Sea Cucumber

Holothurian · Stichopus japonicus · Sea cucumber extract

Snapshot

Indications	Contraindications
Alzheimer's disease adjunct¹ Agitation in Alzheimer's disease² Oral Candida load³ Chronic gingivitis⁴ Osteoarthritis joint pain⁴	Seafood allergy⁴ Anticoagulant use⁴

Sea cucumber is a marine invertebrate eaten as a delicacy in Asia and used in traditional Chinese medicine, and it is a rich source of chondroitin sulfate⁴. Its saponins and sulfated polysaccharides are the proposed active components, with anticancer and antithrombotic activity in laboratory studies. Supplementation is used for joint support, oral health, and as an adjunct in Alzheimer's disease. Traditional uses include fatigue and urinary frequency⁴.

Human research is limited to about five small trials, covering gingivitis toothpaste, oral Candida, and Alzheimer's disease. In Chinese trials, a combination capsule containing sea cucumber added to donepezil or memantine outperformed the prescription alone on cognition and agitation. In nursing home residents, a sea cucumber jelly lowered oral Candida counts over a week³. Clinical data are lacking for longevity and impotence claims⁴. A 2023 published protocol describes a planned placebo-controlled trial of a sea cucumber extract in inflammatory bowel disease, following anti-inflammatory findings in mice; no results are reported⁵. Many products list sea cucumber, mostly as liquids and capsules; see Form comparison.

The anticoagulant caution reflects fucosylated chondroitin sulfate, which showed antithrombotic activity in animal work. Memorial Sloan Kettering's monograph lists anticoagulant use as a reason not to take sea cucumber⁴.

Last updated October 16, 2026. Read how we make monographs.

In the full monograph

20 sources, 20 studies

When to useThe situations practitioners use it for, each with the reason and the study behind it.
SafetyWho should avoid it, who needs extra care, and the side effects reported in studies.
InteractionsThe medicines and supplements it interacts with, the effect of each, and what labeling says to watch.
Protocol notesThe doses used in studies, how and when they were taken, and how the forms on the market compare.
How it worksWhat it is and how it works in the body, in plain terms.
Published studiesThe studies behind each use, popular claims checked against them, and trials still under way.
Clinical perspectiveA closing read of where the evidence is solid, where it is thin, and what has not been studied.

Snapshot

In the full monograph

Sources