What research reveals?
Chlorella is possibly the most thoroughly researched food of our time, with thousands of research papers, from many universities and medical schools published in the scientific journals. Previous chapters, show the great variety of beneficial health effects chlorella has on the human body. This underlines its general importance, but I believe that some readers will appreciate a somewhat more technical discussion.
Immunological Effects and Tumor Resistance
Four types of chlorella derivatives: 1) living cells, 2) high-pressure-steam-processed agents, 3) cellular wall agents, and 4) hydrothermal extracted agents (Chlorella Growth Factor CGF) were taken from a pure culture of chlorella pyrenoidosa for use in this experiment. The CGF was further divided into a protein-rich fraction (CDF-prf) and protein-free fraction (CGF-pff).
The findings suggest that high-pressure-processed chlorella cells and CFG-prf activate both groups of antibody-producing cells, B-cells and T-cells. When T-independent antigen (LPS) was used, only B-cells were activated. When T-dependent antigen (SRBC) was used, both B-cells and T-cells were activated. A second similar experiment was carried out to test the effects of chlorella on mice with mouse breast cancer cells (Mma) and mouse hepatoma cells (MH134). Ehrlich tumor cells were successively cultured in ddY mice. Eight mice out of ten pretreated with autoclaved chlorella survived MM2 transplantation over 60 days. Mean survival time of control group mice was 21 days. No remarkable difference between controls and other groups were observed. The 8 surviving mice were re-challenged with MM2 and MH134. All mice survived MM2, but all re-challenged with MH134 died. Tmor growth of Ehrlich cells was inhibited by about 50% as compared with controls. (“Effect of Various Products Derived from Chlorella Pyrenoidosa Cells on Defense Mechanism of Mice,” T. Murayama, et al., Laboratory of Serology, Kanazawa Medical University 1985). A paper on this experiment was presented at the Third International Congress of Developmental and Comparative Immunology in Reims, France (July 7-13), 1985.
Interferon Stimulation
When the acidic polysaccharide Chlon A, purified from hot-water extract of chlorella pyrenoidosa, was given to mice, a relatively high titer of interferon was found in the serum 2.5 hours after injection. Protective activity of Chlon A was challenged by influenza virus and results showed increased survival over controls. Chlon A also showed ant tumor activity against Ehrlich ascites carcinoma inoculated into ddY mice (An Acidic Polysaccharide, Chlon A, from Chlorella Pyrenoidosa, 1. Umeszwa, et al, Chemotherapy, 30 [9], 1982).
Prostaglandin E3
The halophilic algae chlorella minutissima is reported as a source of the rare fatty acid eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), used by pharmaceutical companies for enzymatic conversion to prostag-landin E3. Under continuous nutrient feeding in mixotrophic growth, mass culture methods were successfully applied to chlorella minutissima to obtain high yields. This species of chlorella was originally found in the ocean around Greenland. Controlled growth methods produced yields of chlorella minu-tissima with 30% content of fatty acids: EPA was 35% to 40% of total fatty acids (“The Mass Culture of Chlorella Minutissima for a Rare Biochemical,” S.W. Huang and L.P. Lin, National Taiwan University, Taipei, R.O.C.).
Cholesterol and Triglyceride Levels
Male mice of the dd strain were fed a hypercholesterolemic diet containing 2% cholesterol for 7 days, resulting in significant elevation of total liver lipids and cholesterol. The addition of 10% dried chlorella powder to the diet greatly depressed these elevations. At Wakahisa Hospital of Fukuoka, Japan, 16 in patients were hypercholesterolemia were near normal. (“The Effects of Chlorella on the Levels of Cholesterol in Serum and Liver,” M. Okuda, T. Hasegawa, M. Sonoda, T. Okabe and Y. Tanaka, Japanese Journal of Nutrition, 33 [1]:3-8, 1975.)
Hepatic Protection
Researchers in the respective departments of biochemistry at Taipei Medical College and the College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Republic of China, studied the effects of chlorella on the levels of glycogen, triglyceride and cholesterol in rats with and without administration of ethionine. Rats with chlorella-supplemented diets had lower levels of total hepatic lipids, triglycerides and glycogen, and showed a less severe reaction to the ethionine than basal diet groups. Chlorella-fed rats recovered rapidly from hepatic injury. (“Effects of Chlorella on the Levels of Glycogen, Triglyceride and Cholesterol in Ethionine-Tested Rats,” L. Wang. J. Lin and Y. Tung, Journal of the Formosan Medical Association, 79:1-10, 1980.)
