Chlorella, the Single-Celled Algae

Chlorella is a green super food that shows promise to in becoming a popular health supplement and potential cancer preventative. Popular in Japanese culture, according to diagnose-me.com, a website aiding in the diagnosis of various symptoms, approximately five million Japanese people consume this single-celled green algae every day. Chlorella is researched by Japanese scientists for its effectiveness in treating and preventing diseases. Having the potential to treat various problems, why is this supplement rarely spoken of?

Chlorella itself is a powerful detoxifier that aids in expelling heavy metals and other toxic substances out of the body. Healingdaily.com, a website promoting detoxifying and healing diets, says that because of the “composition of chlorella’s fibrous cell wall and nutrients, it had been proven to bind to heavy metals that accumulate in our bodies.”

Not only is chlorella useful in detoxifying our body, but it also aids in the elimination of our bowels. The organism has the highest chlorophyll content and helps in improving foul-smelling bowels.

Chlorella is a food product and therefore not considered a vitamin, medicine or a health agent that usually has a dosage limit. It is recommended, however, to start off with 3 grams of chlorella and over time you can increase your intake up the amount that you feel comfortable with. Chlorella’s detoxifying ability may produce uncomfortable symptoms like nausea, sluggishness or diarrhea, so you may have to start at a lower dose or a dose that you are comfortable with.

According to the chlorellafactor.com, an online free book advertising the benefits of both chlorella and spirulina, “chlorella provides twelve times more digestible protein than beef.”

This supplement is beneficial for those on a vegetarian diet who may be concerned with their protein intake. Other benefits according to the chlorella factor are that it has been demonstrated to “reverse cancer in the human body, rebuild nerve damage in those suffering from Alzheimer’s [and] Parkinson’s. They also help diminish cravings for carbohydrates and processed foods and work to help you lose weight.”

Chlorella contains a long list of nutrients: it is 58% protein, contains all the B vitamins including B12, Vitamin C,E, macrominerals (calcium, magnesium, zinc, potassium, etc), trace minerals, omega 3-fatty acids, mucopolysaccharides, beta-carotene, nucleic acids and chlorophyll. Of course there are people like my botany teacher who claims that we should probably just consume a lot of spinach; however, it would take a lot of spinach in order to achieve greater benefits than those from chlorella.

When choosing a chlorella supplement, it is recommended to choose a brand that states that the chlorella has a broken cell wall. A broken cell wall ensures that you are going to receive many  benefits.

Whether you take the powder or the tablet form of chlorella, one of the reasons why I believe chlorella is not popular on the market is because, unfortunately, it does have a fishy, grassy smell. The taste itself is not that pleasing to the taste buds but there are ways to overcome these obstacles. I personally like to add a few grams of chlorella to a diluted Bolthouse Farms Green Goodness drink or a Naked Green Machine drink. These drinks already include several milligrams of chlorella and spirulina as well. This shows that there is some fact that these super foods are beneficial to the body.

In conclusion, I am not a certified physician but I do believe that research is very important before starting a supplement or anything that you are adding to your diet to achieve a healthy well-being. If you are currently taking any medication please consult a doctor if you have any concerns. I also do believe that there is a benefit in taking green super foods. Even though doctors may say that they are not necessary for your health, I take them because there is always an opportunity to improve it.