Chitin-Chitosan: The Power of Crab Shell

Super Food/Super Tonic from Japan

Akira Matsunaga, M.D., Ph.D., is the first doctor in Japan to use chitin-chitosan in clinical practice. Here, we summarize some of the highlights of his in-depth book: Chitosan, The Ultimate Health Builder, copyright 1998, Vintage Press, New York, NY.

What is Chitin-Chitosan?

Chitin-chitosan (CC) is a mixture of chitin and chitosan. The chitin, the component of the crab shell, becomes chitosan upon enzymatic treatment.

Extraction Process

In order to extract only the chitin from crab shell, a chemical process is used consisting of 5% hydrochloric acid, which removes the calcium, and 5% sodium hydroxide, which dissolves the protein. If the chitin is deacetylated (by treating it with 45% sodium hydroxide (or caustic sodium) at a high temperature), chitosan is produced.

This treatment does not produce 100% chitosan, but in general, produces a mixture of 10-15% chitin and 85-90% pure chitosan, which is called “pure CC” (in the US, chitosan is a mixture of about 7% chitin and about 93% chitosan). Cost-effectiveness aside, the biological effects of chitin produced from all sources are the same.

Prehistoric Origins

As discussed in Dr. Matsunaga’s book, chitin may be “the primordial form” of some of the first living things on earth, existing much earlier than dinosaurs.

Ancient Use

Chitin has been a part of Japanese folk medicine for thousands of years. Evidence that chitin has been used since ancient times can be found in The Herb List, the book of medicine from the Ming Dynasty, China: “Break a crab shell, grind it, make a ball out of it and eat it to treat anything that swells or grows.”

Standard & Quality Control

Since chitosan became so popular so fast in Japan, the quantity and quality of chitosan can vary widely. For this reason, in 1995, the Japan Health Nutritious Foods Association announced “The Standard of Chitin-Chitosan Products”.

What are Chitosan Oligosaccharides?

Chitosan oligosaccharides (CO) takes chitosan a big step further. When CC is ingested, a small amount of it is broken down into very small molecular particles by the enzymes of the body, thus producing CO. CO can also be manufactured by using an enzymatic process. CO is more easily absorbed by the body, but contains less fiber than regular CC, so the focus is more on its therapeutic actions.

Case Histories from Dr. Matsunaga

Akira Matsunaga, M.D., Ph.D., is the first doctor in Japan to use CC in clinical practice. Below are some of his case histories and observations.

Case History 1: Low Pulmonary (Lung) Function

The first patient Matsunaga tried CC on was his father, who suffered from diminished lung function as a result of lung surgery from tuberculosis thirty years previously. Matsunaga had already tried everything on his father, with no results, who was dependent on an oxygen tank and could only walk a few steps a day. After taking only two capsules twice per day (a total of 120 mg) for one week, Matsunaga’s father was able to walk around the house without his oxygen tank. By the tenth day, he was able to leave the house and get off his meds, and enjoyed three years of improved health and quality of life before he died at age 81.

Case History 2: Skin Cancer

The next patient was a 75-year-old man with skin cancer on his ear. Again, Matsunaga had already tried everything, and the doctors were recommending that the ear lobe be removed. Matsunaga had the man take the same dosage he had given to his father (2 caps 2x per day). Within one week, the cancer began to shrink, and in four more days, it disappeared completely.

A Wide Variety of Health Conditions

Impressed beyond his expectations,Matsunaga soon implemented the use of chitosan on a much broader scale in his clinical practice with careful attention to detail. In general, he found that weak patients became stronger, and healthy patients became healthier; that often symptoms resistant to medications were alleviated; common daily complaints such as constipation, shoulder stiffness, low back pain, etc., disappeared; medication dosages were able to be reduced (by 30% on average), thus lessening their side effects; quality of life was improved in terminal patients.

Matsunaga found that chitosan did not target only one organ or disease, but that it was effective in a wide variety of health conditions including circulatory and heart diseases, dermatoligical diseases (atopic dermatitis, etc.), opthamological (eye) conditions, ENT (ear, nose & throat) conditions, hemorrhoids, and a multitude of problems affecting all organs of the body.

Government Funded Research

In 1982, the Japanese government, through the Ministry of Agriculture and Fishery, began a ten-year project to find ways to use “unused biomass” as large piles of unused crab shells were accumulating at the crab meat processing plants. A six billion dollar grant was funded by the Ministry of Education for “A New Extension of Basic and Clinical Researchers on Chitin-Chitosan and Their Enzymes”, which prompted research at thirteen universities. The following are summaries of some this research:

Animal Studies: Cholesterol & Liver Health

Professor Shigeo Hirano, Tottori University, found that CC lowered cholesterol and neutral fats, and prevented liver dysfunction. In addition, the nonchitosan group showed inflamed and fatty livers, while the chitosan group’s livers were completely normal.

