Benefits of Chlorella for Ulcerative Colitis An HSI member named Tom has a question about a potentially debilitating disease. Tom writes: "I have recently been diagnosed with ulcerative colitis. Have you done a report or do you have any suggestions?" Ulcerative colitis is caused by inflammation of the large intestine. In some cases flare-ups occur infrequently. But in chronic cases, abdominal pain and diarrhea are common, which seriously impacts quality of life. Long bouts of this disease often prompt other problems such as anemia, dehydration and malnutrition. Now, to answer Tom's question: Yes, we have reported on ulcerative colitis. In an e-Alert I sent you in 2001, I detailed a study in which eight patients with this condition took 10 grams of chlorella in tablet form and 100 milliliters of chlorella liquid extract each day for two months. Chlorella is obtained from green algae, and is extremely rich in chlorophyll, which helps clean the bowels. At the end of the study period, participants completed a 32-question survey, noting the supplement's effect on four areas: symptoms related to the primary bowel disturbance, systemic symptoms, emotional impact, and social impact. The results showed strong improvement across the board. The participants also reported that they felt the severity of their attacks lessen considerably soon after they began taking chlorella, and that their symptoms continued to reduce or remained stable over the course of the study. In other human research, chlorella has shown promise in fighting cancer, lowering cholesterol, and lowering blood pressure. In one study, chlorella was found to be as effective as prescription drugs in lowering blood pressure for the majority of hypertensive patients. In the chlorella study mentioned above, subjects received formulation called Sun Chlorella, which uses a patented process that improves the algae's bioavailability without compromising its nutritional value. You can find more information at the Sun Chlorella web site: sunchlorella.com. | 
