Medicines can be used
after an illness but diet is important for prevention. In this article, we
detail how algae can help prevent cancer through diet and help you live a
healthy, youthful life.
What is beta-carotene?
Food contains two types of vitamins, one is ‘vitamin A’ and
the precursor of the vitamin is beta-carotene. ‘Vitamin A’ is found in fish and
meat so we can easily get it, but beta-carotene is found in various fruits and
vegetables.
Beta-carotene is known as a vitamin precursor which is stored
in the body in adipose tissue and is converted to ‘vitamin A’ as needed and
used by the tissues in the body.
Although it is available naturally, it is also synthetically
produced and used for colouring and food. The vitamin obtained from
beta-carotene helps skin, eyes, and the inside of the skin to be special, to
protect it from infection, to regenerate body tissues, to maintain it in good
condition, to manage it, to protect teeth and bones, to regenerate night vision
pigments in the eye, to protect the skin from sunlight It also helps protect
cells from harmful environmental conditions.
Does beta-carotene help prevent cancer?
Many researchers and scientists around the world believe that
eating foods rich in beta-carotene can prevent cancer. The reason for this is
that it is advised by cancer researchers to include fruits, vegetables and
whole grains in the daily diet.
Similarly, a 50 per cent reduction in gastric cancer was
observed in a few countries with a high consumption of carrots and yellow
vegetables instead of a high consumption of dry fish.
Clinical calculations over the last 10 years have concluded
that ‘vitamin A’ deficiency can cause cancer and that ‘vitamin A’ helps prevent
skin cancer caused by sunlight.
Similarly, ‘vitamin A’ has been shown to help in the recovery
of blood cancer called leukaemia in laboratories.
Medical studies
The most important of the studies is the clinical
results published in the prestigious English medical journal Lancet. After
monitoring the diets of nearly 2,000 lung cancer-prone electrical workers who
were given a diet with 10,000 units of beta-carotene in one group and a diet
with no beta-carotene in the other, 25 years later, lung cancer rates were
significantly lower in the beta-carotene group.
Similarly, the UK National Cancer Institute also states that
people who eat beta-carotene have a reduced risk of developing cancer.
People over the age of 30 are about 16 times more likely to
develop cancer. So this age group should pay more attention to food.
Let's protect the radioactive nature
To protect plants from ultraviolet light, which can cause skin
cancer, a kind of prevention occurs in their cells. When exposed to too
much sunlight it automatically produces more beta-carotene to protect itself.
These changes occur most often in algae on some planets that emit a lot of
ultraviolet light.
Algae are high in beta-carotene
Recently, the American Cancer Society and many doctors have
recommended a diet high in beta-carotene to protect against cancer, radiation
exposure, and stress. Spirulina contains higher amounts of this beta-carotene
than any other food.
Spirulina has been around for 3.5 billion years. Although man
has known about this microscopic blue-green algae for hundreds of years, it is
only now that man has become intellectually aware of its health benefits. Till
now, millions of people in 40 countries are maintaining their health by
consuming it.
Where there are more algae suitable for human consumption
Spirulina algae thrive in the high-altitude highlands of
Africa, close to the equator, receiving the highest levels of ultraviolet
light. The algae here can change from yellow to yellow-green in a single day,
which shows that its life cycle is only a few hours.
Spirulina also has a unique ability to protect itself from
high levels of radiation in nature and is rich in chlorophyll, carotenoids, and
important beta-carotene that help the body heal.
Spirulina is known to have been consumed for hundreds of
years by people living around Lake Chad in Central Africa and in the Aztec Maya
civilizations of Mexico and Central America. It is now a food and health
supplement in the United States.
Algae like spirulina are very high in beta-carotene. This is
because of a chemical change it takes to protect itself from the harmful
effects of sunlight. It is known as an antioxidant. Apart from these, oranges,
papayas, mangoes, spinach and red fruit vegetables also contain beta-carotene.
Algae are totally beneficial.
How Much Beta-Carotene Is Needed Through Diet The recommended
daily intake of vitamin A in the United States is 1,500 units.
Spirulina can relieve stress because it contains vitamin B12,
vitamin B and amino acids that calm the body's nerves and prevent stress.
Similarly, the algae called dunaliella also contains high
levels of beta-carotene. When we eat this type of algae, it helps to keep the
body healthy and youthful, preventing age-related appearance, joint pain, and
cancer.
Eating this type of algae regularly helps in reducing obesity. Algae such as spirulina and dunaliella are healthy for life and many studies are ongoing.