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15.12.2017

Chlorella speeds up recovery from depression

A daily supplement containing 1800 mg Chlorella vulgaris speeds up recovery from depression, according to an article that Iranian researchers published in 2015 in Complementary Therapies in Medicine. The researchers gave the supplement to people with severe depression who were also taking antidepressants.

Study
The researchers gave fifty people suffering from severe depression 1800 mg Chlorella daily, in addition to the medication they were already on. They used a product manufactured by the German company Algomed. [algomed.de] Algomed did not finance the study.

A similar group of the same size took a placebo every day.

Results
Before starting the experiment and at the end of the six weeks that it lasted, the participants completed the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale questionnaire. This is a standardised list of questions that psychiatrists use to detect anxiety disorders and depression.

The scores of both groups had decreased at the end of the experiment, but the decrease was greater in the Chlorella group.

When the researchers looked at the effect of Chlorella on anxiety and depression separately, they observed that it had a positive effect on both dimensions.

Mechanism
"Malfunctioning of the mitochondrial electron transport chain is implicated in the pathogenesis of a range of neuropsychiatric disorders such as depression, bipolar disorders and schizophrenia," the researchers wrote.

"A lower ATP production has been reported in biopsied muscles from depressed individuals with somatic complaints. Moreover, a higher prevalence of depression has been demonstrated inpatients with mitochondrial disorders. Chlorella vulgaris extract contains several components that aid energy production and promote the biogenesis of mitochondria."

Conclusion
"Findings of the present exploratory pilot trial, being the first of its kind, showed that addition of a Chlorella vulgaris extract to the routine antidepressant treatment of major depressive disorder is associated with an improved control of depression and anxiety," the researchers wrote.

"Whilst these findings represent the first clinical evidence on the efficacy of Chlorella vulgaris extract in treating major depressive disorder, future double-blind studies are required to validate the present results with larger populations and longer durations follow-up."

"The benefit of adjunctive therapy with Chlorella vulgaris in other psychological disorders such as bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder and schizophrenia also merits further investigation."

"Finally, future studies are recommended to assess the changes in plasma antioxidant status and correlate these changes with improvements in the symptoms of depression and anxiety."

Source:
Complement Ther Med. 2015 Aug;23(4):598-602.

More:
Chlorella boosts immune system during heavy physical exercise 27.11.2017
Chlorella renders cholesterol in food harmless 10.12.2016
Chlorella supplement boosts maximal oxygen uptake 07.01.2015

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