Spirulina Helps Boost Immunity

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Spirulina (also called blue-algae) may boost your immune system by increasing antibody production in response to pathogens. These algae was found to increase immune response through enhanced production of the immunoglobulin IgA, interleukin-6 and interferon-gamma. Also, enhances immunity through increased phagocytic activity of macrophages, stimulates production of antibodies and cytokines, increases accumulation of natural killer cells in tissue, and activates and mobilizes T and B cells.

Spirulina Benefits and Immune System

Spirulina activates very of the several immune cells, including macrophages, T-cells, B-cells, and natural killer cells. Besides, activates the organs involved with immune function such as the spleen, liver, bone marrow, and thymus gland. In vitro experiments found that spirulina had antiviral activity against cytomegalovirus, mumps, measles, influenza A viruses, HIV and herpes simplex. Researchers discovered that it not just stimulates the immune system, also, improves the body’s ability to generate new blood cells.

In 1979, Russian researchers reported first research on the immune stimulating effects on rabbits from lipopolysaccharides in spirulina. More new researches in Japan and China have shown polysaccharide extracts increased macrophage function, antibody production and infection-fighting T-cells. Natural killer cells target and kill cancer in the body as well as enhance the ability to fight off disease. Some clinical trials have shown that spirulina may help the immune system fight off cancer cells by increasing NK (natural killer) cells. Two preliminary studies using spirulina at 400mg daily noted that natural killer cell activity increased by 40% and mRNA production of natural killer cells increased by 37-55% after a week of supplementation. Spirulina significantly increases cytokine production in cultured immune system cells, according to a research reported in the Fall edition of the “Journal of Medicinal Food“. According to a study reported in October 2005 in the Current Pharmaceutical Biotechnology; spirulina develops the activity of white blood cells, stimulates antibodies and enhances the number of natural killer cells.

At the 30th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Society for Immunology held in Nov, 2000, researchers from the “Osaka Institute” reported a spirulina clinical study. In the study, spirulina significantly increased the tumor-killing ability of natural killer cells and interferon-gamma in participants aged 40 and above, and it continued for  12 to 24 weeks after stopping the administration of spirulina. A new twelve-week study involving 30 participants over 50 who took Hawaiian Spirulina Pacifica, produced by Cyanotech, found improved immune blood markers in the majority of participants. The study found a steady improve in haemoglobin in both sexes with women benefiting more rapidly. Furthermore, found improved immune blood markers in the majority of participants.

The radioprotective properties of an extract of  Spirulina platensis has been investigated using the micronucleus test in polychromatic erythrocytes of bone marrow of mice. In this system the extract caused a important decreased of the micronucleus frequencies induced by gamma-radiation. Spirulina has a dark blue-green color, because it is rich in a brilliant blue polypeptide called phycocyanin, which affects the stem cells found in bone marrow. Researches show that phycocyanin affects the stem cells found in bone marrow. Phycocyanin also stimulate hematopoiesis, simulating the effect of the hormone erythropoietin. Hormone erythropoietin. is produced by healthy kidneys and regulates bone marrow stem cell production of red blood cells. Phycocyanin  regulates production of white blood cells, even when bone marrow stem cells are damaged by toxic chemicals or radiation. Based on this property, spirulina is approved in Russia for treating radiation sickness. This nutrient was shown to correct the immune cell parameters in a study with children exposed to prolonged low dose radiation in Chernobyl. In all the children an improve in T-lymphocytes and T-helper cells was seen, and T-suppressor cells were normalized. IgA levels became normal. In an animal-based study, spirulina was shown to modulate radiation induced hematological and biochemical alterations. Swiss Albino mice were exposed to gamma radiation. The average hemoglobin, total erythrocyte count and total leucocyte count were elevated in the group receiving spirulina.

Spirulina Against HIV

Compounds isolated from spirulina inhibit the replication of HIV in test-tube studies. A study reported in the Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome found that the use of spirulina inhibited HIV replication in the blood. Taking extract concentrations between 0.3 and 1.2 micrograms per milliliter reduced viral production by approximately 50 %. In 1989, the results of a study in vitro, demonstrated that sulfoglycolipids in blue-green algae (like spirulina) exhibited powerful antiviral activities. Other study, reported in the “Journal of Natural Products“, demonstrated that Ca-SP (Calcium Spirulan), a spirulina polysaccharide extract, too has antiviral effects. Recent studies indicate that spirulina also presents clinically important anti-viral and immuno-stimulating effects in people infected by HIV. A study conducted in Cameroon and reported on the May 2011 in “Nutrition and Metabolic Insights” showed the nutritional efficiency of spirulina in terms of weight gain in HIV-infected malnourished patients.

