Recent Research on Chlorella and Its Extract, C.G.F.

Before starting an overview of recent research on Chlorella and its extract, CGF, allow me to

introduce this green freshwater unicellular micro-algae, which has been in existence for 2,5

billion years.

Chlorella is a food supplement. In Japan, it is used daily by 4 million people, to such an extentthat the Japanese government has declared it a « functional food of national interest ».

Why does this plant arouse such interest? Chlorella contains an almost complete range of

vitamins (apart from vitamin D), all the main minerals, large amounts of iron and calcium that

render it very useful to anaemic peope, 19 amino acids and 60% of vegetable protein.

It contains 10 times more vitamin A than beef liver per gram, and 40 times more protein per

gram than soya, rice and wheat. It contains more chlorophyll than any other plant (4 times

more than Spirulina).

Besides its obvious nutritional qualities, Chlorella has been the subject of many medical

studies, much more than any other food supplement. I have been able to find only around 40

studies about Spirulina, compared with 300 or more about Chlorella, and these studies were

spread over forty years.

Chlorella’s history

Let us now look at Chlorella’s history. Chlorella was discovered in 1890 by a Dutch

biologist, Beyerinck.1 The natural wealth of the plant immediately excited scientific interest.

During the First World War a German microbiology specialist, Hardner Linder, undertook an

experiment, feeding German troops with Chlorella. The end of the war, and the fact that in its

natural state Chlorella is mostly indigestible, led to unsatisfactory results in this first test.2

During the Second World War Lindner carried out a second experiment, once again with little

success.3

Since the seventies, a technique which breaks open the cellular envelope has rendered

Chlorella 80% digestible.

In 1948 the Stanford Research Institute in the USA demonstrated that it was possible to grow

and harvest large quantities of Chlorella all year round. At this time the Americans were

looking at Chlorella as a potential source of oxygen, protein and vitamins for astronauts

during space trips.

During the same period, Japan was emerging from the war, destroyed by the atom bombs andruined by the war. With the help of an American charity, the Rockefeller Foundation, and

after a comparative study of 100 plants, Japan chose to develop Chlorella as a potential

protein source to feed its population. In 1957 a Chlorella research institute was set up in Japanto find the best means of exploiting the algae.

Used in drinks, biscuits and dried milk

In these early years the Japanese used Chlorella in very varied foods : in drinks, biscuits, andin the dried milk powder that was given out in all Japanese schools and to National Defence2troops. The use of Chlorella in drinks was inspired by the first medical studies on Chlorella,which had shown that Chlorella stimulated the growth of lactobacilli. People who regularlyconsumed foods containing Chlorella started reporting beneficial effects on their health.4

These observations in turn lead to further medical experiments. Well aware that chlorophyll

stimulates wound healing, and that Chlorella is the plant that contains most chlorophyll,

Japanese doctors tested Chlorella on patients suffering from gastric and duodenal ulcers.

Chlorella yielded a success rate of 100% in healing gastric ulcers, and in the case of duodenalulcers, 71%.5 Further positive results were obtained when Chlorella was fed to patientssuffering from refractory wounds. In one case of a wound open for more than a year, the skinbegan to reform over the wound after one month of algae supplementation.6

Fewer colds for Chlorella users

In 1966 a study was carried out over three months on 1000 people on a ship belonging to theJapanese navy. Results showed that consuming two grams of Chlorella per day reduced thefrequency of colds and flu by 37%.7

The results of this study were later confirmed by a Bulgarian study carried out in 1983. A

group of 463 calves was monitored during the year following birth. The calves were divided

into 5 batches and treated by different methods against bovine broncho-pneumonia, includingtwo veterinary vaccines. The most effective treatment was a combination of Chlorella and ahyper immune bovine serum, which protected 80% of the animals against the illness. ButChlorella used alone protected 72% of the batch, compared to 56-60% protected in the twobatches treated with vaccines.8

