Best Natural Anti Inflammatory Foods

Best Natural Anti Inflammatory Foods

Is Spirulina one of the best natural anti-inflammatory foods or supplements that you can take? Various studies (1) have demonstrated the anti-inflammatory effects of Spirulina, describing it is an effective anti-inflammatory, whilst other reviews (3) have highlighted its potential in this regard too.

 

 


Spirulina is a terrific source of antioxidants, which according to studies (5-7) can protect against oxidative stress and damage*. Spirulina contains an active component called phycocyanin that impedes the production of inflammatory signalling molecules. This results in antioxidant and anti-inflammatory (5), (6) (7) effects.


Ibuprofen?

Pic: Brett Jordan

 

According to Wikipedia, Ibuprofen is a medication that can be used for inflammation.

Suggestions in the media (3 June) have recently indicated that Ibuprofen is once again being used by Doctors to treat early stage Covid 19.


Clinical Trial

After some initial controversy, when Ibuprofen was first used with Covid 19 patients and French Health Officials recommended AGAINST its use, Ibuprofen is once again being used with Covid 19 patients. According to animal studies, ibuprofen has been found to boost survival rates by up to 300 %. * London’s Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust and King’s College London are now running a clinical trial involving Ibuprofen. We wish them well and hope it is successful. We will however have to wait for the outcome of this trial to see whether it becomes a recommended treatment.


 

Does spirulina help with COVID 19?

We know from these studies (1,3, 5,6,7) that when taken consistently and regularly, spirulina has anti-inflammatory effects*. However, let us be very clear, there is no (no) evidence that spirulina helps with inflammation within the context of COVID 19.


Hawaii

However for the purposes of sharing information, not as a recommendation for use related to Covid 19, we have noticed that the number of Covid 19 cases, where spirulina is widely consumed, seem to be relatively low when compared to other Countries and Regions. For example, in Hawaii, USA deaths per Million are only 12 (11 June 2020). This could simply be due to the fact that they have had relatively few cases, 685 (17 deaths – 11 June) perhaps due to strict enforcement of social distancing rules or other factors. Or is spirulina playing some kind of helpful supporting role?


Chad

And in Chad where Spirulina is called, “daei”, the number of people who have recovered appears, based on the statistics, to be relatively good. As of 11 June 2020, deaths per million in Chad were only 4.

Compare both of these locations to the United Kingdom and it is quite stark where official statistics indicate 608 deaths (11 June 2020) per million. In the case of Chad, could this simply be due to a lack of adequate testing facilities? So they don`t really know? Or it might be due to low population density. Or is their daei helping?


Is Spirulina Helping?

It is however striking that in both of these locations where spirulina is regularly consumed, the number of cases and deaths per million are relatively low. Is it possible that regular consumption of Spirulina has helped in these two locations? We do not know. We repeat, we are not recommending spirulina as a treatment for Covid 19 but as described above, there is evidence that this super food does have anti-inflammatory properties. A proper study at some point would be most helpful.


The Benefits of Spirulina

We know from our personal experience of taking spirulina and from researching many different conditions that Spirulina is remarkable super food that has helped us and it might help you or a loved one with a medical condition, under the guidance, of course, of your healthcare professional.

There are however a few exceptions as described in this click through.


Does Spirulina Strengthen Your Immune System?

What we do know is that Spirulina has been linked in studies to boost and strengthen the immune system. A clinical trial (8) in California, USA of 40 people in, over the age of 50 with no history of major chronic diseases were enrolled. The study demonstrated it “may” counteract anemia and immunosenescence (the gradual deterioration of the immune system) and so may fortify the immune system in older people. As is common with these studies, additional studies were called for.


Poland

In Poland a study (9) involving the Polish Rowing team sought to identify how spirulina would impact on the 19 athletes concluding that spirulina may protect athletes against a deficit in the immune function. Meanwhile in China, a study demonstrated in an animal study that spirulina helped boost immunity when subjects has been exposed to radiation. This is perhaps not surprising as spirulina is well known to be an effective food to help detox and was used in Chernobyl to detox people exposed to radiation.


