Chlorella as Greens

Nutrient-rich chlorella algae supports good health through multiple bio-activities.

• Antioxidant activity. Chlorella contains multiple antioxidants and nutrients that improve the body’s antioxidant system.
• Immune system support. Chlorella has been shown to boost the immune system.
• Improvement of blood lipids. Chlorella helps regulate cholesterol and other blood fats.
• Supply of nutrients. Chlorella is a rich source of protein, vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients.

Overview

Chlorella is a type of edible green algae – a single-celled, photosynthetic microorganism. Chlorella is known for a rich nutritional profile that includes essential fatty acids, vitamins (particularly vitamin B12, and folate), minerals such as iron and magnesium, fiber, carotenoids such as lutein, and chlorophyll. Moreover, chlorella is a good source of complete protein (~60% of total content), meaning that it contains all nine essential amino acids.

Given chlorella’s ability to quickly multiply, scientists in the 1940s proposed that it could be used as a cheap, high-quality food source to help with world hunger. However, they later discovered that chlorella requires very specific conditions to grow efficiently and cannot be digested in its natural form due to a tough cell wall.

Despite these findings, chlorella recently regained popularity as a “superfood”, and is frequently included as an ingredient in greens supplements. Some of the proposed health benefits of chlorella include better digestion, immune system function, metabolism, weight loss, and improvement of overall health and wellness.

How Chlorella Might Improve Your Health

It’s difficult to pinpoint exactly how chlorella exerts its beneficial effects because of how many different nutrients and bio-active compounds it contains. However, researchers have proposed several mechanisms:

Antioxidant support

Many of the nutrients and bio-active compounds in chlorella – including vitamins, minerals, phenols, and chlorophylls – either act as antioxidants themselves or enhance the body’s inherent antioxidant defense system. Increased antioxidant capacity helps offset the excess generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which has been implicated in a wide range of health concerns including diabetes, neurodegenerative disorders, and even the process of aging itself.

Boosting immunity

Chlorella may also reduce inflammation and enhance the body’s immune response. For example, it has been demonstrated to boost levels of immunoglobulin A, an antibody critical to immune function, and enhance the body’s production of the INF-γ, IL-12, and IL-1β cytokines – protein molecules that stimulate the immune system.^{1 2}

Enhancing lipid metabolism

Chlorella has been demonstrated to enhance several blood lipid risk factors, such as elevated cholesterol. Although it’s not entirely clear how it achieves this, one hypothesis is that carotenoids and other compounds on chlorella inhibit the absorption of fats.

Chlorella Uses & Benefits

Chlorella is a popular greens supplement reputed to support overall health and prevent illness. Among its many benefits, chlorella is claimed to help digestion, immune function, weight loss, fatigue, cardiovascular health, and detoxification. Although more research is needed, there is some scientific evidence that chlorella’s biological activities might add up to these and other benefits.

Chlorella is also rich in lutein, a carotenoid compound that has been demonstrated to support eye health and improve visual function in patients with macular degeneration.³

Research

Animal Research

Animal studies of chlorella supplementation have reported a number of beneficial findings:

• Reduced blood glucose levels in diabetic rats⁵
• Reduced cholesterol and total blood lipid levels in rabbits fed a high-cholesterol diet^{6 7}

Human Research

Clinical trials of chlorella highlight a number of beneficial properties, such as enhancement of immunity, reduction of high blood pressure, and antioxidant activity.

Chlorella (6 g) may boost the immune system

This randomized, crossover trial examined the effects of chlorella on immune function. Fifteen men were given 30 placebo or 30 chlorella tablets (6 g total) daily for 4 weeks, with a 12-week washout period between the two treatments, and had their saliva examined. Chlorella supplementation resulted in a significant elevation of immunoglobulin A (SIgA), an antibody used as a common marker of immune function.

• The researchers concluded that “4-week ingestion of a chlorella-derived multicomponent supplement increases salivary SIgA secretion and possibly improves mucosal immune function in humans“⁸

Chlorella appears to reduce elevated blood pressure

In this randomized study, researchers tested the effects of chlorella on high blood pressure (hypertension). Eighty adults with elevated blood pressure were given placebo or chlorella daily for 12 weeks. Systolic blood pressure was reduced significantly in people given chlorella, while diastolic blood pressure had the tendency to be lower.

• The researchers concluded that “GABA-rich Chlorella significantly decreased high-normal blood pressure and borderline hypertension, and is a beneficial dietary supplement for prevention of the development of hypertension“⁹