Top 10 Chlorella Benefits and Nutrition Facts

Today you will discover the best 10 Proven Chlorella Benefits for your health.

Chlorella is often discribed as a Superfood and for good reason, it’s one of the richest healthest foods on the plant for protein.

Native to Japan and Taiwan, Chlorella is a freshwater alga that offers a host of health benefits.

While it has been in existence since the early days of the planet, its medicinal value had not been utilized until the close of the nineteenth century.

Recent studies have shown that the chlorella is rich with phytonutrients, which are crucial to human body development and functioning.

10 Chlorella Benefits for Great Health

Similar to its cousin the Spirulina, chlorella is blue-green algae. The rich color of these two algae comes from the high concentration of chlorophyll. As you probably know, eating more leafy green vegetables is great for our health.

However, this is not easy to achieve in a day. By consuming the chlorella supplements, you can get all the benefits you get from the recommended intake of green vegetables. Let us look at some of the reason you should consider adding the chlorella supplement in your diet.

1.  Potent and Powerful Antioxidant

Antioxidants are a common name today. These molecules bind with the highly reactive free radicals that are responsible for severe cell damage. Generally, the free radicals are formed during the normal metabolic processes. Although the body has a mechanism that helps in neutralize them the UV radiation as well as environmental pollutants increase their production making it hard for the body to fight them.

Leaving them to roam freely causes many damages especially when it comes to damage to DNA of a cell, which may trigger cancerous growth. Chlorella has potent antioxidants that help in cleaning the free radicals. Additionally, chlorella also helps in activating glutathione, which is the most potent antioxidant in the body. Hence, Chlorella helps in the prevention of oxidative stress(¹)

2.  Chlorella is 100 Percent Natural

The chlorella you find in the market comes either from Taiwan or Japan and is available in two varieties; Chlorella Pyrenoidosa and Chlorella Vulgaris. Both the varieties are processed in high tech factories that ensure efficacy and safety. Depending on the variety, it will differ on the number of carbohydrates, protein, vitamins, and minerals.

Dried chlorella contains 45 percent protein, twenty percent carbohydrate, twenty percent fat, and five percent fiber with magnesium, zinc, iron, as well as phosphorous complementing it (see table below). Unlike the earlier chlorella products that had low digestibility, companies use high tech that breaks the cell wall ensuring that the body can absorb up to eighty percent.

3.  Boost Immune Function

Chlorella has also been found as a powerful immune stimulant in a variety of studies. For instance, in a study done in Korea, it showed that patients who took chlorella supplements had a significant increase in the immunological parameters(²).

In this clinical trial, patients who took about 5 grams of chlorella on a daily base for eight weeks had a ten percent increase in their natural killer cell activity. These were also a significant increase in their gamma interferon, which indicated improved immunity against bacterial and viral infection.

The chlorella supplement proves to be a better alternative to individuals taking vitamin pills to boost their immunity as it offers a whole lot when compared to other supplements. The best thing about this supplement is that it contains all the essential vitamins and minerals which are crucial for proper body functioning.

4.  Helps in Detoxification

Environmental toxins find their way into our body through the food we eat and water. When these toxins accumulate in the body, they lead to various disorders such as cancer. Luckily, by consuming the chlorella supplement, it aids the body to flush out the toxins. This product is particularly helpful when it comes to removal of heavy metals such as mercury, cadmium, and lead.

According to a study done in Japan, it showed that chlorella played an active role in helping cadmium-poisoning victims to detoxify seven times faster. The indigestible outer shell is credited with assisting in detoxification. This hard shell is made up of mucopolysaccharide. The chlorella supplement is processed in a way that the outer shell is broken to increase its absorption.

The cleansing effects of chlorella are not limited to the gut. This product also helps in cleansing the liver and purifying the blood. Thanks to its high chlorophyll content, this supplement also helps in increasing the hemoglobin in the blood. Hemoglobin increase translates to the oxygen carrying capacity improvement, which boosts the blood circulation. This will help in the elimination of waste from organs and tissues.

