Our Favorite Supplement

The following question led me to write about E3AFA®:

“What are the top 5 dietary supplements that you consider essential basics for your customers?”

E3AFA® is the first product that came to mind since it is a long-time favorite in the office and among our family members. I will cover the other top 4 supplements in future articles.

What Is E3AFA®?

Made By Nature

E3AFA® contains organic blue-green algae wild-harvested from Klamath Lake in Oregon, USA. Each capsule contains 100% Aphanizomenon Flos-Aquae (AFA), Latin for "invisible flower of the water.”

AFA is a nutrient dense superfood. It contains over 65 vitamins, minerals, amino acids, essential fatty acids, and is a rich source of chlorophyll. Scientists have been studying these particular algae as an excellent food source for many years. 

What E3AFA® Does

Manufacturer's Statements

The manufacturer says that E3AFA® may:

• Strengthen the immune system
• Improve a person's ability to manage everyday stress
• Increase energy and endurance
• Improve attention and alertness

Also, see other  statements by the manufacturer.

Our Findings

We find the manufacturer’s claims to be valid and our customers agree. E3AFA® is one of our most popular dietary supplements. It works well alone or along with multiple vitamin and mineral formulas.

Personally, I notice a lift in mental clarity and increased energy after taking E3AFA®. It provides a real boost in the afternoon when I seem to need some help to get through the remaining hours of the day. Some people drink coffee; I take a couple extra of E3AFA® capsules.

Horton’s Assessment

Our biochemist, Horton, says that if he were limited to taking only one dietary supplement, he would choose E3AFA®. He has found other brands containing the same algae harvested from Klamath Lake do not appear to work well, likely due to harsh processing methods. 

Horton also says that research findings suggest benefits well beyond those that manufacturers are free to say, given legal restrictions on statements on product labels and literature. 

Scientific Findings

Scientific research supports the statements of benefits that AFA has on the system overall. One of many research reports on AFA follows. AFA’s benefits to the immune system impressed me. AFA is the only ingredient of E3AFA® (apart from the vegetable cellulose capsule).

Study of AFA and the Immune System

Consumption of Aphanizomenon flos-aquae Has Rapid Effects on the Circulation and Function of Immune Cells in Humans

A novel approach to nutritional mobilization of the immune system Gitte S. Jensen,1 Donald 1. Ginsberg,1 Patricia Huerta,1 Monica Citton,1 and Christian Drapeau 2,3 1Department of Surgery, McGill University, Montreal Quebec 2Cell Tech, Klamath Falls, or 3Current Address: Desert Lake Technologies, Klamath Falls, OR
Objective:
To examine the short-term effects of consumption of a moderate amount (1.5 grams) of the blue green algae Aphanizomenon flos-aquae (AFA), on the immune system.
Methods:
Using a crossover placebo-controlled, randomized, double-blinded design, 21 volunteers were studied, including 5 long-term AFA consumers.
Results:
Consumption of a moderate amount (1.5 grams) of the blue-green algae Aphanizomenon flos-aquae results in rapid changes in immune cell trafficking. Two hours after AFA consumption, a generalized mobilization of lymphocytes and monocytes, but not polymorph nucleated cells was observed. This included increases in CD3+, CD4+, and CD8+ T cell subsets and CD19+ B cells. In addition, the relative proportions and absolute numbers of natural killer (NK) cells were reduced after AFA consumption. No changes were observed in the relative proportions of n6ve versus memory T cells, neither in the CD4 or the CD8 fractions. A mild, but significant reduction in phagocytic activity was observed for polymorph nucleated cells. When freshly purified lymphocytes were exposed to AFA extract in vitro, direct activation was not induced, as evaluated by tyrosine phosphorylation and proliferative activity.
Discussion:
The changes in immune cell trafficking displayed high degree of cell specificity. Long-term consumers responded stronger, with respect to altered immune cell trafficking. In vitro, AFA did not induce a direct activation of lymphocytes. These data support a signaling pathway from gut-to-CNS-to-lymphoid tissue. The signals from CNS may be crucial for the rapid changes in the general distribution and specific recruitment we observed. Moderate anti-inflammatory modulation may account for the modification of phagocytic activity.
Conclusion:
Consumption of AFA leads to rapid changes in immune cell trafficking, but not direct activation of lymphocytes. Thus, AFA increases the immune surveillance without directly stimulating the immune system.
JANA, vol. 2, No. 3, 2000, pp. 50-58

Ordering E3AFA®

Click on this link if you want to go ahead and order E3AFA® to see how this wonderful supplement works for you.

Using E3AFA®

Improved detoxification (toxin elimination) is of the benefits of AFA. Our biochemist, Horton, recommends starting up slowly if you have been chronically ill and have not taken E3AFA® before.

Horton suggests starting with just one capsule in the morning for 3-4 days and drinking plenty of water. If you feel fine, increase the amount by taking one capsule in the morning and another capsule in the afternoon. After a few more days, you may then take this product as recommended by the manufacturer  on this page. 

About Horton Tatarian

I examine the work of other scientists to solve health problems, a field known as translational research. My search for answers began while earning a B.A. degree in biochemistry from U.C. Berkeley and an M.D. from the UCLA School of Medicine. My score on the science section of the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT), “98 percentile plus or minus one percent,” reflects my intent to use knowledge gained from the life sciences to create effective recommendations for better health.

Questions?

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