Tim Newman recently published an article that was fact checked by Paula Field questioning if by eating spirulina, a bacteria, could it reduce blood pressure. The recent study indicates that spirulina may help to reduce blood pressure, and the researchers have identified the active compound that produces this benefit.
Supplements are a high topic right now so researchers are examining a range of nutritional ingredients to explore their potential health benefits. Spirulina is a so-called superfood and among this group. It is the dried biomass of Spirulina platens which is a species of cyanobacteria or blue-green algae. It is used widely as a supplement and added to certain foods. There is a long history of spirulina that goes back to the Aztecs and ancient Africa. The bacteria was then harvested from ponds and lakes and turned into cakes.
There are high levels of protein, iron and other nutrients in spirulina. Researchers consider it of interest when investigating food security, malnutrition and long-distance space travel.
Some of the health benefits are that it has shown to have anti-inflammatory properties, helps control levels of glucose and lipids in the blood, reduces the symptoms of allergic rhinitis and can protect against some types of cancer. Many of these claims do lack adequate evidence, but the research in spirulina’s potential health benefits is ongoing. The journal Hypertension has published the most recent investigation.
It was investigated for its potential to counteract arterial hypertension by a number of institutions across Italy, including the Vascular Physiopathology Laboratory of the I.R.C.C.S. Neuromed in Pozzilli.
Spirulina’s positive influence over blood pressure has previously been noted. Now they want to understand exactly how it interacts with blood vessels to produce this benefit. The effects of digestion on spirulina was simulated and reproduced what happens in the human gut after ingesting the substance. They were able to isolate the peptides that would be absorbed by our body. Then they tested the digested spirulina on arteries extracted from mice. Spirulina caused relaxation of the arteries, also an effect mediated by nitric oxide. They next determined the active molecule in the digested spirulina that was responsible for this. Using a complex multistep peptidomic approach, they identified a particular peptide appearing to impart spirulina’s antihypertensive prowess. The peptide isolated in spirulina extract acted positively on this mechanism. They administered it to mice and found a measured drop in blood pressure.
When investigated in an animal model of hypertension, they again found it reduced hypertension significantly. The authors are excited by the prospects they have found. Vecchione believes that SP6 could be a natural adjuvant to common pharmacological therapies in order to improve endothelial function and combat hypertension, which affects 1/3 of the adults in the United States.
Dr Fredda Branyon