Spirulina Joins Cancer Fight

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Spirulina is a type of blue-green algae. These algae produces body chemicals that attack tumor cells that cause cancer. Test tube and animal-based studies indicate spirulina may boost the immune system and anticancer effects.

Spirulina Cancer Benefits

Spirulina strengthens the immune system to fight against the formation of malignant tumors. In a 2002 Japanese study, twelve male participants were administered an oral hot water extract of spirulina, and the number and activity of their natural killer cells was measured before and after therapy. At the end of the study period, there was a significant increase in the production and cancer-killing ability of these participants’ natural killer cells. A study performed by a Chinese scientists reported in Biomedicine and Pharmacotherapy in Oct 2009, show that a combination of selenium and Spirulina plantesis may have the effect to avoid human breast cancer. A 2002 study by the Department of Animal Sciences at India’s University of Hyderabad from the US National Institutes of Health’s research data publication site, explains the process by which spirulina is able to inhibit the elevated levels of Cycloxygenase-2 associated with inflammation and cancer.

In mice with chemically induced stomach cancer, the tumor burden was reduced to half that of the control animals using high-dose spirulina therapy. Experimental studies in animal models have showed an inhibitory activity of spirulina on oral carcinogenesis. Preliminary study findings show that taking 1 g of spirulina fusiformis daily by mouth for 12 months reduces oral leukoplakia (a non-cancerous, but high risk pre-cancerous condition) in individuals who chew tobacco. According to a 1995 study published in “Nutrition and Cancer“, 45% of Indian patients who chewed tobacco reported a complete regression of pre-cancerous mouth lesions after receiving extracts of spirulina for 12 months. Spirulina has chemo-protective and radio-protective effect, and may be a potential adjunct to cancer treatment. Researchers in China have shown that spirulina increased the level of white cells in the blood and of nucleated cells and DNA in the bone marrow of mice that had been subjected to radiation and chemotherapy.

C-PC (C-phycocyanin) from Spirulina has been previously shown to have anti-cancer effects. It is a water soluble, non-toxic fluorescent protein pigment with strong antioxidant, anti inflammatory and anticancer activities. In a study the effect of highly purified C-Phycocyanin was investigated on growth and multiplication of human chronic myeloid leukemia cell line. The results demonstrate important reduction (49%) in the proliferation of K562 cells treated with 50 microM C-Phycocyanin  up to 48 hour. Researchers at the “Osaka Institute of Public Health” have found that spirulina extrac promoted the activation of natural cancer-fighting substances in the body. In this study participants over 40 years of age were given 50 ml of a spirulina extract (Lina Green 21) and the level of natural cancer-fighting substances were measured in their blood. The findings demonstrated that spirulina extract significantly increased the tumor killing ability of  NK (natural killer) cells and interferon gamma. The interferon gamma and NK cell activity was increased 1-2 weeks after administration of spirulina and the activity continued for 12-24 weeks  after stopping the administration of spirulina.

Spirulina has a dark blue-green color, because it is rich in a brilliant blue polypeptide called phycocyanin, which affects the stem cells found in bone marrow. Phycocyanin builds blood. Chinese researchers documented phycocyanin as stimulating hematopoiesis, emulating the affect of the hormone erythropoetin (EPO). Chinese researchers claim phycocyanin also regulates production of white blood cells, even when toxic chemicals or radiation damages bone marrow stem cells. Based on this property, spirulina is approved in Russia for treating radiation sickness. These algae was  used to treat children suffering radiation sickness after the Chernobyl disaster. Their bone  marrow is damaged, rendering them immunodeficient and unable to produce normal red or white blood cells. Children fed only 5 g of Spirulina tablets each day make impressive recoveries within 6 weeks. Children not given spirulina remain diseased. Research continuing through 1999 in Belarus demonstrated immune building, normalization of peroxide lipid oxidation and detoxifying effects of spirulina extract in children and teenagers.

