Fatty structures in the body are susceptible to oxidative damage.This is known as lipid peroxidation, which is known to be a key driver of many serious diseases.For example, one of the key steps in the pathway towards heart diseaseis LDL lipoproteins in the blood becoming oxidized.Interestingly,the antioxidants in spirulina appear to be particularly effectiveat reducing lipid peroxidation. This has been shown numerous times,inboth human and animal studies.In a study of 37 individuals with type 2 diabetes, 8 grams of spirulina perday significantly reduced markers of oxidative damage. It also increased levels of antioxidant enzymes in the blood.Bottom Line: Fatty structures in the body can become oxidized, whichdrives the progression of many diseases. The antioxidants in spirulinacan help prevent this from happening.
Spirulina Appears to Have Anti-Cancer Properties, Especially Against Oral Cancer
Some evidence suggests that spirulina can have anti-cancer properties.For example,some research in test animals shows that it can reducecancer occurrence and tumor size.Spirulina has been particularly well studied with regard to oral cancer,which is cancer of the mouth.One study looked at the effects of spirulina on 87 people from India with precancerous lesions called OSMF in the mouth.After using 1 gram per day for 1 year, 45% of the spirulina group had acomplete regression of lesions in the mouth,compared to only 7% in thecontrol group.When they stopped taking the spirulina, almost half of the responders developed these lesions again the following year.In another study of 40 subjects with OSMF precancerous lesions, 1 gram of spirulina per day led to greater improvement in symptoms than thedrug Pentoxyfilline.Bottom Line: Spirulina may have some anti-cancer properties,especially against a type of precancerous lesion called OSMF (oralsubmucous fibrosis) .