Green algae shows potential for SBS

A new study published in the World Journal of Gastroenterology suggests that a species of freshwater green algae may have benefits for people suffering from short bowel syndrome.

A team from the Turkish Gazi University Experimental Surgery Center found that a crude extract of the algae chlorella had a positive effect on rats with SBS. Dosing with the substance lead to a significant increase in intestinal villi height and width, intestinal protein and DNA amount and serum citruline levels, according to the study.

SBS is a clinical condition characterized by diarrhea, dehydration, electrolyte imbalance, malabsorption and progressive malnutrition related to a wide resection of the small intestine. The most important therapeutic objective of the disease, according to the study, is to maintain the patient's calorie and nutritional intake. Chlorella has been used in the Far East for hundreds of years as a food source and a traditional remedy.