Grape Seed Demonstrates Potent Anti-Cancer Effects

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Grape seed are waste products of the winery and grape juice industry. A wide variety of phytochemicals, have been shown to possess anti-carcinogenic effects. Among these are the grape seed proanthocyanidins, which are the active ingredients of  GSE (grape-seed extract). Grape seed extract is especially rich in a very strong flavonoid called OPCs (Oligomeric Proanthocyanidins). Scientists believe the anti-cancer effects of GSE come from these proanthocyanidins.

Grape Seed Extract Cancer Prevention and Treatment

Substantial in vitro and preclinical in vivo studies have demonstrated the chemopreventive efficacy of grape seed proanthocyanidins against various forms of cancers in different tumor models. In a study reported by “Carcinogenesis”, Agarwal (investigator at the University of Colorado Cancer Center) explained that grape seed creates conditions that are unfavorable to cancer cell growth. The grape seed extract both damages cancer cells’ DNA and stops the pathways that allow cancer cell repair. A study reported in 2010 in “Pharmaceutical Research” found that GSE (grape seed extract) stopped tumor growth in mice after clinically induced exposure to UVB radiation.

A study reported in the journal “Carcinogenesis” shows that in both cell lines and mouse models, grape seed extract kills head and neck squamous cell carcinoma cells, while leaving healthy cells unharmed. In a study, reportedin 2011, found that GSE reduces the risk of squamous cell carcinoma by 74 %. University of Colorado Cancer Center researchers have reported a study in the journal Cancer Letters that shows grape seed extract is a potent agent against colorectal cancer. The researchers think that grape seed extract targets colorectal cancer by causing oxidative stress that leads to the programmed cell death known as apoptosis. Colon and intestinal cancer was inhibited in mice fed 0.5 % GSE for 6 weeks, in a 2010 study published in the journal Neoplasia. At the end of the research, observed a 40 % lessen in the total number of intestinal polyps.

An extract from grape seed laboratory leukemia cells to commit cell suicide, according to scientists from the University of Kentucky. They found that within 24 hours, 76% of leukemia cells had died after being exposed to the grape seed extract.  The scientists then used pharmacologic and genetic approaches to determine how the grape seed extract induced apoptosis. They found that thegrape seed  extract strongly activated the JNK pathway, which then led to up-regulation of Cip/p21, which controls the cell cycle. “These results could have implications for the incorporation of agents such as grape seed extract into prevention or treatment of hematological malignancies and possibly other cancers,” said the study’s lead author, Xianglin Shi.

In a lab experiment reported in 2004 in the journal Breast Cancer Research and Treatment, grape seed extract was effective in blocking division of breast cancer cells in culture, reducing their growth rate by up to 72%. Studies performed by scientists showed that procyanidin dimers, particularly procyanidin B2 dimer from wine extract and found in high quantities in grape seeds, inhibited the activity and expression of this enzyme, which is responsible for the conversion of androgens into estrogens in aromatase-transfected MCF-7 breast cancer cells and their xenografts in athymic nude mice. In other study, grape seed extract exerted a synergistic effect with doxorubicin in inhibiting the growth of estrogen-receptor–expressing MCF-7 cells as well as estrogen-receptor negative MDA-MB468 cells.

In a study; researchers measured the vitamins, minerals and specialty supplements in the diets of 66,227 healthy  women and men, aged 50 to 76. After 8 years of follow-up, compared to those who did not take these supplements, those who took a daily multi-vitamin for at least 8 years were 20% less likely to develop a hematologic cancer; for GSE (grape-seed extract), 43% less likely. 35,239 males were followed over 10 years since 2000 in the VITAL cohort study Men, with “high average use” over 10 years of an individual grape seed extract experienced a 62%  reduced risk of prostate cancer compared to non-users.

Grape Seed Strong Antioxidant

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Grape seed extracts (GSE) are rich in antioxidants which have been associated with useful effects on health such as prevention of cancer and cardiovascular diseases. One group of polyphenols found in grapeseed is OPCs (Oligomeric Proanthocyanidins), which help combat free radicals that might increase the risk of disease. Supplements, are usually standardized to have between 40 to 80% of proanthocyanidins or an oligomeric proanthocyanidin complex (OPC) content of at least 95%.