Cataracts and Lens Opacity
At the Food Research Institution at Kinki University, Japan, chlorella was to determine its effect on spontaneous hypertensive rats liable to develop apoplexy. Male SHRSP rats, 5 weeks old, were used in both the control group (14) and experimental group (11). Controls were provided standard commercial feed, while the experimental rats were given free access to food and water. Body weight and blood pressure were recorded weekly. Rats which died during the experiment were autopsied. Some were tested to determine elastin content of the aorta and plasma rennin activity.
Results: after 7 weeks, experimental rats averaged 20-30mm Hg Lower in BP than controls. Of the controls, 5 died by 30 week, 4 revealing cerebral lesions. There were no deaths in the chlorella-fed group during the 30_week duration of the experiment. Renin activity in rats sacrificed at 25 weeks was 16.31+, 8.90 for controls. (“The influence of Chlorella as a Food Supplement on High Blood Pressure and as a Stroke Preventive for Rats,” T. MuraKami, Showa 58-nen Nihon nogika gakkai Koen Yoshi, 1983.) (See also “Isolation and Identification of Hypotensive Sunstances in Chlorella Extract,” T. Murakami, Y. Lizuka, Y. Matsubara, K. Yokoi, S. Donda. Kakehi, K. Okamoto and H. Myyake, Medical Journal of Kinki University, 5 [3]: 119-130, 1989.)
Blood Sugar Level
Normal male rats, 180-200 grams, were divided into experimental and controls. Experimental were given chicken chow with 3% chlorella powder, while controls were given chicken chow only. Blood sugar of the chlorella-supplemented rats remained at from 68% to 91% that of controls. (“Hypoglycemic Action of Chlorella,” H. Lee, J.Lai and Y. Tung, Journals of the Formosan Medical Association, [76] 3:272-276, March 1977.)
Safety of Chlorella
In a study of the potential acute oral toxicity of green and yellow chlorella powders, The Huntington Research Center, Huntington, England, tested groups of rats of the CFY strain by giving them dosages of chlorella powder in distilled water for a 14-day observation period. The LD-50 was found to be in excess of 16-grams/Kg body weight. All rats survived the observation period, no adverse reactions to Chlorella ingestion were found. (“Acute Oral Toxicity to Rats of Green Chlorella and Yellow Chlorella Powders,” Unpublished report, Huntington Research Center, Huntington, England, No. 1972).
Regulation of Heartbeat
Scientists at Kanazawa Medical College in Japan studied the effect of CGF (Chlorella Growth Factor) on the sinoauricular nodes of rabbit hearts. The sinoaucircular nodes were cut into smaller pieces (0.5 x 0.5m), and true pacemaker cells were selected from them, cells with an active potential of around 70mV. CGF addition had the effect on the heart pacemaker cells. The bradycardia effect on heart pacemaker cells. The bradycardia effect inhibited the rising speed of phase IV, raising the threshold for excitement, prolonging the refractory period, possibly leading to an anti-arrhythmic effect. In a second experiment, arrythmias were inhibited 1 minute after addition of CGF. CGF may prevent paroxysmal tachycardia, induce steady heartbeats, and alleviate excitability of the myocardium to stimulus. (“Bradycardia Effect of CGF,” S. Goto, et al., Second Department of Physiology, Kanazawa Medical College, Japan.) *Sourced From: Chlorella, Jewel of the Far East by Bernard Jensen, Ph. D.
Please review the following articles on Pure Planet’s Premium Chlorella.
Click here to view and download this article: Immunity_Boosting.PDF.
Green Giants: The New Superfoods
Source: April 1996 Delicious!
Aurthor: Leslie Krampf
The First Science Lesson 1 remember was in third grade in Mrs. Nolan’s class. We all tromped out to the playground blacktop to see what color paper would burn the fastest under a magnifying glass with the sun shinning through it. I bet chewing gum on the black, but Dickie Jacobs won when a burn like a cigarette hole started on the green. The sun’s attraction to green things is as old as creation. Later, in junior high, we learned about photosynthesis, the process by which the sun influences chlorophyll molecules in green plants to create glucose from carbon dioxide and water. This provides energy for the abundant vitamins, proteins and nucleic acids found in green foods, which leads us to mothers’ oldest advice: Eat your vegetables. Why? That’s today’s lesson: oxygen. It’s the by -product of photosynthesis and helps feed and nourish us.
Dark, leafy green foods are among the best food sources from the sun. The greener the leaf, the richer it will be in nutrients, says Lavon J. Dunne, author of Nutrition Almanac (McGraw-Hill). In comparison, the green food that ranks lowest nutritionally is iceberg lettuce, according to Ronald L. Seibold, M.S., author of Cereal Grass: What’s in it for you! (wilderness Community Education Foundation).
