Chlorella Supplementation Decreases Dioxin Levels and Increases IgA Levels in Breast Milk

Chlorella (Chlorella pyrenoidosa) supplementation decreases dioxin and increases immunoglobulin a concentrations in breast milk.
Nakano S, Takekoshi H, Nakano M.
Source

Saiseikai Nara Hospital, Nara, Japan.
Abstract

In addition to meeting nutritional requirements, breast milk plays important roles in biodefense for nursing infants. Dioxins have been detected at high concentrations in breast milk, raising concerns about disorders in nursing infants caused by breast milk containing dioxins in Japan. We analyzed dioxin levels in breast milk and maternal blood samples from 35 pregnant women in Japan. We also measured immunoglobulin (Ig) A concentrations in breast milk and investigated correlations with dioxin concentrations. In addition, 18 of the 35 women took Chlorella pyrenoidosa (Chlorella) supplements during pregnancy, and the effects on dioxin and IgA concentrations in breast milk were investigated. Toxic equivalents were significantly lower in the breast milk of women taking Chlorella tablets than in the Control group (P = .003). These results suggest that Chlorella supplementation by the mother may reduce transfer of dioxins to the child through breast milk. No significant correlation was identified between dioxin and IgA concentrations in breast milk in the Control group. It is unlikely that normal levels of dioxin exposure via food have a remarkable influence on IgA in breast milk. IgA concentrations in breast milk in the Chlorella group were significantly higher than in the Control group (P = .03). Increasing IgA levels in breast milk is considered to be effective for reducing the risk of infection in nursing infants. The present results suggest that Chlorella supplementation not only reduces dioxin levels in breast milk, but may also have beneficial effects on nursing infants by increasing IgA levels in breast milk.

We investigated the effects of Chlorella on fecal excretion of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin (PCDD) congeners and polychlorinated dibenzofuran (PCDF) congeners in Wistar rats administered the rice oil that caused Yusho disease, as a substitute for purified dioxin. The rats were fed 4 g of a control diet or a 10% Chlorella diet containing 0.2 mL of the rice oil once during the 5-d experimental period. The amounts of PCDD and PCDF congeners excreted in feces from d 1 to 5 in the group fed 10% Chlorella were 0.2-11.3 and 0.3-12.8 times greater (P < 0.05), respectively, than those of the control group. We then investigated the fecal excretion of PCDD and PCDF congeners from d 8 to 35 in rats administered 0.5 mL of the rice oil. Rats consumed the basal diet for 1 wk. After 1 wk, they consumed either the basal diet or the 10% Chorella diet. The fecal excretions of PCDD and PCDF congeners in the group fed 10% Chlorella were 0.3-3.4 and 0.5-2.5 times greater (most, P < 0.05), respectively, than those of the control group. Thus, the fecal excretions of PCDD and PCDF congeners were greater in rats fed Chlorella. These findings suggest that the administration of Chlorella may be useful in preventing gastrointestinal absorption and for promoting the excretion of dioxin already absorbed into tissues. Moreover, these findings suggest that Chlorella might be useful in the treatment of humans exposed to dioxin.

mphatesmpb wrote:Chlorella is dirt cheap, though.

crincrin wrote:The thing to remember about detoxification studies is that the control animals are on a standard lab diet. This is not always comparable to a standard human diet.

So, for example: humans eat spinach, especially us IH'ers. if the chlorella fed animals were compared to spinach fed animals, the difference might not be as impressive.