Is Chlorella The Ultimate Superfood?

Looking for a simple and effective way to get more nutrients into your diet? Chlorella could be perfect. Made from single-celled green algae, Chlorella powders and tablets are packed with plant protein, vitamins, minerals, and more. Keep reading to learn more about the nutritional value and wellness benefits of incorporating Chlorella into your diet.

What is Chlorella?

Chlorella refers to a genus comprising roughly 30 species of green, single-celled algae. The varieties most commonly used in research and sold as supplements (either in powder, tablet/capsule, or extract form) are Chlorella vulgaris and Chlorella pyrenoidosa.

Besides playing a vital role in freshwater ecosystems, Chlorella has gained a reputation as a "superfood" due to it being rich in protein, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, amino acids, and more. Hence, more and more health-conscious consumers are turning to Chlorella to support a healthy diet and lifestyle.

Chlorella Organic Powder

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What are the health benefits of Chlorella?

Thanks to its nutritionally dense nature, Chlorella is touted for having a variety of health benefits. Below we'll explore the potential benefits of incorporating Chlorella supplements into your diet.

1. Chlorella is packed with nutrients

Chlorella is highly nutritious. While the exact nutritional content of Chlorella supplements varies from one brand/source to another, these single-celled algae generally contain:

• Up to 50% protein
• 20% fat
• 20% carbohydrates
• 5–10% fibre, vitamins, and minerals

Chlorella is a great source of a wide range of minerals, including zinc, magnesium, calcium, iron, copper, and potassium. It also contains a variety of B vitamins, including cobalamin (B12) and folic acid (B9), as well as high amounts of vitamin C. Besides being a great source of plant-based protein, Chlorella also contains all nine essential amino acids, and is an excellent source of omega-3.

Note that Chlorella isn't naturally digestible by humans, due to the algae's hard cell wall. This is why it needs to be broken down and processed into a fine powder, tablets/capsules, or an extract.

2. Chlorella may help you purge toxins

Animal studies show that Chlorella may help the body purge heavy metals, such as mercury and lead (Uchikawa et al., 2011; Quieroz et al., 2003). Moreover, animal studies have also found that algae such as Chlorella may help to relieve heavy metal toxicity in specific regions of the brain, liver, and kidneys (Zhai, Narbad, & Chen, 2015). While more research is needed, these preliminary studies suggest that Chlorella could help your body purge harmful toxins.

3. Chlorella may help to regulate cholesterol levels

Healthy cholesterol levels are vital to our health and well-being. Cholesterol is a key constituent of human cells and is needed to make hormones, vitamins, as well as enzymes that help break down food. However, excess cholesterol is well-documented as being one of the primary risk factors for coronary heart disease. Luckily, studies suggest that Chlorella supplements may help to reduce cholesterol levels.

Clinical trials have shown that daily Chlorella doses of just 5–10mg can lower both LDL and triglyceride levels in people with high blood pressure and/or high cholesterol (Merchant & Andre, 2001; Ryu et al., 2014). While more research is needed to understand how Chlorella may help improve cholesterol levels, it may have to do with its high concentration niacin, fibre, and carotenoids—all of which have been shown to reduce cholesterol.

4. Chlorella is rich in antioxidants

A diet rich in antioxidants has been linked to a vast variety of health benefits. Luckily, Chlorella has been shown to be rich in a variety of known antioxidants, including:

• Vitamin C
• Chlorophyll (the cause of chlorella's rich green colour)
• Beta-carotene
• Lycopene
• Lutein

5. May support immune function

Our immune system is our primary line of defence against diseases and infections. A healthy lifestyle and diet are believed to play a key role in supporting our immune health, and limited studies show that Chlorella may help. More specifically, multiple clinical trials have shown that small daily doses of Chlorella can increase immune markers in adults (Otsuki, Shimizu, & Iemitsu, 2011; Kwak et al., 2012; Halperin et al., 2003). Note that more studies are needed to understand how Chlorella may affect immune function.

What are the possible side effects of using Chlorella?

Chlorella is generally a well-tolerated supplement. However, it may cause side effects (Halperin et al., 2003) in some people, including:

• Nausea
• Abdominal discomfort

How to use Chlorella?

At Zamnesia, we stock high-quality Chlorella supplements in powder and tablet form. Our Organic Chlorella Powder, for example, contains 100% organically sourced Chlorella vulgaris powder. It is super nutrient-dense, rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals, and can easily be added into smoothies/juices as well as both savoury and sweet dishes. Note that Chlorella can be taken with water, though it has a strong, earthy flavour.

Zamnesia Chlorella Tablets, on the other hand, can easily be taken with water and swallowed whole. Each tablet contains 500mg of pure Chlorella vulgaris.

Dosing

People dose Chlorella differently based on their needs. In general, however, 3–10g of Chlorella usually constitutes a standard adult dose. Whenever taking a Chlorella supplement, we recommend sticking to the instructions provided by the manufacturer. When using Zamnesia Organic Chlorella Powder, for example, we recommend sticking to daily doses of 3–5g. If you're using Zamnesia Chlorella Tablets, on the other hand, we recommend taking 6 tablets (which totals 3,000mg) per day.

Chlorella: A great addition to any healthy diet

Chlorella is rich in many nutrients, vitamins, minerals, and more. If you're looking for a versatile supplement to help boost your daily intake of healthy nutrients, Chlorella is a great option. Available in both powder and tablet form, Chlorella is simple to take and can make a great addition to any healthy diet and lifestyle.

Steven Voser

Steven Voser is an independent cannabis journalist with over 6 years of experience writing about all things weed; how to grow it, how best to enjoy it, and the booming industry and murky legal landscape surrounding it.

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