Algae 101

Chlorella is well established as a superfood and invaluable dietary supplement. This single-celled fresh-water alga grows in diverse ecosystems and is among the most ancient life forms on the earth. It virtually has not changed in over 2 billion years of existence.

Chlorella is one of the richest foods in protein, carotenoids and the nucleic acids (RNA and DNA), and it contains more chlorophyll than any other food. Due to its vast nutritional properties, it has been subject to extensive scientific study for many decades and is showing a host of promise for the benefits of health and nutrition of today’s health concerns.

Chlorella is a natural detoxifier. As we are being bombarded with huge amounts of xenobiotics (pesticides, heavy metals, dioxins etc.) in the environment, Chlorella offers a solution for minimizing the accumulation of these contaminants in the body, as it can bind to these compounds and eliminate them naturally from the system. These effects have been in people, lactating women, animals and in the environment. This study was done in Japan, where 6g of chlorella was given every day during pregnancy. Dioxin in breast milk was reduced by 40% and increased the IgA (immunoglobin A). So Chlorella also has an effect on immunomodulation, and it can improve the resistance to infection and stimulate the immune response. Human trials have shown Chlorella’s immune enhancing effects.

References

J Med Food. 2007 Mar;10(1):134-42.

Chlorella supplementation decreases dioxin and increases immunoglobulin a concentrations in breast milk.

Nutrition Journal 2012, 11:53 Beneficial immunostimulatory effect of short-term Chlorella supplementation: enhancement of Natural Killer cell activity and early inflammatory response (Randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial)