THE HEALTHY POWER OF ALGAE I

ALGAE IS A GREAT SOURCE OF VITAMINS AND MINERALS THAT PROVIDE OUR BODY WITH MULTIPLE BENEFITS

As we have already mentioned, the scientific research in the literature in this regard indicates that algae contain all the vitamins, enzymes, minerals and trace elements that our body needs,

so that in addition to being a complete food, it has been proven that they have multiple nutritional and medicinal properties (Barbosa, Coutinho, Costa Lima and Reis, 2019).

We will not tire of appealing to the investigations carried out, where numerous beneficial virtues are attributed to algae, some of them would be (Rupérez, Gómez-Ordónez and Jiménez-Escrig, 2018; Ventura, Rodrigues, Falcão and Alves, 2018; Agregán, Franco, Carballo, Tomasevic, et al., 2018):

1. They constitute a good nutritional supplement
2. Detoxify and remove heavy metals from the body
3. They stimulate the endocrine system and rebalance the body
4. They promote circulation
5. They protect the mucous membranes and lubricate them
6. They strengthen the immune system
7. Regulate the level of blood glucose, cholesterol and uric acid
8. Remineralize
9. They are antioxidants (and therefore anti-aging)
10. They are laxatives and antiseptics
11. They reinforce comfort and intestinal health
12. They are adjuvants in weight loss diets.

ALGAE AS FOOD

Therefore, it is considered that this food has a favorable effect on our body (Cheong, Qiu, Du, Liu and Khan, 2018), helping us to improve, in many cases, our health in a natural, organic, ecological way and without the ingestion of chemical drugs.

algae and health And most importantly, without side effects (Agregán, Franco, Carballo, Tomasevic, et al., 2018). This has repercussions in an improvement in the quality of life and in the possibility of maintaining a healthier life and away from the disease (Barbosa, Coutinho, Costa Lima and Reis, 2019; Guerrero, 2013).

Moreover, current scientific studies (Collins, Fitzgerald, Stanton & Ross, 2016; Agregán, Franco, Carballo, Tomasevic et al., 2018) are indicating that populations that regularly consume seaweed or freshwater algae are among the healthiest, most vigorous and longest-lived on the planet.

And, in the same way, science has found the explanation or, at least, some of the reasons that contribute to it (Conroy, Davidson and Warnock, 2017; Collins, Fitzgerald, Stanton and Ross, 2016).

In the nutritional composition of the algae that we discussed in the previous blog article, we highlight their proportions in proteins, fatty acids and carbohydrates, as well as the minerals and vitamins that made them up, so that we are only going to highlight in this article the following aspects beneficial for our body, as postulated by different authors (Barbosa, Coutinho, Costa Lima and Reis, 2019):

• They are rich in trace elements, substances with high antioxidant activity, capable of neutralizing free radicals that cause tissue degradation and aging.
• They are full of vitamins A, C and E, which also develop antioxidant and revitalizing functions.
• They provide all those nutrients that our body needs to function properly, constituting by themselves a healthy and complete food for the human being

So much so, that research indicates that the regular intake of algae can help ward off many diseases (Guerrero, 2013). And, in the event that the disease or conditions become apparent in the person, their properties make them very useful to overcome acute symptoms and conditions (Agregán, Franco, Carballo, Tomasevic et al., 2018).

The effect of Algae on anemia and physical and intellectual exhaustion

Let’s see, next, what type of algae -in general-, or what certain alga -in particular-, is suitable for a certain problem. (Cheong, Qiu, Du, Liu and Khan, 2018; Conroy, Davidson and Warnock, 2017; Guerrero, 2013).

• The high content of algae in iron and vitamin B12 (whose deficiency in the body causes the majority of anemia) means that its consumption keeps this disease at bay.
• Seaweed acts as a general tonic if taken every day, so that the lethargy and fatigue that characterize these conditions will give way to renewed energy (Conroy, Davidson & Warnock, 2017). The daily intake of astaxanthin remedies anemia and provides an enthusiastic mood away from exhaustion, while promoting increased cognitive activities, such as attention and memory (Alam, Xu and Wang (Eds.), 2020).
• The intake of 2 or 3 grams of Chlorella (Chidley and Davidson, 2018) or Spirulina (Misbahuddin, Islam, Khandker et al., 2016) per day increases physical fitness and intellectual activity. Research indicates that the results appear after four or six weeks (Panahi et al., 2016). In the case of Astaxanthin, the results are already verified after two weeks of ingesting it daily and, sometimes, within the first week the effects are already evident (Brown, Gough, Deb, Sparks and McNaughton, 2018).
• Algae are also an interesting complement for athletes, due to the loss of minerals caused by sweat (Barbosa, Coutinho, Costa Lima and Reis, 2019). A supplement of blue-green algae (5 to 10 grams daily) can be of great help, thanks to the contribution of vital substances necessary for the transport of oxygen, the activation of the production of red blood cells, the stimulation of energy and the manufacture of fibroblasts (which are the cells that participate in the construction of connective tissue) (Alam, Xu and Wang (Eds.), 2020).
• In the case of Astaxanthin, its ability to improve athletic performance has been demonstrated. As we know, sport and physical effort generate greater oxidation of the body. The more intense the physical activity, the more free radicals it produces, so that cellular oxidation (and, therefore, the aging of the organism) increases (Zuluaga, Gueguen, Letourneur and Pavon-Djavid, 2018).
• Most of the benefits of astaxanthin come from its powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties (Ranga, Sarada, Baskaran, and Ravishankar, 2019). Inflammation can slow an athlete’s pace and cost them valuable training days. An athlete cannot afford to take time off to recover from tiredness or joint and muscle pain. So anything that can reduce inflammation will undoubtedly increase your athletic ability, and this pigment from the microalgae Haematoccocus Pluvialis is one of the most effective natural anti-inflammatories out there (Wang, Sommerfeld & Hu, 2019). Because astaxanthin has been shown to have the ability to travel to every cell, tissue, and organ in your body and aid your physical performance in the following ways (Chen & Kotani, 2016; Welsch, Wust, Bar, Salim & Beyer, 2018 ):

1. 1. Absorbs free radicals from mitochondrial cells, which are energy producers
   2. Decreases oxidative damage to cell membranes and DNA
   3. Decreases muscle inflammation
   4. Reduces lactic acid in the muscles (a substance that derives from physical effort)

Consequently, studies indicate that taking Astaxanthin would help athletes to combat the effect of free radicals, in addition to improving their sports performance, as indicated by the scientific research consulted (see bibliographic references).

In future articles we will continue to analyze how algae act in different conditions, such as bronchitis, flu, the common cold, and how they can help avoid degenerative diseases, eye problems, and diarrhea, among others.

References

Agregán, R., Franco, D., Carballo, J., Tomasevic, I., Barba, FJ., Gómez, B., Muchenje, V. and Lorenzo, JM. (2018). Shelf life study of healthy pork liver pâté with added seaweed extracts from Ascophyllum nodosum, Fucus vesiculosus and Bifurcaria bifurcata. Food Res. Int., 112 (5), 400-411.

Alam, Md.A., Xu, J.L. and Wang, Z. (Eds.) (2020). Microalgae Biotechnology for Food, Health and High Value Products. New York, NY: Springer Editions.

Barbosa, A.I., Coutinho, A.J., Costa Lima, S.A. and Reis, S. (2019). Marine Polysaccharides in Pharmaceutical Applications: Fucoidan and Chitosan as Key Players in the Drug Delivery Match Field. Marine Drugs, 17 (12), pii: E654.

Brown, D.R., Gough, L.A., Deb, S.K., Sparks, S.A. and McNaughton, L.R. (2018). Astaxanthin in Exercise Metabolism, Performance and Recovery: A Review. Front. Nutr., 18 (4), 76-84.

Chen, J.T. and Kotani, K. (2016). Astaxanthin as a Potential Protector of Liver Function: A Review. Journal of Clin. Med. Res., 8 (10), 701-704.

Cheong, KL., Qiu, HM., Du, H., Liu, Y. and Khan, B. (2018). Oligosaccharides Derived from Red Seaweed: Production, Properties, and Potential Health and Cosmetic Applications. Molecules, 23 (10), pii: E2451.

Chidley, C. and Davison, G. (2018). The effect of Chlorella pyrenoidosa supplementation on immune responses to 2 days of intensified training. European Journal of Nutrition, 57 (7), 2529-2536.

Collins, K., Fitzgerald, G., Stanton, C. and Ross, R. (2016). Looking Beyond the Terrestrial: The Potential of Seaweed Derived Bioactives to Treat Non-Communicable Diseases. Marine Drugs, 14 (1), 60-68.

Conroy, KP .; Davidson, IM. & Warnock, M. (2017). Pathogenic obesity and nutraceuticals. Proc Nutr Soc. 70 (4), 426-438.

Guerrero, R. (2013). How algae heal. Barcelona: RBA Editorial

Misbahuddin, M., Islam, AZ., Khandker, S. et al. (2016). Efficacy of spirulina extract plus zinc in patients of chronic arsenic poisoning: a randomized placebo-controlled study. Clin. Toxicol. (Phila), 44 (2), 135-141.

Panahi, Y. et al. (2016). Chlorella vulgaris: A Multifunctional Dietary Supplement with Diverse Medicinal Properties. Curr Pharm., 22 (2), 164-173.

Ranga, R., Sarada, A., Baskaran, V. and Ravishankar, G. (2019). Identification of Carotenoids from Green Alga Haematococcus Pluvialis by HPLC and LC – MS (APCI) and Their Antioxidant Properties. Journal Microbiol. Biotechnol., 19 (1), 1333-1341.

Rupérez P, Gómez-Ordónez E, Jiménez-Escrig A. (2018). Nutritional quality and biological properties of brown and red edible seaweeds. In V.H. Pomin (Ed.), Seaweed: Ecology, Nutrient Composition and Medicinal Uses, pp 51-66. Chapter 3. Series: Marine Biology. Earth Sciences in the 21st Century. Nova Science Pub. Inc., Hauppauge, New York, USA. ISBN: 978-1-61470-878-0

Ventura, S., Rodrigues, M., Falcão, A., and Alves, G. (2018). Safety evidence on the administration of Fucus vesiculosus L. (bladderwrack) extract and lamotrigine: data from pharmacokinetic studies in the rat. Drug. Chem. Toxicology, 18 (3), 1-7.

Wang, J., Sommerfeld, M., Hu, Q. (2019). Occurrence and environmental stress responses of two plastid terminal oxidases in Haematococcus pluvialis (Chlorophyceae). Plant Physiology, 230 (1), 191-203.

Welsch, R., Wust, F., Bar, C., Salim, A. and Beyer, P. (2018). A Third Phytoene Synthase Is Devoted to Abiotic Stress-Induced Abscisic Acid Formation in Rice and Defines Functional Diversification of Phytoene Synthase Genes. Plant Physiology, 147 (1), 367-380.

Zuluaga, M., Gueguen, V., Letourneur, D. and Pavon-Djavid, G. (2018). Astaxanthin-antioxidant impact on excessive Reactive Oxygen Species generation induced by ischemia and reperfusion injury. Chem. Biol. Interact., 279 (5), 145-158.