FAQs on Spirulina.

Why not explore our FAQ page? The FAQ page covers the many conditions that we have researched. The Spirulina super food might help you or a loved one. Why not check out our FAQs? You can also learn more about Spirulina on our “What is Spirulina About?” page. Here we describe the history and its use over the centuries.


How Spirulina May Help Your Hay Fever

Those who take spirulina regularly say it helps mitigate their Hay Fever symptoms. A Turkish study (1) highlighted the evidence they found in how it is clinically effective with Allergic Rhinitis. better known as hay fever that can also cause inflammation of the sinuses. It also appears to help with Sinusitis.


Reducing Bad Cholesterol

Evidence exists demonstrating that Spirulina offers a natural way to reduce cholesterol and triglycerides*. A 2014 study (2) from Greece demonstrated that it significantly reduces high-density lipoprotein (HDL) “bad” cholesterol and does not impact on high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, the so called “good” cholesterol.


Is Spirulina safe for me to take?

Most people have no problems taking Spirulina at all.* However, some people have nut, strawberry and seafood allergies. To understand spirulina better, and see how the spirulina super food might be helpful to you or your family, please refer to our page, “What is Spirulina About”?


Thank you, For Visiting

Thank you for visiting whyspirulina. We hope you found this information helpful. If you have any comments or questions, kindly leave them below and we will get back to you.


Affiliate links

You might have seen the “affiliate link” button at the top, that links to a page.  This basically means we could make a tiny commission, if you purchase anything using one of our affiliate links on this page.  It helps to keep us in coffee, making a small contribution, allowing us to research and write articles on the benefits of superfoods. You will not pay more by making a purchase via one of our links.


Where To Buy

Where to buy a reliable well sourced spirulina? This page lists some of the suppliers that we recommend. We explain the importance of where you obtain spirulina supplies from in this click through. Getting that right is very important. We also have some suggestions for the amount you should take on this page.

==>Click Here If You Are Interested In Buying Quality Spirulina Or Chlorella<==


Sources:

(1) Hypolipidemic, Antioxidant & Anti-inflammatory Activities of Microalgae Spirulina Ruitang Deng & Te-Jin Chow

(2) The Hypolipidaemic Effects of Spirulina (Arthrospira Platensis) Supplementation in a Cretan Population. Elias E Mazokopakis , Ioannis K Starakis, Maria G Papadomanolaki, Niki G Mavroeidi, Emmanuel S Ganotakis

(3) The Antioxidant, Immunomodulatory, and Anti-Inflammatory Activities of Spirulina: An Overview

(4) Effects of Spirulina on Allergic Rhinitis, Cingi, Conk-Dalay M, Cakli H, Bal C., Department of of ENT, Eskisehir Osmangazi University Medical Faculty, Eskisehir, Turkey

(5) Anti-inflammatory & Antihyperalgesic Activity of C-phycocyanin

(6) C-phycocyanin Confers Protection Against Oxalate-Mediated Oxidative Stress & Mitochondrial Dysfunctions in MDCK Cells. Shukkur M Farooq, Nithin B Boppana, Asokan Devarajan, Shamala D Sekaran , Esaki M Shankar , Chunying Li , Kaliappan Gopal, Sazaly A Bakar , Harve S Karthik, Abdul S Ebrahim

(7) C-phycocyanin: A Biliprotein With Antioxidant, Anti-Inflammatory and Neuroprotective Effects. Ch Romay , R González, N Ledón, D Remirez, V Rimbau

(8) The effects of Spirulina on anemia & immune function in senior citizens. Carlo Selmi, Patrick SC Leung, Laura Fischer Bruce German, Chen-Yen Yang, Thomas P Kenny, Gerry R Cysewski, & M Eric Gershwin

(9) An Attempt to Induce an Immunomodulatory Effect in Rowers with Spirulina Extract. Artur Juszkiewicz, Piotr Basta, Elżbieta Petriczko, Bogusław Machaliński, Jerzy Trzeciak, Karolina Łuczkowska, & Anna Skarpańska-Stejnborn


*Nothing on this website should be interpreted as personal medical advice. Always consult a qualified Doctor or health care professional before changing anything related to your healthcare.

