Via practica 5/2015

The review of clinical and preclinical studies about the effects of Chlorella pyrenoidosa and young barley leaves on organism

Currently, there is no doubt that there is a close relationship between nutrition and serious diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases. The benefit of diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains is attributed to complex mixture of phytochemicals present in these whole foods. The additive and synergistic effects of phytochemicals in plant functional foods are responsible for their potent pleiotropic activities in organism. There are many studies, suggesting that flavonoids and carotenoids substances display anti-tumor and many other biological effects, e. g. anti-inflammatory, neuro-protective, anti-allergic, and anti-aggregatory, thus could play a role in the protection of several types of disease. Rich sources of biologically active substances are „green foods“ such as Chlorella pyrenoidosaor young barley leaves; their consumption in humans is becoming more popular. This article summarizes current scientific knowledge about the effects of Chlorella pyrenoidosaor young barley leaves in the prevention and treatment of diseases of civilization.

Keywords: diseases of civilization, plant functional foods, phytochemicals, Chlorella pyrenoidosa, young barley.