The same year (1966) as the study on the sailors, Japanese doctors started to give Chlorella topatients undergoing chemiotherapy after surgical ablation of cancerous tumours. Experimentsshowed that the consumption of Chlorella stopped the white bloodcell count from dropping asit often does during this type of treatment.9

It is interesting to note that, as a result of these experiments, trials of Chlorella started in

France. In 1976, Dr Vermeil and his team in Rennes carried out two experiments10 to see if

Chlorella could help cure cancers. I have never managed to find an account of these

experiments, but according to a summary in an American book about Chlorella, Dr Vermeil

injected the algae straight into tumours. The results, according to Dr Steenblock,11 were not

clear enough to prove an anti-tumoral effect.

But before detailing these rather serious medical aspects, I would like to come back to less

serious subjects.

Chlorella given to nursing newborns

In 1962 and 1963, Dr Takida made a substitute for artifical babymilk, in which Chlorella was

used as protein, mixed with honey, flour, soya oil and Mackarum-Simmons salts. This

mixture was given to newborn babies who had developed allergies to commercial babymilk.

The results proved that this mixture could indeed replace commercial milk. Two of the

newborn babies who suffered from eczema were cured after a week of consuming the

Chlorella milk. When fed with the commercial milk once again, the eczema reappeared

immediately.

Obviously, before giving Chlorella to newborn babies, the Japanese scientists had carried outnumerous experiments on animals. It became obvious from these experiments that Chlorellacontains a substance unique to this plant, as it was found that children and young animals fedwith Chlorella grew faster than control groups.

Animals consuming Chlorella grow faster

For example, in an experiment with white rats, Dr Nakamura used a control group fed with

10% of casein and compared them with groups fed with 2%, 5% and 10% of Chlorella. After

100 days, for a value of 100 attributed to the control group, values of 108, 114 and 111 were

noted for the groups fed with Chlorella.12

In another experiment, 1% of Chlorella was added to the food given to mice. Even with this

tiny amount, the mice in the « Chlorella group » grew at a faster rate than the mice in the

control group.13

Cellular regeneration

Tested on adult animals and humans, Chlorella accelerates cellular regeneration and

stimulates cicatrization, as has already shown in the studies on ulcers and refractory wounds.

In a summary of these studies, which Dr Takechi wrote in 1967 for the Japan Health Journal,

he says:

Chlorella contains an unknown vegetable hormone which produces effects different from

those of gibberelline and kinetine. This hormone has a stimulating effect on the growth of

the plumule of plants, situated above the cotyledons. Dr Takada, Dr Kuze and others report

that it stimulates chlorophyll production.

The Japanese named this growth hormone « Chlorella Growth Factor », usually shortened to

CGF. The CGF in Chlorella is extracted by making a concentrate of Chlorella, available in

liquid or powder form. It takes 15 kg of Chlorella, heated in water, to obtain 1kg of CGF. The

concentrate is obtained by skimming the heated liquid. The remains of the Chlorella are used

as animal feed.

What are the effects produced by this CGF extract?

In 1962 a series of studies on CGF began. In one of these studies, newborn babies were given5mg of CGF per day. At birth, these babies were on average smaller than those in the controlgroup. During a five-year observation period, the « CGF children » grew to become taller andbetter developed than those in the control group. Scientists also noted that the childrenconsuming CGF had exceptionally healthy teeth, devoid of the slightest cary.

Chlorella and CGF contain a natural antibiotic that scientists called Chlorellane, which can befound in a very concentrated form in CGF. Chlorella is very rich in DNA and RNA and in

CGF these elements are about five times more concentrated than in the algae itself.

At the beginning of the sixties, Professor Fujimaki of the People’s Scientific Research Center

in Tokyo carried out experiments to better understand the composants in Chlorella. In the

course of these experiments, he discovered CGF.

Several experiments carried out on animals proved that CGF has extraordinary effects.

