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Scientific Abstracts by Health Category Over 100 references covering 30 years of international research. Malnutrition Recovery
Spirulina is a microscopic algae, produced commercially and sold as a food supplement around the world. Until recently, interest in spirulina was mainly in its nutritive value. This is a critical review of data on therapeutic effects of Spirulina, ranging from reduction of cholesterol and cancer to enhancing the immune system, increasing intestinal lactobacilli, reducing nephrotoxicity by heavy metals and drugs, and radiation protection.
A one year feeding program with 5,000 pre-school children showed a symptom of Vitamin A deficiency, "Bitot's spot", decreased from 80% to 10%. These rural children near Madras consumed 1 gram of spirulina a day for at least 150 days. This small amount provided the daily requirement of beta carotene (Vitamin A) which can help prevent blindness and eye diseases. In another study with 400 school children, a daily dose of beta carotene from spirulina increased their Vitamin A status to the same level as those administered pure Vitamin A. Spirulina was given to children in a unique way: extruded noodles, sweetened with sugar to preserve the beta carotene. Called "Spiru-Om", it was well accepted by the children. This project was sponsored by the Indian Government.
Spirulina tablets were given to 21 patients with various nutritional deficiencies. They had suffered weight loss in conjunction with gastric resection, tubercular infection, chronic pancreatitis and gastritis, rheumatoid arthrtis, anemia and disbetes mellitus. With spirulina, the patients gained weight and their proteinograms improved.
In Nanjing Childrens Hospital, 27 children, 2-6 years old, recovered in a short period from bad appetite, night sweats, diarrhea and constipation from a baby nourishing formula containing 1.5g spirulina, 12g baked barley sprout, Vitaimn B1 and Zinc. The clinical effects showed spirulina is a genuine health food for children.
Spirulina with a high zinc content may be twice as effective as a zinc supplement in curing zinc deficiency in children. The effective dose of zinc from spirulina was 2 to 4 times less than the zinc from a common supplement, zinc sulfate. More than two times the children were cured with high zinc spirulina. One hundred children were diagnosed as suffering from zinc deficiency. For a three month period, 50 children were given zinc sulfate and 50 were given spirulina tablets. Doctors concluded spirulina's effect was much better than zinc sulfate. Spirulina had no side effects and was easy to administer for long periods of time. They theorized that high zinc spirulina had many bioactive and nutritious substances which improved mineral absorption, general health and the immune system. © 2000 Robert Henrikson, Ronore Enterprises, Inc. |
Sonia Beasley E.W. Becker Amha Belay John Benemann Bob Capelli Boonsom Farm Jack Joseph Challem Gabriel Cousens Cyanotech DIC Spirulina Earthrise Nutritionals Mark Edwards Rita Elkins Ripley D. Fox Eric Gerswhin Green Superfood Green Valley Robert Henrikson Jean-Paul Jourdan Bob McCauley Steve Meyerowitz Kelly Moorhead Nutrex Hawaii Pure Planet Amos Richmond David Sandoval C.V. Seshadri Lance S. Sigal Spirulina Pacifica Sun Chlorella Larry Switzer Taiwan Chlorella Avigad Vonshak Yaeyama Chlorella |
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