. Missing information is not a guarantee of safety.
The following warnings do not constitute a complete review of interactions or contraindications. An unstudied combination cannot be considered compatible.
Contraindications & precautions
- Iodine content can vary by seaweed and product. No supplementation is offered; thyroid or heart disease requires prior professional assessment.
Medicine interactions
- Interactions are not assessed here; compatibility with medicines cannot be inferred.
“Reported” does not prove causality; “possible” may reflect indirect evidence. “None reported” means none in the cited source, not that all combinations have been studied. Do not stop a prescribed treatment based on this profile.
Adverse effects
- Excess iodine can disrupt thyroid function. Seaweed-product quality must also account for contaminants.
Pregnancy & breastfeeding
No medicinal use is offered during pregnancy or breastfeeding; this dossier cannot establish safety in these situations.
Children & adolescents
No paediatric preparation or dose is offered in this notice.
If symptoms persist, worsen or are unusual, consult a healthcare professional. In an emergency, contact the emergency services.
Sources & last review
CHECKING REFERENCES
Sources for this profile.
- ANSM — French Pharmacopoeia, List A, January 2026, p. 5Accessed on 09/10/2026
- MarLIN — Ascophyllum nodosum (L.) Le JolisAccessed on 09/10/2026
- ANSES — Risk of excess iodine intake from seaweed, 2017-SA-0086 (2018)Accessed on 09/10/2026