The Anti-Cancer and Health-Promoting Effects of Spirulina
Spirulina is the algal body of Arthrospira platensis and several other spirulina species of the Oscillatoriaceae family, and can grow in fresh and seawater. Wild spirulina is a planktonic alga, mostly growing in the mid- to low-tidal zone of seawater or epiphytic on other algae and attachments, forming a blue-green covering. Because of its good health value, it has in recent years been artificially cultured and produced mechanically on a large scale. Spirulina tablets, pills, and oral liquids are all sold on the market and belong to health foods.Spirulina can reduce the toxic side effects of cancer radiotherapy and chemotherapy, improve immune function, raise the counts of white blood cells, hemoglobin, and platelets in the blood, and lower blood lipids; moreover, it itself has a certain anti-cancer effect, so it can be used for adjuvant treatment of cancer. It can also be used as an adjunct in hyperlipidemia, iron-deficiency anemia, diabetes, malnutrition, and post-illness debility, and has a certain body-building and weight-loss effect.Spirulina is rich in protein; 60% of its composition consists of essential amino acids for the human body, such as isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, and valine. In addition, it contains chlorophyll, carotenoids, phycocyanin, vitamins A, B1, B2, B6, B12, and E, niacin, creatine, linolenic acid, calcium pantothenate, folic acid, and calcium, iron, zinc, magnesium, and more.After people take spirulina, their body's SOD (superoxide dismutase) level rises significantly. Superoxide dismutase has antioxidant and anti-aging effects and can clear superoxide anion free radicals harmful to the body; it has a certain therapeutic effect on diseases caused by oxygen free radicals, such as oxygen poisoning, acute inflammation, various autoimmune diseases, and senile cataracts.Spirulina can also counter radiation injury. Animal experiments show that giving spirulina orally to mice both before and after radiation exposure improved their survival rate. Spirulina can make the thymus weight and bone-marrow DNA content of irradiated mice higher than those of the control group.The phycocyanin in spirulina also has a photosensitizing effect. Animal experiments show that, when laser radiation therapy was given to mouse myeloma cells, human colorectal cancer cells, and sarcoma S180 cells treated with phycocyanin, the effective rate was significantly increased.Spirulina has a marked inhibitory effect on ascites-type liver cancer cells in the body; its inhibition of liver cancer cell DNA, RNA, and protein all strengthened as the duration of action lengthened.Spirulina polysaccharide can enhance immunity. Animal experiments show that spirulina polysaccharide can raise the serum hemolysin of mice by 39.5%-98.05%, raise the phagocytic rate of peritoneal macrophages by 32.5%-51.5%, raise the phagocytic index by 0.9-1.8 times, raise the number of T lymphocytes by 46.8%-87.7%, and also increase the number of lymphocytes in the splenic white pulp and macrophages in the red pulp.Spirulina can also lower cholesterol. When ordinary people take spirulina for 8 weeks, their cholesterol drops by about 4.5%; in people with high cholesterol, the decrease is even more marked. So it is also a very good lipid-lowering health supplement, suitable for obese people.Spirulina can improve the intestinal flora. Animal experiments show that adding 5% spirulina to mice's diet and feeding them continuously for 100 days increased the cecum weight by 13%, increased intestinal Lactobacillus by 327%, and increased cecal vitamin B1 by 43%. Spirulina improves the gut's ability to absorb vitamin B1 and other vitamins. An increase in beneficial gut bacteria and vitamins can significantly prolong animal life.Spirulina can also improve the bioavailability of iron and regulate anemia; at the same time it can improve sleep, lower the probability of gastric ulcer, promote gastric ulcer healing, reduce the kidney toxicity of toxic drugs such as mercury, anti-cancer drugs, antibiotics, and analgesics, and lower serum creatinine. Spirulina can also lower blood glucose and blood pressure.Spirulina has very low toxicity, but like seafood such as kelp and seaweed, spirulina has a relatively high iodine content, so those who need to restrict iodine intake should not take it.