Fujimaki noticed that when young rabbits, mice, rats and chicks were fed with CGF, an

impressive acceleration of their growth occurred. Furthermore, these animals seemed to be

less vulnerable to illnesses. Their size and weight rose from 19 to 47% percent without any

negative secondary effect.

CGF effects animal reproduction rates

As soon as these animals reached sexual maturity, the reproduction rate rose as well.

These results are without doubt due to the increased sexual activity of these animals in

comparison with the control group. Researchers were able to confirm these results during thenext ten years, in innumerable experiments carried out on all kinds of animals. »

Chlorella used for heavy metal poisoning

During the seventies scientists found yet another use for Chlorella. In 1978 rats were given

Chlorella mixed with cadmium for 10 days. A control group was given cadmium with their

usual food. The symptoms of poisoning that were obvious in the control group were totally

absent in the group taking Chlorella. Later tests showed that once cadmium comes into

contact with Chlorella, it cannot detach itself and passes through the rat’s body without

poisoning it.

At the time there had been many cases of humans poisoned by heavy metals. In 1975 Dr

Himura gave 8 grams of Chlorella per day to patients suffering from cadmium poisoning. He

observed that after Chlorella consumption for 12 days, there was a three-fold increase of

cadmium elimination. …. Twenty-four days later, the amount of cadmium found in the

patients’s urine had been multiplied by seven compared to the amount eliminated without

Chlorella.

Following these experiments and many others of the same kind, Chlorella was used in Japan

and later in the USA and Europe to speed up the detoxication process for people suffering

from heavy metal poisoning. Today, Chlorella is part of the detoxication protocol

recommended by some dentists to people having their mercury fillings extracted, in order to

eliminate all traces of mercury in the body.

Other research has confirmed that Chlorella acts as a chelator in cases of PCB and

chlordecone-based pesticide poisonings18. It is interesting to note that if one adds Chlorella tothe water in sewage works, it can clean and purify dirty water.

Searching for recent studies on Internet the other night, I found the following study, which

may amuse you. The Biology Department of a women’s university in Lahore, Pakistan, has

developed a loofah sponge that removes heavy metals from water. The scientists fixed a typeof Chlorella (Chlorella sorkiniana) in sponge discs. In 5 minutes these sponges can attract andfix 97% of the metallic ions in polluted water. Once cleaned, these sponges can be used up tofive times.

Prevents dioxins from being absorbed by the body

Recent studies suggest that Chlorella can also cleanse the human body of other types of

toxins. According to a Japanese study published in 1999, Chlorella can prevent dioxins in

food from being absorbed by the body.

In the study, rats were fed with a rice oil containing dioxins. Half of the rats were given the

poisoned oil with 10% of Chlorella. The amount of dioxins eliminated by the rats eating the

Chlorella was 12 times greater than the amount eliminated by the control group. Another

experiment showed that Chlorella absorbed after the poisoning was less effective, but

nevertheless led to a higher elimination rate.

But let us go back to CGF, an extract with some interesting effects.

In an experiment carried out in 1980 in Japan, cancerous cells were implanted into mice. Themice were divided into three groups, a control group, a group fed with chlorella (split-nucleusChlorella), and a group fed with glycoprotein-enriched Chlorella. Each Chlorella-fed groupwas divided into two, Chlorella given before the cancer implantation, and Chlorella givenafterwards.

After 60 days, all the mice in the control group were dead. All the mice having been given the

Chlorella after the cancer implantation were also dead, but in the group that had been given

split-nucleus Chlorella before implantion, 8 out of 10 mice were still alive after 60 days.

After this experiment and many others, scientists became curious to see if Chlorella worked

by stimulating the body’s natural defenses, the macrophage cells. In a study carried out by theKanazawa Medical College in Japan in 1988, cells from mouse mammary cancer, leukemiacells, and Ehrlich tumours were implanted into mice. At the end of 20 days, all the mice in thecontrol group had died, but 73% and 80% of the mice in the split-nucleus Chlorella and CGFgroups were still alive after a period of 60 days. Once again, it was noted that Chlorella onlyprotected the mice if it was administered beforehand.

