July 28, 2003 – Green algae Chlorella pyrenoidosa, or chlorella, would markedly increase the effectiveness of the influenza vaccine, but only in a narrow segment of the population, say Canadian researchers.
Researchers at Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia recruited 124 patients over the age of 50 for this study1. Forty-two of them received a placebo, while two groups of 41 participants took either 200 mg or 400 mg of an extract of this algae in tablet form for 28 days. All participants were vaccinated against the flu on 21e day of their participation.
The researchers measured the immune response of their subjects one, two and three weeks after vaccination. At first glance, in 10% or 20% of members of all groups, they found an increased immune response (up to four times greater than normal), which would seem to indicate that chlorella supplements are of no benefit. usefulness.
However, in patients precisely 50 to 55 years of age who took 400 mg of chlorella, the supplements appeared to elicit a stronger immune response. Thus, seven days after vaccination, only 5% of the members of the placebo group and 6.3% of the members of the 200 mg group had at least doubled their number of antibodies against influenza, compared to 41.2% of the participants in the 400 group. mg. Then, 21 days after vaccination, these percentages were 40%, 50% and 64.7%, respectively.
Researchers are unclear as to why chlorella supplements don’t seem to work in people over the age of 55. However, since the effectiveness of the influenza vaccine also drops after this age, they believe that the phenomenon that makes the body less susceptible to the vaccine may also make it less susceptible to the effects of chlorella.
Chlorella is a microscopic, single-celled freshwater algae widely used as a dietary supplement in Japan.
Jean-Benoit Legault – PasseportSanté.net
From drkoop.com, CMAJ; July 22 and 28, 2003.
1. Link to the study on the Canadian Medical Association Journal website: www.cmaj.ca [Consulté le 28 juillet 2003].