5.  Digestive Aid

Taking chlorella supplement on a regular base helps to relieve some of the digestive problems such as stomach cramps, bloating, and irregularity. Besides helping to fight stomach upsets this product also relieves smelly stools and bad breath. Since it contains many digestive enzymes the most important being chlorophyllase and pepsin.

Stagnating of food in the digestive tract causes lining of the intestines to inflame, the proliferation of harmful microbes as well as re-absorption of toxic substances. Additionally, the chlorella will improve the peristaltic function ensuring faster food movement. Thanks to the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, this unit brings effective relief to individuals suffering from irritable bowel syndrome, ulcerative colitis, as well as irritable bowel.

What’s more, the chlorella has great Probiotic action that allows it to provide useful bacteria in the gut. These microbes help in breaking down soluble fiber while ensuring the nutrients and vitamins are available to the body(³).

6.  Chlorella Benefits for Skin

Helps to maintain a healthy skin. In order to stay in good and youthful state the skin cells renew themselves continuously. For this to happen, it takes many resources.

Having rich sources of lipids, amino acids, vitamins as well as minerals, this product provides the necessary supplementation that is needed for skin regeneration.

Because of the increased environmental pollution, our skin is prone to free radical damage, which causes premature aging. Besides, UV radiation exposure also adds to the skin cell degeneration, which is obvious when considering the global warming effects.

Besides having the abidance in Bata carotene and lutein, this product also contains several phenolics compounds, which are excellent free radical scavengers.

Chlorella Benefits for Hair

This Chlorella is not only good for your skin it can also promote hair growth and help your hair follicles. Chlorella helps with the production of Keratin. This is a important compound found in hair.

Furthermore, chlorella helps in preventing hair loss. This is thanks to the phytonutrients present in chlorella. These strengthen the hairs follicles and help with blood circulation of the scalp

Another interesting chlorella benefit for your hair(⁴) is it contains biotin. Which is a well known vitamin to stop hair loss and also prevent graying hair.

7.  Chlorella May Help Prevent Cancer

Chlorella helps in prevention of cancer in more than one way. To begin, this product plays an active role in flushing out heavy metals and toxins from the body. Thanks to its high antioxidant power, this product also helps in protecting the cells from the free radicals.

Chlorella will also strengthen the immune system and enhance the T cell. By so doing, this product will help the body to identify and destroy cells that form tumors(⁵).

Moreover, when you take the chlorella supplement in the conventional treatment of cancer such as chemotherapy and radiation, it minimizes their side effects. Due to the reason that these cancer treatments destroy the gut lining making the digestion difficult, chlorella offers a steady nutrient supplement.

8.  Control Cholesterol and Blood Sugar

Because the chlorella will help in accelerating the good movement in the gastrointestinal, it reduces the absorption of fats and cholesterol into the bloodstream. In a study published in the medicinal food journal, the results of consuming cholesterol in the regular base will not only help to reduce cholesterol intake but also minimize the blood sugar levels.

It is interesting to note that the reduction of the blood sugar levels was noted when the cholesterol levels were normalized. Because chlorella is said to help in hypoglycemia prevention, it shows that it helps to improve insulin sensitivity(⁶)

9.  Chlorella Benefits Weight Loss

Weight loss is not simple, especially when considering our lifestyle. You have to come up with strict rules to avoid junk food and prepare balanced diet, which may take a lot of time, especially when considering our busy schedules. The good news is that by consuming the chlorella supplement, you can lose weight and maintain that body weight that you have always wanted.

As you probably know, the first step for losing weight involves detoxifying, and this is for a good reason. Allowing the toxins to accumulate in the body make our body have a large amount of fat deposits. The body survives by storing the toxins in the fat. Luckily, chlorella is one of the most powerful natural detoxification supplements we have.

While high protein which is known to assist in weight loss, taking too much of animal protein may lead to atherosclerosis because of the high amount of cholesterol and fat. This is where chlorella comes in. It contains high protein which doesn’t have a lot of fat.

