A calcium-carbonate supplement developed by an Israeli biotechnology firm has been tested in space and proven to help the body grow muscle fibers and strengthen bones in zero gravity.
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Amorphical has synthesized and stabilized a rare form of natural calcium produced by the blue crayfish, and uses them to develop bioactive compositions it calls Amorphous Calcium Carbonate (ACC).
The discovery of the supplements' efficacy could have wide-reaching ramifications for astronauts, who suffer from osteoporosis as a result of long stays in space.
In April, Eytan Stibbe became Israel's second astronaut. Stibbe was sent to space as part of the first private space mission in history, on behalf of the Ramon Foundation. Stibbe took the Amorphical experiment to the International Space Station and tested the supplement on human muscle and bone stems cells and compared the results to those achieved through standard calcium supplements.
A month and a half ago, Stibbe returned to earth, along with his equipment. At Amorphical's laboratory in Ness Ziona, the company examined the findings and discovered that the cells had been at zero gravity, as well as exposed to high levels of radiation present in space, the tissues given the ACC supplement had not only not been damaged, they had grown just as they could have been expected to on earth.
The cells supplemented with regular calcium and the cells in the control group did not improve and barely grew.
The results of the Amorphic supplement experiment are due to be published in scientific journals soon.
Amorphical founder and CEO Yossi Ben noted that "The experiment's success is a game-changer when it comes to long-term sojourns in space. The more we delve into experiments based on ACC, the more we discover more influences [it has] on radical illnesses and bone and muscle problems."
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