The secret nutritional ingredient in green foods is chlorophyll. In chemical structure, it’s similar to heme, the oxygen-carring portion of hemoglobin. It’s the hemoglobin in red blood cells that picks up oxygen in the lungs and transports it to body cells so that food can be burned as fuel. This is why chlorophll is popular for building blood.
Among its many other therapeutic properties described in scientific literature, chlorophyll cleanses the blood, detoxifies and regenerates the liver, protects against germs by preventing their growth, helps heal burns and wounds including internal wounds such as ulcers, treats diseases of the colon such as spastic or ulcerative colitis, and acts as a natural deodorizer, reports Seibold. He also notes chlorophyll’s cancer-fighting properties, citing a 1980 study at the University of Texas Medical Center that showed how green foods inhibit the effects of two cancer-causing mutagens-benzopyrene and methylcholanthrene. “The more chlorophyll in the vegetable, the greater the protection from the carcinogen,” Seibold says. In addition, he cites studies that show how dark green vegetable reduce the effects of radiation damage. Green foods also contain arytenoids, which are powerful antioxidants, says Victoria Wood, a nutritionist in Takoma park, Md.
Most Americans don’t eat enough dark green vegetables to get all the benefits of chlorophyll, say David Steenblock, D.O., founder and medical director of the health Restoration Medical Center in Lake Forest, Calif. “You’d have to eat raw spinach or spouts all day,“ he say. In general, though, the American lifestyle doesn’t support this habit, which is why green super foods, found in tablets, capsules, granules, powders, crystals and flakes, may be taken as supplements.
Water Harvest
Chlorella is single-celled algae found in freshwater ponds and lakes. It contains all eight essential amino acids, plus vitamin B12,beta-carotene, calcium, iron and chlorophyll. Steenblock, author of Chlorella: Natural Mineral Algae ( Aging Research Institute), uses chlorella extensively to help treat patients. In a 1986 study of 130 patients, he administered chlorella with no other drugs and noted that patients’ acne cleared up, arthritis subsided, digestion and bowel activity improved, and their energy was boosted, he says. Steenblock says chlorella’s outer cell wall, which contributes to needed fiver, binds to poisons in the body and carries them out in the stool.
Chlorella also has nucleic acids that may enhance and stimulate lymphocytes and immune system, according to Steenblock. In addition, the polypeptide found in chlorella’s cytoplasm encourages growth (called chlorella growth factor). In adults, chlorella growth factor encourages the liver and spleen to grow and regenerate, Steenblock says. Nutritionist Wood notes that chlorella helps rid the body of toxic metals, especially after people have mercury tooth fillings removed.
Green Foods: Energy In a Glass
Source: March 1998 Let’s Live Magazine
Author: Lisa Turner
If you still think of green foods as gritty juice blends or murky, not so smoothies, it may be time to give them another try. Once resigned to the realms of the fringe feeders and food purists, green foods have seen a stunning resurgence, showing up in everything form barley laced energy bars to spirulina pate. The reason is simple: These nutritional powerhouses can help stave off everything from the common cold to heart disease. And the surf-and-turf array of land grasses and water greens is broad enough to satisfy most nutritional needs and personal palates.
These grayish-green substances, fondly referred to as “pond scum,21 actually come from a number of sources and are divided into two main varieties of green foods: cereal grasses (those that bear grains) and water greens.
In the process of bearing grain, cereal grasses go through a metamorphosis that creates a tremendous number of enzymes and free-form proteins that can help boost immune response and repair connective tissue. Cereal grasses are also higher in fiber than water greens; dehydrated cereal grass has nearly as much protein as wheat bran and is more alkalizing. Although there are a variety of cereal grasses, they are virtually identical to each other, with the stage of growth rather than biggest difference is taste, which varies form slightly sweet to very bitter.
Water greens tend to be higher in protein than land grasses and are more easily assimilated by the body. Most commercial algae, spirulina and chlorella provide a broad array of nutrients from water sources that can't be duplicated on land, depending on how and where they’re grown, One example: Some types of algae are grown in lakes that have up to 40 feet of nutrient and mineral sediment and yield impressively high levels of calcium, chromium and other minerals.