What’s more the high chlorophyll available in this algae also assist in increasing hemoglobin as well as red blood cell count which is crucial in boosting the blood circulation as well as the levels of oxygen in the blood? This will increase the metabolism rate thanks to the higher energy levels. The increased energy levels will help you to exercise which definitely help in weight loss.

10.  Great for Your Eyesight

While most of us believe that carrots are the best for eyesight because of their beta-carotene content, you will be surprised to learn that Chlorella has a higher concentration of Beta-carotene. Besides being a rich source of beta-carotene, it also contains lutein, which is another important pigment for the eye health.

High lutein content in the eye helps in lessening the risk of age related macular degeneration, which may cause blindness. Consumption of green leafy vegetables will give you the lutein but taking the chlorella supplement will allow you to get the lutein and beta-carotene in one shot.

Other Health Benefits: Food for Your Brain

Being an excellent source of vitamin B12, chlorella also plays an active role in keeping your brain functioning well. Vitamin B12 deficiency leads to the development of various conditions including memory loss, depression as well as shrinking of the brain. As we grow old, the ability of the body to absorb vitamin decreases and this may put the elderly at the risk of vitamin B12 deficiency.

The best thing about this product is that it is not only a good source of the B12 vitamin. It also comes with a Bioavailable form that allows for rapid absorption. It is also a great source of magnesium, which is also vital for brain health. According to numerous studies, this product can help to increase the memory as well as learning in both old and young.

Chlorella Nutrition

The table above shows Vitamins and Minerals available in Chlorella.

How the Chlorella Cell Wall is Cracked

The interesting short video below by Dr. Bob McCauley shows the methods used to crack open the Chlorella Cell Wall and get to all the goodness inside.

Taking a Chlorella Supplement

The chlorella supplement is mainly taking in two forms: as a smoothie or tablet.

• Like a smoothie, the chlorella has a strong taste, so it is advisable to add a half teaspoon to a smoothie that contains coconut water, banana lime juice, and vanilla protein powder. This will hide the taste and make the smooth delicious.
• As a tablet, you should take about three to six tablets with a glass of water at least one and a maximum of three times a day.

Chlorella Side Effects

Chlorella is generally considered safe. However, it’s advised only short-term use of around 2 months. Further, as with any supplement some people may experience negative side effects. The most Common of these negative side effects are mostly to do with gastrointestinal problems including: gas (flatulence), nausea, diarrhoea, stomach cramping.

Allergic Reactions

Chlorella is safe for people that don’t have allergies. A allergic reaction may include: skin hives, rash, skin swelling and even chest pain.

Mold Allergy

Chlorella could cause allergic reactions in people who are already allergic to molds.

Iodine Sensitivity

Chlorella contains Iodine, hence if your sensitive to Iodine it could cause allergic reactions.

Autoimmune Disease

Chlorella increases immune functions, therefore if you have conditions such as MS, rheumatoid arthritis than Chlorella could worsen these conditions.

Photosensitivity Reactions

Could cause some people’s skin to be sensitive to the sun following ingestion of Chlorella.

Pregnancy and Breast-feeding

Studies have shown positive effects on breast-feeding biodefense for nursing infants

“Chlorella supplementation not only reduces dioxin levels in breast milk, but may also have beneficial effects on nursing infants by increasing IgA levels in breast milk(⁷)”

However, Webmd.com states “not enough reliable information about the safety of taking chlorella if you are pregnant or breast feeding“

Also only take the recommended dosage listed on the supplement.

Chlorella Natural Health Benefits

It is evident that chlorella supplementation is great for overall health. The best thing about this supplement is completely natural. This makes it safe for both kids and adults.

Breastfeeding and pregnant mother can also take it, as it will help in increasing the immunoglobulin, which helps to transfer the immunity from mother to child (see side effects above). Additionally, the chlorella also plays a major role in promoting physical growth as well cognitive development in young kids.