Friday April 18, 2014 (foodconsumer.org) -- A study published in the April 2014 issue of The American Journal of Pathology suggests that eating Spirulina a a dietary supplement can help prevent breast cancer.

The study shows that among rats exposed to a chemical carcinogen called 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA), those on a diet supplemented with Spirulina were only at 13% (13 out of 100 developed mammary tumors) risk of developing breast cancer, compared with others at 87%.

The study revealed Spirulina supplementation reduces expression of both Ki-67 and estrogen α and inhibits cell proliferation by 24 hours of supplementation. 

One way Spirulina prevents breast cancer is to induce apoptosis by 48 hours of spirulina supplementation.   Apoptosis or programmed cell death, a normal physiological event, is not found in cancerous cells, which is why cancerous cells multiply indefinitely and form a tumor mass (cancer).

Allal Ouhtit, Ph.D., M.Ph. from Sultan Qaboos University and colleagues conducted the study in Muscat, Sultanate of Oman.

Spirulina (Arthrospira platensis; previously Spirulina platensis), a high protein food, has been used as a food in some regions.  Early studies show supplementation with this dietary supplement can help type 2 diabetics and help induce weight loss or prevent obesity.

Spirulina is a blue-green microalga (cyanobacterium) with various potent phytoantioxidants and anticancerous properties.  It has a full spectrum of nutrients and is considered a highly healthful food. (David Liu)