Dr. Paulo Valdoleiros, of the South African capital of Bloemfontein, is interviewed by Zoom on the SABC News Morning Show to discuss a recent study on the antiviral effects of spirulina. The research from a team of scientists from Israel and Iceland showed that an extract of spirulina algae has the potential to reduce the chances of COVID-19 patients developing a serious case of the disease.
The research, published in the peer-reviewed journal Marine Biotechnology, found that an extract of photosynthetically manipulated spirulina is 70% effective in inhibiting the release of the cytokine TNF-a, a small signaling protein used by the immune system.
“If you control or are able to mitigate the excessive release of TNF-a, you can eventually reduce mortality,” said Asaf Tzachor, a researcher from the IDC Herzliya School of Sustainability and the lead author of the study.
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