Spirulina Pacifica supplement may improve immune function, anemia in senior citizens

Cyanotech Corporation, world leader in microalgae-based health and nutrition supplements, announced today that researchers at the University of California at Davis have determined that microalgae-based Hawaiian Spirulina Pacifica® may improve immune function and ameliorate anemia in persons over 50. Results of the UC Davis study will be published in the March edition of the journal Cellular & Molecular Immunology, in a paper entitled, "The effects of Spirulina on anemia and immune function in senior citizens."

Cyanotech produces Hawaiian Spirulina Pacifica, along with other microalgae nutrition supplements, at its 90-acre facility in Kona, Hawaii using patented and proprietary technology. Spirulina Pacifica is a nutrient-rich, highly absorbable source of protein, mixed carotenoids and other phytonutrients, B-Vitamins, GLA and essential amino acids.

Dr. Gerald Cysewski, Cyanotech's Chief Scientific Officer, said, "We are delighted with the very positive results of the UC Davis Spirulina Pacifica study, and the impact this development can have on the health of the over-50 population. Study researchers are urging that large-scale random clinical trials of Spirulina Pacifica should now be undertaken, and we most definitely concur."

The Cyanotech Spirulina Pacifica study was conducted by the UC Davis Division of Rheumatology, Allergy and Clinical Immunology under the supervision of Dr. M. Eric Gershwin and scientists from UC Davis. The objective was to determine if Spirulina Pacifica could be effective in countering two conditions that frequently impact the health of older people: anemia and declining immune function.

Thirty participants over the age of 50 took Spirulina Pacifica supplements for 12 weeks. Key blood chemistry markers for immune function were tested at the outset of the study and again after six and 12 weeks. The subjects' daily dietary regimens were monitored throughout the process.

Dr. Cysewski said, "The research found a steady increase in corpuscular hemoglobin in subjects of both sexes, and improved immune function in the majority of subjects."