Grape Seed Extract Antioxidant Benefits

Grape seed is a strong antioxidant and as such provides protection against cellular damage by free radicals. Free radicals have been implicated in over a hundred disease conditions in humans, including atherosclerosis, advancing age, ischemia and reperfusion injury of many organs, arthritis, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer disease, gastrointestinal dysfunctions, tumor promotion and carcinogenesis. The high antioxidant content of grape seed extract makes it extremely beneficial for preventing cancer. Studies on mice and rats have shown grape seed extract to reduce skin and breast tumors. A study reported in Jan, 2012 demonstrated that grape seed extract prevents the growth of cancer cells by damaging the cancer cells’ DNA. A study reported in “Clinical Cancer Research” in Jan, 2009 found that grape seed extract killed laboratory leukemia cells.

Studies have shown that the antioxidant effect of proanthocyanidins is 20 times greater than vitamin E and 50 times greater than vitamin C. Also extensive research, demonstrated that grape seed is useful in many areas of health because of its antioxidant benefits to bond with collagen, promoting youthful skin, cell health, elasticity, and flexibility. One of the most bioavailable and strong forms of antioxidant, oligomeric proanthocyanidin complexes appear to be synergistic with vitamins, and in especially they protect the free radical scavenging effect of vitamin C. An study, conducted by Boston University of Medicine and USANA Health Sciences, demonstrated that the combination of grape seed extract plus vitamin C improved antioxidant status and vascular function in people with clinically proven cardiovascular disease.

Several researches have shown that proanthocyanidins help to protect the body from sun damage, to improve vision, to improve flexibility in joints, arteries, and body tissues such as the heart, and to improve blood circulation by strengthening capillaries, arteries, and veins. Grape seed promotes a healthful circulatory system by strengthening capillary walls and reducing leakage. In a double-blind study, a group of elderly participants with either spontaneous or drug-induced low capillary resistance were treated with 100-150 mg OPCs from GSE (grape seed extract) per day or placebo. 53% of patients in the treated group showed noticeable improvement in capillary resistance after 2 weeks. All patients in this group reached the maximum attainable result after 3 weeks.

Cat’s Claw Could Combat Arthritis

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Cat’s claw (una de gato) is a plant from the Amazon River basin that is widely used for inflammatory diseases and was  described as an inhibitor of NF-kappaB. There are two main species of cat’s claw used medicinally; Uncaria guianensis and Uncaria tomentosa. Cat’s claw is thought to have anti-inflammatory properties and has been used for osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Cat’s claw is a powerful inhibitor of production of the proinflammatory cytokine TNF-alpha in vitro. The anti-inflammatory effect appears to involve suppression of  tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha  synthesis, as well as the secretion of nitric oxide and interleukins.

Cat’s Claw Benefits for Arthritis

Cat’s claw is commonly used in South America and more recently in Western nations, as an anti-inflammatory agent in treating arthritis. Researchers have confirmed that cat’s claw imparts potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, and may so help manage diseases associated with oxidative stress and inflammation. The main mechanism for cat’s claw anti-inflammatory effects appears to be immunomodulation via suppression of TNF-alpha synthesis.This plant also decreased the experimentally induced release of prostaglandin E2, an inflammatory mediator associated with conditions such as arthritis.

Cat’s claw helps protect joint cartilage and has displayed efficacy in relieving joint pain, indicating it may be beneficial for patients suffering from arthritis. Some of the chemicals in cat’s claw actively scavenge free radicals and oxidants, the molecules that cause cell damage and inflammation, according to a 2005 research. New plant chemicals called quinovic acid glycosides were documented to be the most strong anti-inflammatory components of the cat’s claw. Some studies showed cat’s claw could inhibit inflammation from 46% up to 89% in various in vivo and in vitro experiments.

A four-week, clinical study investigated the possible benefits of cat’s claw ( Uncaria guianensis) for the therapy of osteoarthritis. A total of 45 participants with osteoarthritis were enrolled. Of participants, 30 were treated with cat’s claw extract, and 15 were given placebo. Participants in the treatment group demonstrated reduced pain with activity as compared to those in the placebo group. Rheumatoid arthritis is an inflammatory disease in which the body attacks its own joints resulting in chronic pain, stiffness and a loss of movement. In 2002, the Journal of “Rheumatology” reported a randomized double-blind study of cat’s claw for the therapy of rheumatoid arthritis. This study, 40 participant receiving therapy for rheumatoid arthritis with prescription drugs (hydroxychloroquine or sulfasalazine) were given either 60 mg per day of cat’s claw extract (Uncaria tomentosa) or a placebo for 24 weeks. During the first 24 weeks, joint pain was reduced by 53% in those taking the cat’s claw, compared with a 24% decrease in joint pain in those taking the placebo.