CHLORELLA, MALNUTRITION AND CANCER : RESEARCHES & OBSERVATIONS
A hundred years ago only 1 in 30 people died of cancer! Between that time and today critical factors to health have drastically changed, and unfortunately, cancer has become a familiar occurence to us. Exposure to environmental toxins from foods, water and air has risen exponentially, and has sadly become a part of our daily biology. Healers generally agree that cancer initially results from a combination of malnutrition and body toxins, leading to cancer cells in the body. But rather than treating a localized tumorous manifestation, a wiser approach is to address the entire body nutritionally and to thoroughly detoxify it in order to have a chance to permanently reverse cancer.
Deterioration of the immune function, which eventually allows cancer cells to multiply, may begin with allergens in foods or air, and with poor food choices. It may result from heavy metals, viral or fungal agents, chlorine, nicotine and other chemical toxins, x-rays, radioactive and electromagnetic elements. It may also result from stress, negative attitudes, or any other influence that taxes the immune system beyond its capacity to respond to it.
Most healers further agree that any influence which weakens the functional capacity of our liver increases our risk of cancer.
When the liver fails to process all the toxic materials that are brought to it, toxins back up in our immune system, which then loses its capacity to deal with more toxic influences.
Cancer represents the most extreme form of nutritional collapse. It starts to develop when oxygen uptake is inhibited and red blood cells deteriorate (15).
Researchers have suggested that Chlorella strenghtens the Immune System by increasing the macrophage, interferon, T-cell and B-cell production resulting in anti-tumor, anti-bacteria and anti-viral properties and effects.
T-cells are active against viruses and cancer.
B-cells are active for fighting bacteria, chemicals and foreign proteins.
The stimulation of macrophages increases cancer cell destruction as well as the removal of foreign proteins and chemicals. This is an important property since there are a limited number of macrophages in the body, allowing just so much removal of harmful substances from the blood. This shows the capacity of Chlorella to prevent not only cancer or pre-cancerous conditions, but other diseases associated with viral infections as well.
In clinical studies the green food Chlorella has been shown to significantly increase the number of macrophages in tumor bearing mice - producing an anti-tumor effect and prolonging the lives of the rodents
(6)Interferon is a natural secretion of the body that is thought to be a physiological stimulator of macrophages.
Through a Harvard Research group, Chlorella was shown to destroy cancer cells in animals, as well as to strenghten their immune system by increasing the production of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and of interleukin I, a protein fighting virus. Cancer patients have often depressed levels of helper T- cells and elevated levels of T-suppressor cells.
High doses of Chlorella taken orally for six weeks have been shown to reverse this ratio in some patients (a decrease in T-suppressor cells and an increase in helpers T-cells) (2).
We have also seen that Chlorella contains the highest known source of chlorophyll. Chlorophyll helps in the prevention of the spread of cancer by increasing the oxygen uptake, therefore promoting cell reproduction.
Because of the similarity between the size of Chlorella cells and our red blood cells, and between the characteristics of chlorophyll and our hemoglobin, Chlorella has been demonstrated to tonify the blood in clinical observation. Subsequently the name of "vegetal blood" was given to Chlorella.
Chlorella may strengthen liver function and increases its ability to remove fungi, bacteria and poisons from the blood.Detoxing body toxins is crucial in a cancer-fighting program.
Because of the broad nutritional profile of this natural wonder food, Chlorella could be the healing and energy food to prevent or inhibit the spread of cancer.
Thousands of papers about nutrition have related the effects of vitamin A and beta-carotene to strenghten the immune system and as an alternative cancer prevention and treatment. They have shown that people who eat plenty of green food and yellow vegetables have fewer cancers, due to the high vitamin A content of these foods. In addition, when high doses of vitamin A are combined with radiation therapy in the treatment of cancer, the treatment dose of radiation can be reduced by 50% and the patient can tolerate larger doses with fewer side effects (5).
Beta-carotene has been shown to destroy cancer cells and to enhance macrophage production of the tumor necrosis factor and of the helper T-cell stimulator, interleukin I. Beta-carotene works synergistically with vitamin E as an antioxidant to stop cancer in its initial stages.
Extract of algae were also studied and were shown to be more effective than just beta-carotene, causing the Harvard group to speculate that other factors are to be found in algae that give algae more anti-tumor effects than can be esplained by the beta-carotene content alone (9)(2).
By stimulating the body's immune defenses, the wonder food Chlorella provides the body with extra ammunition so it can fight cancer more effectively. However Chlorella is not an anti-cancer treatment in itself but rather is a safe, alternative cancer treatment and potent adjunctive aid, working best with conventional treatments. Studies have indicated that, as a "biological response modifier", the green food Chlorella can provide critical health benefits to people weakened by illness, severe treatments and a suppressed immune system, improving their life, without interfering with the effectiveness of conventional cancer therapies, and possibly reducing future reccurences of viral infections that have escaped surgery or chemotherapy.
Some nutritionists have recommended that people who have cancer take as much as 20 to 30 grams of Chlorella per day, as well as CGF, extract of Chlorella.However, it is strongly recommended that a nutrition-oriented physician monitor the specific dose and application of Chlorella in each individual case.