Nutrition immunologists at UC Davis Health System are conducting a study to determine whether the dietary supplement spirulina can improve anemia symptoms and reduce immune-system decline in those over 50 years of age.
While a number of studies have shown that spirulina can enhance immune-system factors, this study is among the first to examine whether it can improve immune-cell responses in older people.
“Immune-system cells become less able to fight disease due to typical aging processes, and anemia becomes more common,” said Patrick Leung, associate professor of rheumatology, allergy and clinical immunology and principal investigator of the study. Anemia is diagnosed when a person has lower than normal levels of red blood cells, which reduces the amount of oxygen delivered throughout the body.
“We want to find out if spirulina can slow the rate of cell aging and reduce the risk of anemia at the same time,” Leung said.
Spirulina are blue-green algae rich in antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and other nutrients. Used as a food supplement for decades, spirulina grows naturally in lakes with extremely high pH levels, but it also is harvested from large-scale commercial ponds, where purity is monitored before the algae is dried and distributed in tablet and powdered form.
“Spirulina supplements are readily available and a lot of claims are made about their health benefits,” Leung said. “We are particularly interested in the possible effects of spirulina on cell aging.”
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