Background: Metabolic syndrome (MS) defines a group of severe comorbidities, including insulin resistance, abnormal fat accumulation, and high blood pressure that lead to obesity, diabetes, and heart diseases. MS has received a growing concern due to its rising prevalence in many countries. The consumption of high-calorie food, sedentary lifestyle habits, genetic factors, and stress conditions aggravate risk factors for developing metabolic syndrome. Investigations targeting the development of marine algae-based functional food products and drug candidates for attenuating MS have presently received increased attention. Scope and approach: This review delivers an overview of recent (past ten years) advancements in discovering marine algal natural products with therapeutic potential against metabolic syndrome. Pathophysiology of obesity, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and the action mechanisms of algal natural products are taken into the discussion. Key findings and conclusions: Marine algae, a popular ingredient in East Asian cuisine, is proven to be a source of nutritional and biofunctional natural products with promising ability to remedy MS. These include bioactive polyphenols, sulfated polysaccharides, terpenoids, alkaloids, polyunsaturated fatty acids, and peptides with vast structural diversity. Moreover, algae are rich sources of dietary fibers that decrease the absorption of excessive nutrition and increase microbial functionality in the gut. By today, numerous algae-derived food supplements could be found in the market. The public should be educated on their beneficial effects, and research needs to be advance towards pre-clinical trials targeting the development of pharmaceuticals for the preventive and effective management of MS and its associated complications. © 2020 Elsevier Ltd