Spirulina (scientific name: Spirulina) is a class of lower organisms, prokaryotes, filaments composed of single cells or multi-cells, with a body length of 200-500 μm, a width of 5-10 μm, and a cylindrical shape. It is loosely or tightly curved in a regular spiral shape, shaped like a clock spring, hence its name. It has the effects of reducing the side effects of cancer radiotherapy and chemotherapy, improving immune function, and lowering blood lipids.
Main value:
Health benefits
Lowering cholesterol can effectively prevent the onset of heart disease and stroke. The Y-linolenic acid in spirulina It can reduce the cholesterol contained in the human body, thereby effectively reducing high blood pressure and preventing heart disease.
Regulate blood sugar
Spirulina is rich in nutrients and is an alkaline food. It can supplement nutrients to the human body, change acidic physique, and adjust metabolic activities. Consumed with Qiongzhen Ganoderma, it can regulate blood sugar and has a significant effect on stabilizing diabetes.
Enhance the immune system
Since both phycosan and phycocyanin in spirulina can enhance the proliferation activity of bone marrow cells, promote the growth of immune organs such as thymus and spleen, and promote serum protein Biosynthesis of spirulina, therefore Spirulina has immune-enhancing effects. ?
Protect the gastrointestinal tract
Most patients with stomach problems suffer from hyperacidity, which leads to gastritis, gastric ulcers and other diseases. Spirulina is an alkaline food, and spirulina contains high levels of Plant-based protein and rich chlorophyll, β-carotene, etc., these nutrients are extremely effective in neutralizing gastric acid and repairing, regenerating and normal secretion of gastrointestinal mucosa, and are especially suitable for gastrointestinal patients. By improving the intestinal environment, it also has auxiliary treatment significance for patients with diabetes. Spirulina can improve emergency response capabilities, and has certain preventive and protective effects on diabetes, hypertension, fatty liver, and kidney damage. ?
Anti-tumor, anti-cancer and tumor suppressor
The mechanism of action of anti-mutation and anti-cancer drugs is related to the repair of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). Algal polysaccharide and β- Carotene and phycocyanin both have this effect, so Spirulina plays an important role in anti-tumor and cancer prevention. ?
Prevent and treat hyperlipidemia
Spirulina contains a large amount of unsaturated fatty acids, of which linoleic acid and linolenic acid account for 45% of the total fatty acids. An important component of phospholipids, it can prevent total cholesterol and triglycerides from accumulating in the liver and blood vessels, thereby preventing damage to the normal physiological functions of the cardiovascular system. Anti-oxidation, anti-aging, anti-fatigue
Free radicals are one of the root causes of human aging and disease. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) can catalyze the disproportionation reaction to remove free radicals. Spirulina can reduce oxygen free radical damage caused by exercise, protect cell membrane structure, and has anti-exercise fatigue effects. ?
Anti-radiation function
Spirulina polysaccharide can resist radiation. The mechanism of spirulina’s anti-radiation is related to the following factors:
(1) Spirulina contains a large amount of Phycocyanin and algae polysaccharide are rich in protein and biologically active ingredients such as multiple vitamins (vitamin C and vitamin E, etc.), β-carotene and trace elements (selenium, zinc, iron, etc.), which can increase the body's immune function. , alleviate and reduce the inhibitory effect of rays on the immune system.
(2) Spirulina has a strong antioxidant effect, which can enhance the body’s antioxidant enzyme activity and capture free radicals, thereby reducing DNA damage caused by the formation of free radicals triggered by radiation.
(3) Spirulina is rich in iron, vitamin B12 and chlorophyll, which promotes hematopoietic function and alleviates the suppression of bone marrow hematopoietic function by radiation. ?
Treat anemia
Iron deficiency anemia is a very common phenomenon, and spirulina is extremely rich in iron and chlorophyll. These nutrients can effectively improve the treatment of anemia in the human body. situation. Spirulina is rich in active iron, vitamin B12 and chlorophyll, which are raw materials and coenzymes for the synthesis of hemoglobin. Moreover, the phycocyanin and algae polysaccharide in spirulina can enhance the ratio of polychromatic erythrocytes to orthochromatic erythrocytes in mouse bone marrow. , therefore Spirulina can promote hemoglobin synthesis and bone marrow hematopoietic function in many aspects, and play an anti-anemia role
Pharmacological effects
Anti-radiation damage effect: administered to mice before and after radiation exposure Oral administration of spirulina can improve the survival rate of mice.
2. Antibacterial effect: Spirulina platensis has an antibacterial effect on Gram-positive bacteria. The ethanol extract of Spirulina platensis containing lipids and triterpenoids has the strongest antibacterial activity. Sterol extracts also have antibacterial effects, but the effects are weak. Spirulina platensis has no inhibitory effect on Gram-negative bacteria.
3. Anti-cancer effect: Spirulina has an inhibitory effect on the formation of degenerative crypts in the large intestine of NIH mice and SD rats induced by short-term single injection and long-term multiple injections of 1,2-dimethylhydrazine. .
4. Photosensitization: Cultured mouse myeloma cells were treated with phycocyanin (phycocyanin) containing 0.25mg/ml, and then irradiated with 514nm laser 300J/cm2, and it was found that the cancer cells survived. The rate was only 15%; while using laser irradiation or phycocyanin treatment alone, the cell survival rates were 69% and 71%.
5. Effect on the immune system: Spirulina polysaccharide can increase the serum hemolysin of mice by 39.5%-98.0%, increase the phagocytosis rate of peritoneal macrophages by 32.5%-51.5%, and increase the phagocytic index. 0.9-1.8 times, the number of T lymphocytes increased by 46.8%-87.7%, the white pulp lymphocytes of the spleen were densely arranged, the macrophages in the red pulp increased significantly, and the acid α-naphthyl acetate esterase (ANAE)-positive lymphocytes increased by 7.3%. -12.8%.
6. Lower cholesterol: 30 men with high cholesterol and mild hyperlipidemia were divided into two groups. Group A took 4.2g of spirulina daily for 8 weeks, and the total serum cholesterol level dropped to 4 weeks. It dropped from 6.3mmol/L (244mg/dl) to 6.1mmol/L (233mg/dl), a decrease of 4.5%. Group B stopped taking it after 4 weeks, and the total serum cholesterol decreased and then returned to the original level. Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol was significantly reduced by 6.1% within 4 weeks. People with high cholesterol levels had a greater reduction in serum cholesterol.
7. Protective effect on the stomach: Spirulina platensis is administered intragastrically at 250-500 mg/kg, and is effective against indomethacin (indomethacin) type and absolute ethanol type experimental rat gastric ulcer models. It has an obvious protective effect; it can reduce the incidence and number of ulcers in the pyloric ligation rat ulcer model, and also has a certain inhibitory effect on gastric juice secretion; it can accelerate the healing of chronic acetic acid rat gastric ulcers.