Ask Your Pharmacist

Question:

Dear Sir

With reference to your comments pertaining to Chlorella problems in this week's Body & Mind, you mentioned that 

chlorella is not suitable for asthma patients.  Like to know why not suitable and how do i detect as currently 

my child (6 years old) who is on chlorella (to build up immune system) is also asthmatic.

Thanks.

Answer:

Asthma is an allergic condition whereby the person’s air passage (from the nose and mouth to the lungs) tightens when exposed to certain substances,

causing symptoms such as breathlessness, wheezing sound and coughing. Being an asthmatic, your child’s immune system is by nature overactive and is

at greater risk of developing allergy to environmental factors such as dust and animal proteins and to certain food such as milk.

Like animal proteins and milk, chlorella has the propensity to trigger allergy and there are reports to suggest that chlorella may be associated with rare incidents

of asthma and fatal allergic reaction.

Furthermore, from laboratory studies, chlorella is known to stimulate the immune system, which makes it theoretically dangerous in asthma.

Piecing all these information together, chlorella is usually not recommended to anyone with asthma. Nonetheless, you do not need to be overtly alarmed.

You may want to maintain an allergy diary for recording the timing of your child’s asthma attacks and all daily activities. Use of chlorella with corresponding

 increase in asthmatic symptoms within hours would necessitate stopping of its consumption.

Regular exercise, balanced nutrition, adequate rest and hydration can replace chlorella as means to boost immunity.

Do check with your health professional on how to exercise safely without triggering asthma. Your health professional can also advise you on whether the perceived

 signs of poor immunity such as persistent coughing are actually asthmatic symptoms.

Source:Ivan Chew, Pharmacist, Pharmaceutical Society of Singapore

More information and advice can be obtained from your pharmacist. Send your questions to sthealth@sph.com.sg.

Ng TP, Tan WC, Lee YK. Occupational asthma in a pharmacist induced by chlorella, a unicellular algae preparation. Resp Med 1994;88:555-7.