Very recent studies have confirmed that Chlorella prevents the white bloodcell count from

dropping owing to use of cancer treatment medecines. In 1996 a team of scientists in Fukoka,Japan, published a report showing that « the subcutaneous administration of a glycoproteinprepared from a Chlorella vulgaris culture reduced the death rate of mice carrying tumorstreated with 5-fluorouracil. »

A Brazilian team has demonstrated the existence of a similar effect, in a study published in

1999. Mice were injected with a sublethal dose of Listeria monocytogenes. The

administration of the chlorella extract CGF raised the level of activity of the macrophage cells

in the experimental group. All the mice in the control group died, but 20% of one group and

52% of a second group of mice that had been given the CGF beforehand survived.

In the face of all these studies, it is clear that the consumption of Chlorella can be a useful

help in the fight against cancer, because of the fact that Chlorella reinforces white bloodcells

and stimulates macrophage activity, and this remains true even during chemiotherapy or

radiotherapy treatment.

By saying this I do not wish to imply that Chlorella protects people against cancer, or that it

has an anti-tumoral effect, merely that it helps the body to use its natural defences to fight the disease.

A study that clearly demonstrates the protective effect of Chlorella was carried out by the

neuro-surgical department of the University of Virginia Hospital on a group of twenty patients

suffering from brain tumours.

The goal of the study was to determine if Chlorella consumption could raise the patients’

resistance to respiratory diseases during the course of their treatment by chemio- and radio6

therapy. Up to 50% of people suffering from cancer die not because of their cancer, but

because of banal « opportunist » diseases such as mild respiratory diseases which become

lethal because the body is unable to resist them.. The quantity of Chlorella consumed by thesepeople was massive: they took 10 grams of Chlorella and 150ml of CGF in liquid form every day for two years.

The final report noted that all the patients had managed to maintain a normal number of whitebloodcells, even in the case of patients whose white bloodcell count had fallen sharply beforethe beginning of the Chlorella treatment. That said, eating Chlorella did not prevent some ofthe patients dying of their cancer; at the end of the study, 9 patients were still alive and for of them, the tumour had not progressed.

On the other hand, another element contained in Chlorella represents a real hope against

cancer: chlorophyll.

The many benefits of chlorophyll

Modern-day doctors are no longer aware that chlorophyll has medicinal effects. But here is a

quote I found in an encyclopaedia of medicinal plants in the pharmacology section of the

University of Paris. This encyclopaedia was published in 1944. The long list of the medicinal

effects of chlorophyll includes the following extract:

“It is prescribed in all cases of anaemia due to haemorrhages, in the case of recent infections,and for people suffering from cancer, to combat the anaemia consecutive to the use of deep radiotherapy.

“Indeed, if one takes care to precede each session with a chlorophyll injection, one can

without inconvenience administer strong X-ray doses without this resulting in the usual

anaemia which enforces long waiting periods between sessions.”

Almost 50 years after this quote, during the nineties, scientists all over the world carried out

experiments proving that chlorophyll protects the body against cancerogenic substances. In

these experiments, scientists attempted to cause cancer in animals by exposing them to known mutagenic substances. In every case, the administration of chlorophylline, a substance derived from chlorophyll, insured that the animals did not in fact develop the expected tumours.

Chlorella needs direct sunshine to be effective

And as the chlorophyll in Chlorella is produced by the sun, I will leave you with the following

quote written by a Japanese scientist some time after the discovery of the astonishing

Chlorella Growth Factor.

“This special substance is not only absent from most plant extracts, it is also absent from

Chlorella that is grown in the dark (with lamps), in which sugar provides the carbon source.

