Spirulina and NASA: Spirulina is such a concentrated, complete, super food, that NASA has conducted studies on it as a potential food source for space travel. The goal with providing food for space travel is to supply a food that provides as many nutrients as possible while taking up as little space as possible. NASA found that 1kg of Spirulina had the same nutrients as about 1000 kg of assorted vegetables. (1)

Spirulina to Improve Cholesterol: Thirty healthy men with high cholesterol, mild hypertension and hyperlipidemia consumed 4.2 grams of Spirulina daily for eight weeks. At the end of the study, the men showed lower serum cholesterol, triglyceride and LDL levels. Total serum cholesterol dropped an average of 4.5% from 244 to 233. These men did not change their diet or exercise, except for the addition of Spirulina. No adverse affects were noted. (2)

Spirulina to Alleviate Nutrient Deficiency: In a study completed in 1984, 21 patients with various nutritional deficiencies received Spirulina supplementation to their diets. These patients had suffered weight loss in conjunction with gastric resection, tubercular infection, chronic pancreatitis and gastritis, rheumatoid arthritis and anemia. With Spirulina, the patients gained weight and their proteinograms improved. (3)

Spirulina to Alleviate Vitamin A Deficiency: Throughout a one year study, 5,000 pre-school children with Vitamin A deficiency received 1 gram of Spirulina per 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. At the end of the study, the rate of Vitamin A deficiency in the children dropped from 80% to 10%. (4)

Spirulina to Alleviate Iron Deficiency: Eight women who had been limiting their food intake to lose weight became affected with hypochronic anemia (lower than normal blood hemoglobin content). Their diets were then supplemented with 4 grams of Spirulina after each meal for 30 days. At the end of the study, the women's blood hemoglobin content increased by an average of 21%, from roughly 10.9 to 13.2. This hemoglobin content is considered a satisfactory level; the women were no longer considered anemic. (5)

Chlorella to Improve Immunity: During a randomized, double blind, placebo controlled study, 23 healthy adults received 5g Chlorella daily while 28 other healthy subjects received a matching placebo. At the end of the 8 week study, serum concentrations of interferon-gamma, interleukin-1beta, and interleukin-12 significantly increased in the Chlorella group. The increments of these important cytokines were significantly larger in the Chlorella group than those in the placebo group. In addition, the activity of Natural Killer (NK) cells greatly increased in the Chlorella group, but not in the placebo group. These results suggest a beneficial immunostimulatory effect of Chlorella supplementation. (6)

Chlorella to Prevent Nutrient Deficiency: Nutrient deficiency in pregnant women can lead to anemia, proteinuria, edema and pregnancy-induced hyper tension. A total of 70 pregnant women agreed to take place in a placebo-controlled study measuring the preventative effects of Chlorella against these potential health risks. Of the group, 32 women were given a 6g Chlorella supplement from the 12-18th week of pregnancy until delivery. The other 38 women received a matching placebo. When the study concluded, the proportion of anemic subjects in the Chlorella group was significantly lower than the placebo group. Additionally, incidences of proteinuria, edema and signs of PIH (pregnancy-induced hypertension) were significantly lower in the Chlorella group versus the control. These results suggest that Chlorella supplementation significantly reduces the risk of pregnancy associated anemia, proteinuria and edema due to its content of natural folate, vitamin B-12 and iron. (7)

Chlorella to Prevent and Alleviate Hypertension: In 2009, a placebo-controlled, double-blind study was conducted to measure the effects of Chlorella to control blood pressure. To complete this study, 80 subjects with high-normal blood pressure and borderline hypertension volunteered to partake. Half of the subjects received a 20mg Chlorella supplement twice daily for 12 weeks, while the other group receivedmatching placebos. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure decreased significantly in the Chlorella group, exhibiting a much greater decrease than those in the control group. These results suggest that Chlorella significantly decreased high-normal blood pressure and borderline hypertension, making it a beneficial dietary supplement to prevent and alleviate hypertension. (8)

Chlorella for Antioxidant Protection: In a placebo-controlled, double-blind study, 52 tobacco smokers (ages 20-65) received 6.3g of Chlorella or a matching placebo daily for six weeks. At the end of study, the Chlorella group saw a 44.4% increase in plasma vitamin C and a 15.7% increase in alpha-tocopherol. The chlorella group also experienced a notable increase in erythrocyte and superoxide dismutase activities as well as a notable decrease in lymphocyte DNA damage. These results show that Chlorella supplementation resulted in the conservation of plasma antioxidant nutrient status and an improvement in antioxidant enzyme activities, indicating the important antioxidant role of Chlorella as a dietary supplement. (9)

Chlorella for Overall Health: Over a 16 week period, 17 adults with high-risk factors for lifestyle related disease and 17 healthy adults received Chlorella supplementation. At the end of the study, after a 4-week post observation period, both groups saw notable reductions in body fat percentage, serum total cholesterol, and fasting glucose levels. These results suggest that Chlorella supplementation may potentially benefit the overall health of both healthy subjects, and those with a high risk of developing disease. (10)

Resources: (1) Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2011;2011:531053. Epub 2010 Oct 19. Spirulina in clinical practice: evidence-based human applications. Karkos PD, Leong SC, Karkos CD, Sivaji N, Assimakopoulos DA. Source: Department of Otolaryngology, Liverpool University Hospitals, Liverpool, UK. (2) N. Nayaka, et al. 1988. Tokai Univ. Pub. in Nutrition Reports Int'l, Vol. 37, No. 6, 1329-1337. Source: Japan. (3) V. Fica, et al. 1984. Clinica II Medicala, Spitalui Clinic, Bucuresti. Med. Interna 36 (3). Source: Romania. (4) C.V. Seshadri. 1993. All India Coordinated Project on Spirulina. Shri Amm Murugappa Source: Chettiar Research Center (MCRC) Madras, India. (5) T. Takeuchi, et al. 1978. Source: Tokyo Medical and Dental Univ. Japan. (6) Nutr J. 2012 Jul 31;11(1):53. Beneficial immunostimulatory effect of short-term Chlorella supplementation: enhancement of Natural Killer cell activity and early inflammatory response (Randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial). Kwak JH, Baek SH, Woo Y, Han JK, Kim BG, Kim OY, Lee JH. (7) Plant Foods Hum Nutr. 2010 Mar;65(1):25-30. Chlorella pyrenoidosa supplementation reduces the risk of anemia, proteinuria and edema in pregnant women. Nakano S, Takekoshi H, Nakano M. Source: Saiseikai Nara Hospital, Nara, Japan. (8) Clin Exp Hypertens. 2009 Jun;31(4):342-54. Anti-hypertensive effect of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-rich Chlorella on high-normal blood pressure and borderline hypertension in placebo-controlled double blind study. Shimada M, Hasegawa T, Nishimura C, Kan H, Kanno T, Nakamura T, Matsubayashi T. Source: Department of Radiology, School of Medicine, Toho University, Tokyo, Japan. (9) Nutrition. 2010 Feb;26(2):175-83. Epub 2009 Aug 5. Six-week supplementation with Chlorella has favorable impact on antioxidant status in Korean male smokers. Lee SH, Kang HJ, Lee HJ, Kang MH, Park YK. Source: Department of Medical Nutrition, Graduate School of East-West Medical Science, Kyung Hee University, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do, Korea. (10) J Med Food. 2008 Sep;11(3):395-404.