No matter the form, green foods have a place in every diet, from a weightlifter’s diet to a working mum’s. In a world of commuters, computers and hectic work schedules, many of us find precious little time to consume even the minimum requirements of whole foods for optimal health. Most Britons eat a scant 10 percent of the recommended daily intake of fruits and vegetables, and much of that is cooked. Since cooking destroys delicate enzymes and a wide array of other important nutrients, green foods can fill in vast nutritional blanks. Even if you’re one of the venerable few that consumes the recommended five servings of vegetables a day, you’re still probably not getting the full nutrient value. Our early ancestors survived on simple diets, with staples of naturally grown leaves, berries and roots. With the advent of modern agricultural practices pesticide use, crossbreeding and hybridizing seeds became the norm-practices that vastly compromise nutritional integrity and yield foods with lower levels of vitamins, minerals, protein and enzymes. Like the unadulterated, brightly pigmented cuisine of our ancestors, green foods are packed with vitamins and minerals, carotenoids, enzymes, antioxidant, amino acids and protein-all the components that are generally missing form the typical British diet of refined, processed and cooked foods.
The Cholorphyll Connection
The defining nutritional factor in green foods is their high level of chlorophyll, which functions as the blood of a plant. The molecular structure of chlorophyll is virtually identical to human hemoglobin, the protein that makes blood red. As such chlorophyll allows hemoglobin to deliver magnesium more efficiently a critical factor in heart health. Chlorophyll was used as early as 1940 to treat conditions ranging form respiratory tract infections to cancerous lesions, and has been found to offset the effects of radiation, boost immunity, prevent inflammation, deodorize the body, fight anaerobic bacteria, detoxify the body and speed the healing of wounds. It may also help to build blood, since its chemical structure is so similar to that of hemoglobin.
As a source of highly concentrated and readily available nutrients, green foods traditionally have been touted for their energy-building properties. But water greens and land grasses do more than rev up flagging endurance and performance. The multitude of health benefits ascribed to green foods ranges from anti-aging effects to the prevention of heart disease and cancer. Here’s a roundup of the most popular green foods and their health benefits.
Chlorella
Translated as “small green,” this microscopic green algae is packed with more chlorophyll than any known plant. Chlorella and chlorella growth factor-a liquid extract from the nucleus of the chlorella cell- may prove to be a potent protective agent against cancer, heart disease and immune disorders. Studies suggest that chlorella helps enhance immunity, lower blood pressure and decrease cholesterol levels.
Green Day
Source: Energy Times June 1997 , Author Maureen P. Sangiorgio
The sun glistens on the water as two scuba divers desend into the depths of an East African lake. Is their pursuit sunken treasure? Well, yes, in a way. These scientists search for spirulina-a green food product continually gaining attention for nutritional and potential pharmaceutical value. While more research is needed, preliminary studies suggest green foods such as spirulina may be used to treat AIDS, cancer and a host of other ills. Not a bad reputation for lowly plankton.
What Are Green Food Products?
Green foods are so-called because their high chlorophyll content conveys a green appearance. Actually, all plants that make food from sunlight, even citrus fruits, posses some measure of chlorophyll. The higher the chlorophyll content, the greener the plant. Spirulina, a blue-green algae, thrives in warm water alkaline volcanic lakes. Other green food products include chlorella, dunaliella, barley grass and wheat grass.
Besides its role as green pigment, chlorophyll makes photosynthesis possible, allowing plants to convert sunlight to food. Similar in structure to hemoglobin, which gives red blood cells their color, cholorophyll, according to some researchers, may be helpful for enriching your blood and can be used to treat anemia.
Chlorophyll also aids digestion; stops bacterial growth in wounds; eliminates bad breath; improves liver function; and counteracts toxins, inflammation and radiation, according to Paul Pitchford, author of Healing with Whole Foods.
Plants that are high in chlorophyll also tend to be rich in the antioxidant beta-carotene. Research indicates that people who consume high amounts of food containing beta-carotene experience low rates of lung cancer, and reduce their risk of cancers of the stomach, colon, bladder, uterus, ovaries and skin.
Spirulina is very high in protein, carbohydrates, beta-carotene and gammalinolenic acid, a heart-healthy essential fatty acid that has immunity-boosting properties. Spirulina is also a terrific source of two B vitamins-B6, which helps us use protein to build body tissue, and B12, which forms red blood cells, builds genetic material, helps in the functioning of the nervous system and metabolizes protein and fat in the body.
Chlorella, another form of plankton, is high in protein, beta-carotene and vitamin B6. Because of its antioxidant properties, Beth M. Ley, in Natural Healing Handbook (BL Publications) recommends rubbing chlorella onto your gums if you suffer periodontal (gum) disease.
A third type of plankton, dunaliella is an exceptional source of beta carotene-3 _ ounces of dried dunaliella contains about 300 times as much beta-carotene as 3 _ ounces of carrots. The cereal grasses barley grass and wheat grass are also good sources of protein, beta-carotene, vitamin B6 and hundreds of digestive enzymes.