The formation of this hormone is inextricably linked to photosynthesis. Since Chlorella’s

particular effects are linked to the special substances that it produces during its exposure to

sunlight, other than for simple protein production, we must make sure to use Chlorella

produced in full sunlight.”

List of the research studies on chlorophyll.

Antigenotoxic activity of natural chlorophylls , Okayama University, Japan 1997

Protection by chlorophyllin against the covalent binding of 2-amino-methyimidazo (4,5-f)

quinoline (IQ) to rat liver DNA (substance mutagène) University of Hawaii, Honolulu 1992

Protective properties of chlorophylls against the covalent binding of heterocyclic amines to DNAin vitro and in vivo. Hawaii 1995

Inhibition of radiation-induced DNA damage in plasmid pBR322 by chlorophyllin and possible

mechanisms of action. Babha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, India 1999

Binding of polycyclic planar mutagens to chlorophyllin resulting in inhibition of mutagenic

activity Okayama University 1993

Chemoprotective properties of chlorophylls towards aflatoxin B1; a review of the

antimutagenicity and anticarcinogenicity data in rainbow trout. Hawaii 1998

Activity profiles of antimutagens: in vitro and in vivo data. US Environmental Protection Agency,USA 1996

This speech was given by Sally Hesmondhalgh at the 2nd International Symposium,

Nutrition Santé Mer » which took place at Granville, Normandy on the 23rd September

2003. It has been published in the proceedings of the conference by the organisers, the

Institut de Phytonutrition of Deauville, France.

1 Beyerinck, M.W. Botanische Zeitung N° 45, 7 novembre 1890

2 Cité dans « Feu Vert à la santé », Dr F. Liebke, VAK, Allemagne 2003

3 idem

4 « Chlorella Now In Practical Use » Management, Menu for Mass Feeding, Japon June 1966

5 Treatment of Peptic Ulcers with Chlorella, Yamagishi ; Y., Toikawa, M., Suzuki, R., Hara, T. Warita, F. 1962

Scientific Reports on Chlorrella in Japan, Japan Chlorella Treatment Association, Silpaque Publishing, Japan

1992.

6 Experience in using Chlorella in treating refractory wounds, Hasuda, S., Mito, Y. Kyushu University, décrit

dans Scientific Reports on Chlorella in Japan, op cit..

7 Effect of Chlorella on the changes in body weight and rate of catching cold of the 1966 training fleet crew.

Reported at the Japan Medical Science Meeting, Nagoya, Japan 1966

8 Use of nonspecific agents and vaccination in bronchopneumonia prevention in cattle. Terziev, V., Planski, B.,

Encheva, Iu. Vet Med Nauki 1983;20 (1):36-9

9 Medical Applications of Chlorella, idem.

10 Vermeil,C., et Morin, O. Le rôle expérimental des algues unicellulaires Prototheca et Chlorella dans

l’immunogenèse anticancéreuse. Société de Biologie de Rennes, Séance du 21 avril 1976 La stimulation des

macrophages péritoinaires tumoricides peut être induite indirectement par l’implantation dans la péritoine

humaine des algues unicellulaires. Archives Institut Pasteur, Tunis mars-juin 62 (1-2) p91-4 1985

11 Chlorella : Natural Medicinal Algae, Dr David Steenblock, Ageing Research Institute, USA 1987

12 Medical Applications of Chlorella op. cit.

13 Idem.

14 Idem.

15 Feu Vert à la Santé, Dr Franck Liebke op cit

16 Nagano, T., Watanabe, Y., Honma, T., Suketa, Y. Et Yamamoto, T. Absorption and Excretion of Cadmium by

the Rat administered Cadmium containing Chlorella. Eisei Kagaku 24(4) ,182-186,1978

17 Hagino et al. Effect of Chlorella on fecal and urinary cadmium excretion in « Itai-itai ». Japan Journal of

Hygiene, 30 (1),77, April 1975

18 Pore, R.S., Detoxification of chlordecone-poisoned rats with chlorella and chlorella-derived sporopollenin.

Drug-Chem-Toxicol. 1984, 7(1), 57-71

8

19 Akhtar, N., Iqbal, J., Iqbal, M.: Micro-algal-luffa sponge imobilized disc :a new efficient biosorbent.

Department of Biology, Government Islamia College for Women, University of Punjab, Lahor, Pakistan. Lett.