Through various animal studies, Professor Michihiro Sugano, Kyushu University, found that CC absorbs LDLcholesterol and carries it out of the body through the intestines, as well as raising HDL cholesterol.

These findings have been clinically tested on many of Dr. Matsunaga's patients demonstrating cholesterol levels within normal range.

Cancer

Professor Shigeo Suzuki, Tohoku Medicinal College, found that “CC has anticancer action, preventing metastases of cancer cells.” The study by Suzuki used the breakdown products of CC (chitin & CO), which were found to strengthen macrophage and natural killer cells to kill cancer cells and increase immunity.

Professor Ichiro Azuma, Hokkaido University, reported that “chitosan is effective in inhibiting the metastasis of cancer cells.” Azuma proposed that since cancer metastasis takes place by getting into the blood vessels, chitosan blocks pores on the blood vessel wall to prevent cancer cells from entering. He called it “The Theory of Cementing Molecules.”

Professor Hiromichi Okuda, Ehime University, confirmed through animal studies that chitosan strengthens natural killer cells. In November 1993, he published his findings in the Journal of Chitin-Chitosan Association. In a rat study, Okuda found that the action of natural killer cells against cancer cells in the presence of chitosan was 4 to 5 times stronger than the controls.

Blood Pressure

Professor Hiromichi Okuda, Ehime University School of Medicine & Professor Hideo Kato, Hiroshima Women’s University concluded “Chitosan lowers high blood pressure, and prevents it even with excess intake of table salt.” But after this research was done, Professor Okuda and his group found that it was the chlorine in table salt, not the sodium, that causes hypertension. They gave alginic acid (a dietary fiber contained in Wakame seaweed) that binds to sodium, together with NaCl to rats. They found that even though the rats had excreted the sodium in their feces, they still had hypertension. The researchers then used chitosan to bind to only the chlorine and excrete it from the rats’ bodies. Remarkably, the chitosan rats did not have hypertension. The researchers then confirmed their findings on themselves. Theyconsumed a large amount of NaCl and ingested chitosan. They excreted only the chlorine in their feces and they did not get hypertension. They concluded that since chlorine is necessary to activate ACE (angiotensinogen-converting enzyme), which produces angiotensin that causes hypertension, the removal of chlorine by chitosan inhibits ACE activity, and therefore no hypertension results.

Infections & Inflammation

Kitazato University School of Medicine reported: “If chitosan derivative and collagen fiber are used to cover burn wounds, they prevent bacterial infection and inflammation.”

Chitosan Binds to Heavy Metals

Chitosan binds very well to heavy metals and excretes them from the body. Chitosan’s molecular weight is several hundred thousands to several millions. When chitosan binds to heavy metals, they cannot stay ionized, and become contained within the chitosan molecules. Pure chitosan is white or off-white, but when it is excreted bound to a heavy metal, it takes on the color of that metal. For example, copper comes out as dark blue, nickel comes out as light blue, cobalt – pink, iron – light yellowish brown, chrome – brown, etc. Dr. Matsunaga suggests this could prove especially helpful for people who eat a high fish diet, such as the Japanese, who may be consuming higher amounts of mercury.

These heavy metal binding benefits extend beyond the human body. Since chitosan is a natural material with no toxicity, and large amounts of it do not have any negative effects on the environment, it can be used to treat heavy metals contained in the waste products produced by industry.

Safety

It is important to note that CC and/or CO may be contraindicated for those with shellfish allergies. Chitin is a safe, natural substance and is not manufactured with any synthetic chemicals.

Numerous experimental studies have been conducted by a number of Chinese institutions including The Department of Orthopedics of Changzheng Hospital under the Shanghai Second Military Medical University, the Department of Health Toxicology of the Shanghai Second Military Medical University, the Shanghai Institute of Entomology’s Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Department of Orthopedics at the Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, the University of Science & Technology of China, the Department of Orthopedics of Anhui Jiangong Hospital, and the Department of Health Toxicology of Anhui Medical University. Some of these studies include: heat source reflection, intracutaneous injection, skin sensitivity testing, systemic anaphylaxis test, eye conjunctiva and corneal test, hemolysis test, test of depressor substance, subcutaneous and endosteal implant test, mutagenic test, dominant lethal test, etc. Results have been consistent with reports from other international sources of no toxicity. In addition, the Japan Precision Chemical Corporation has conducted toxicity tests on CC, and has proven that it is safe.