*Please see the About page for the references

10 thoughts on “Best Natural Anti Inflammatory Foods”

  1. Hello, 

    This was an interesting well written article with lots of information. 

    I liked that you urged caution in taking Spirulina as treatment for Covid-19 as further research really needs to be done in this area. We are all very anxious just now and looking for a miracle cure but there isn’t one yet.

    It does however seem that it would be helpful if you are aiming to lead a healthy lifestyle. 

    Best wishes, 

    Cameron

    Reply
    • Thank you for visiting us Cameron.  Spirulina is indeed great for a healthy lifestyle.  For older people or younger atheletes and sports people, its great for giving an energy boost.  It has a wide range of benefits that are described in our FAQs (even those that we do not recommend it for). The history of Spirulina is really fascinating. We even think there might be a reference to it in Genesis. Scientists believe it is one of the building blocks for all plantlife on our planet!  How cool is that! Have a great day & thanks for stopping by.

      Reply
  2. Thank you Trevor, this post is very timely and needed at this time. There is a panic all over the world. Although the bad figures have gone down, there is a speculation that there’s going to be a second surge of the corona virus. Spirulina would be very handy. Can it be bought anywhere in the world? 

    Reply
  3. The anti-inflammatory abilities of spirulina are what caught my interest here.  Yes, energy would be good as well. However, the product is showing up more often in my daily rounds. I have taken spirulina in the past, and as most of us do when in our 20’s and searching for energy, we want it instantly!  I have since learned that with supplements a longer time period is more appropriate

    What is your opinion about the best way to use this product? Capsules or powder?  I found the powder made my smoothie have a funny taste that wasn’t all that plesant.  Is the powdered kind that much better?  

    As I know that better technology is making us more aware of how we can protect our bodies and be healthier, we also can spend a lot of money with supplements that don’t work for us.  The inflammation help with joints that are already feeling arthritis issues, I would like to be able to control this without the Over-The-Counter medications that I have been relying on. Do you think this is a good product to try?

    Reply
    • Thank you Sami for your comment.  Spirulina is something that will give you energy in a sustained way IF you take it over a period of weeks and then ongoing.  It isn´t like an energy drink that are typically loaded with sugar and gives you a momentary “high” for an hour or two and then leave you feeling more tired later.  I personally prefer the capsules, as you rightly say there is a “taste” that many do not like.  But others do. These are the brands we recommend. But you might also find our page on how much spirulina to take useful as it contains advice on how best to consume or take spirulina. Have a great day.

      Reply
  4. Thank you for this article on Spirulina. A few months ago I purchased a small packet of this green powder and started taking it as a supplement. It seems i forgot about it because it is still there right on the shelf in my kitchen. I am glad to know more about it, especially for the fact that my annual check up showed my cholesterol a little elevated and I am a serious hay fever sufferer. The best thing about it is the anti inflammatory action because inflammation seems to be the underlying cause of many health issues. I am going back on my Spirulina supplement TODAY

    Reply
    • Thank you JJ.  I hope it helps you.  Just be aware that with hay fever, spirulina is NOT a medication.  Its a superfood you have to consume regularly and consistently over a period of time to see the benefits. Then you should see the results. We are in the middle of preparing a new article about cholesterol but you may find this page helpful. I recommend you check out this page on the quantities to take.  Have a great day.

      Reply
  5. Hello Trevor,

    I can see the potential using spirulina as an anti inflammatory food. The long term benefit will aid the immune system to help fight covid-19 or any other viruses or diseases. I would definitely not take Ibuprofen because there have been more side effects than actual cures. I am not a fan of Big Pharma and believe like yourself that the only cure is natural. For example: eat healthy, exercise, reduce stress and get your 8 hours of sleep. 

    I am/was  a type 2 diabetic and through a change in lifestyle and diet have normalized  my condition. I was obese (lost 45 lbs) had high blood sugar, a fatty liver and most of all was insulin resistant.   

    Appreciate the information.

    Stay healthy and safe.

    Jimmy.

    Reply

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