The Case of the Missing Green Food
“The vital ingredients in green foods are lacking in many people’s diets,” says Alan Gaby, M.D., past president of the American Holistic Medical Association. “Some types of food processing, such as boiling, removes nutrients. And most Americans eat a meat based rather than a plant-based diet. Meats don’t contain phytochemicals, valuable nutrients that are only found in plants. Leading health authorities advise us to eat five fruit and vegetable servings a day, and the majority of us aren’t achieving that level.”
Green Foods Versus Disease
AIDS
At a recent conference of the Applied Algology Association, medical researchers revealed that Spirulina contains an anti-viral substance that holds promise as a treatment for AIDS. Scientists at Harvard Medical School, the Laboratory of Viral Pathogenesis, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Earthrise Farms, in Calipatria, CA, said small amounts of spirulina slow the replication of the HIV-1 virus in test tube studies. High concentrations of the algae stop reproduction completely.
Researchers theorize that spirulina may prevent the HIV virus form attaching itself to cell membranes and infecting cells. If the virus cannot penetrate the cell, it cannot replicate itself and is eventually destroyed by the body’s immune system
“It’s important to note that these results are very preliminary, and need to be repeated in the next phase of research-animal studies,” says study researcher Ahma Belay, Ph.D.
Cancer
A study of 60 tobacco chewers with oral cancer (leukoplakia) in kerala, India, found that 45% of those that were given 1 gram of spirulina for one year experienced a regression of their disease. Of the tobacco chewers that were given a placebo, only 7% had the same results. In addition, within one year of discontinuing treatment, the oral cancer returned in nearly half of the original group fed spirulina supplements.
Cancer researchers suspect that some common forms of cancer result form damaged DNA that allows uncontrolled cell growth. Normally, your body naturally produces special enzymes that repair damaged DNA and keep cells alive and healthy. When these enzmes fall prey to free radical damage, errors in unrepaired DNA can set the stage for cancer. Test tube studies suggest spirulina promotes the activity of the cancer-preventing enzymes and may also help repair damaged DNA.
Radiation Poisoning
Russian researchers studying children exposed to high radiation levels fed them five grams of spirulina every day. The result: less severe symptoms of radiation sickness and fewer allergies than those children not fed the algae. These studies began when American and Japanese companies donated spirulina supplements to the Russian government following the Chernobyl disaster.
Arthritis
Wheat and barley grass may help reduce the pain of arthritis. These cereal grasses contain the antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD) and the special fraction P4D1. Preliminary studies suggest both of these substances stimulate the body’s resources to combat free radical inflammatory attacks on joints. Wheat grass also contains mucopolysaccharides, which may also possess the ability to reduce inflammation.
Gastrointestinal Troubles
Wheat and barley grass (cereal grasses) provide high concentrations of unique digestive enzymes not found in other foods. The hundreds of enzymes they contain reportedly help your body break down indigestibles and cleanse itself of toxic substances in food.
Green Food Nutrients and Benefits
Spirulina
Plankton that contains chlorophyll, Protein, beta-carotene, gamma-linolenic acid, Vitamins B6, B12 Vegetarian protein source, antioxidant, heart Healthy, immunity-boosting, enriches blood, Builds genetic material, aids function of nervous System, metabolize fat and protein
Chlorella
Plankton that contains chlorophyll, protein Beta-carotene, Vitamin B6 Vegetarian protein source, antioxidant, helps Build body tissue
Dunaliella
Plankton that contains chlorophyll, Beta-carotene Antioxidant
Barley Grass
Cereal grass that contains chlorophyll, Protein, beta-carotene, Vitamin B6, Digestive enzymes Vegetarian protein source, antioxidant, Helps build body tissue, aids body in Digestion, rids body of toxins
Wheat Grass
Cereal Grass that contains chlorophyll, Protein, beta-carotene, Vitamin B6, Digestive enzymes Vegetarian protein source, antioxidant, Aids body in digestion, rids body of toxins
Adding Green Food Products to Your Diet
Green foods are available in many different forms. Spirulina is available in powder, capsules, tablets, liquid extracts or flakes and can be added to moist food, liquids, soups, sauces and dressings. Chlorella is available in tablets or packets containing a pre-measured amount of granules. Dunaliella is available in tablet and powder form.
Wheat and barley grass are available in powder, capsules, tablets and concentrated juice form. Some people mix grass juice or powder with water and drink this mixture before meals to improve digestion. To derive the most benefit form green foods, consult a health care practitioner knowledgeable about nutrition when adding these products to your diet.