Appl Microbiol. 2003; 37(2):149-53

20 Chlorella accelerates dioxin excretion in rats. Moita, K., Matsueda T., Iida T, Hasegawa T. J. Nutrit. 1999

Sep ;129(9) :1731-6

21 Effects of various preparations made from Chlorella (Chlorella pyrenoidosa) cells on the defence mechnaism

(immune resistance) Kanazawa Medical College Department of Serology 1980; Scientific Reports on Chlorella

op.cit.

22 Regulation by the Single-celled green alga Chlorella pyrenoidosa of Immunological Competence in Mice with

Cancer Tumor Cells. Kanazawa Medical College, 1988 Scientific Reports on Chlorella op. Cit

23 Protective effect of acidic glycoprotein obtained from culture of Chlorella vulgaris against myelosuppression

by 5-fluouracil. KonishiF, Mitsuyama M, Okuda M, Tanaka K, Hasegawa T, Nomoto K. Cancer Immunol

Immunother. 1966 Jun;42(5):268 -74

24 Effects of Chlorella vulgaris on bone marrow progenitor cells of mice infected with Listeria monocytogenes.

Dantas DC, Queriroz ML. Institute of Biology, State University of Campinas, Campinas-SP, Brazil Int. J;

Immunopharmacol. 1999 Aug; 21(8):499-508

25 The addition of Chlorella Pyrenoidosa to the Diet of patients with malignant glioma; effects on

immunocompetence, Quality of Life and Survival. Randall ME, Rice CD, Young, HF, Department of Anatomy

and neurosurgery, Virginia Commonwealth University, Virginia Medical School, USA. Paper presented at the

Premier Congrès International d’Ethnopharmacolie, Strasbourg, June 5-9, 1990

26 Matières Premières usuelles du règne végétal, Perrot, Paris 1944

27 Medical Applications of Chlorella, op cit

28 Antigenotoxic etc.... Negishi T, RaiH, Hayatsu H, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University,

Japan. Mutat Res. 1997 May 12;376(1-2):97-100

29 Protection by chlorophyllin etc ; Dashwood RH, Department of Envionmental Biochemistry, University of

Hawaii, Honolulu. Carcinogenesis. 1992 Jan;13(1):113-8

30 Protective properties of chlorophylls etc. Dashwood R, Guo D. Department of Environmental Biochemistry,

University of Hawaii, Honolulu. Princess Takamutsu Symp 1995; 23:181-9

31 Inhibition of radiation-induced DNA damage etc. Kumar SS, Chaubey RC, Devasagayam TP, Priyadarsini KI,

Chauhan PS. Celle Biology Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, India. Mutat Res. 1999 Mar

10;425(1):71-9

32 Binding of polycyclic planar mutagens etc. Arimoto S, Fukuoka S, Itome C, Nakano H, Rai H, Hayatsu H.

Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, Japan. Mutat Res 1993 Jun;287(2):293-305

33 Chemoprotective properties of chlorophylls etc. Dashwood R, Negishi T, Hayatsu H, Breinholt V, Hendricks

J, Bailey G. Department of Biochemistry, University of Hawaii, Honolulu. Mutat Res. 1998 Mar

20;399(2):245-53

34 Activity profiles of antimutagens etc. Waters MD, Stack HF, Jackson MA, Brockman HE, De Flora S. US

Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA. Mutat Res. 1996 Feb 19;350(1):109-29