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What is Chlorella is a single cell algae that is considered a super food rich in protien, fats and essential vitamins and minerals. Chlorella Health Benefits Chlorella boosts the immune system and widely used as a detoxificating agent against heavy metals.

Chlorella Side effects and warnings. Chlorella is considered safe to most people at recommended dosages, but not for pregnant women. May cause side effects such as nausea, flatulence, vomitting and allergic reaction for senstive people.

Scientific Name: Chlorella pyrenoidosa

Other Names:
Algue Verte d’Eau Douce, Chinese Chlorella, Chlorella Algae, Chlorella pyrenoidosa, Chlorella vulgaris, Chlorelle, Clorela, Freshwater Green Algae, Freshwater Seaweed, Green Alga, Green Algae, Japanese Chlorella, Seaweed, Yaeyama Chlorella.

The name Chlorella came from the Greek word "chloros" meaning green and "ella" meaning small. Chlorella is a microscopic algae that has been widely believed in the 1940’s as a promising food source because of its high protein content and essential nutrients. Chlorella was then considered as a potential solution to world hunger (Technology and Culture by Warren Belasco) and was once considered as a way to end food shortage by providing large amounts of high-quality food for a relatively low cost. However, when large scale farming of Chlorella was implemented, production difficulties hampered its development which was contrary to the promising results obtained from laboratory production. Moreover, Chlorella in its natural state is not fit for human or animal consumption because of its tough cell walls encapsulating the nutrients. These cell walls have to be broken that presented further problems and maintained its production costs high. Chlorella never achieved its predicted large scale production.

Commercially available Chlorella are processed and made into tablets and liquid extracts and for the most part been sold as a health food and supplement, for cosmetics, or as animal feed.

Chlorella when dried,  is about 45% protein, 20% fat, 20% carbohydrate, 5% fibre, and 10% minerals and vitamins.

Chlorella health benefits includes such as claims of weight control, cancer prevention, and immune system support.

Description

Chlorella is a single-cell green algae, belonging to the phylum Chlorophyta. It does not have any flagella and is spherical in shape, microscopic in size about 2 to 10 μm in diameter. Chlorella grows rapidly in water requiring carbon dioxide, sunlight and minerals to reporduce. Chlorella contains the green photosynthetic pigments chlorophyll-a and -b in its chloroplast.

Chlorella is considered as a super food being a good source of protein, fats, carbohydrates, fiber, chlorophyll, vitamins, and minerals providing many health benefits to humans and animals.

Chlorella also contains high levels of chlorophyll, beta-carotene and RNA/DNA. There are more than 20 vitamins and minerals found in chlorella, including folic acid, inositol, iodine, iron, magnesium, PABA, pantotheneic acid, phosphorous, potassium, proteins, RNA/DNA, vitamins A, C, B1, B2, B2, B3, B5, B6 and B12, E and K, zinc which is beneficial in maintaining overall health.

In medicine, chlorella has been known to benefit those who have cancer by reducing radiation treatment side effects, stimulating the immune system and improving response to medicines and, increasing white blood cell counts.

Other claimed health benefits from Chlorella include its protective effect against toxic metals such as lead and mercury. Chlorella is also beneficial to the immune system and helps fight infection. It has been shown that it can increase the amount of good bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract that benefits those who have ulcers, colitis, diverticulosis and Crohn’s disease.

Chlorella’s other health benefits include the treatment of constipation, bad breath, high cholesterol, fibromyalgia, high blood pressure, asthma, sexually transmitted disease called trichomoniasis, PMS and improve mental health.

Antiproliferative effects of carotenoids extracted from Chlorella ellipsoidea and Chlorella vulgaris on human colon cancer cells.

In a study published in the Journal of Agriculatural Food Chemistry, Nov 2008, the antiproliferative activity of carotenoids separated from marine Chlorella ellipsoidea and freshwater Chlorella vulgaris has been evaluated, Results have shown that the semipurified extracts of C. ellipsoidea and C. vulgaris inhibited HCT116 cell growth in a dose-dependent manner, yielding IC(50) values of 40.73 +/- 3.71 and 40.31 +/- 4.43 microg/mL, respectively. In addition, treatment with both chlorella extracts enhanced the fluorescence intensity of the early apoptotic cell population in HCT116 cells. C. ellipsoidea extract produced an apoptosis-inducing effect almost 2.5 times stronger than that of the C. vulgaris extract. These results indicate that bioactive xanthophylls of C. ellipsoidea might be useful functional ingredients in the prevention of human cancers.

Inhibitory potential of Chlorella vulgaris (E-25) on mouse skin papillomagenesis and xenobiotic detoxication system.

In a study published in AntiCancer Research, May to June 1999, showned that topical application of Chlorella vulgaris (500 mg/kg b.w./day) during peri-, post- or peri- and post-initiational stages of 7,12-dimethylbenz [a] anthracene (DMBA)-induced papillomagenesis, significantly modulated the a) tumor burden to 5.00, 4.33 and 3.94 (positive control value: 5.88 b) cumulative number of papillomas to 90, 78 and 67 (positive control value: 106); and c) percent incidence of mice bearing papillomas to 94, 90 and 89 respectively (positive control value: 100). E-25 treatment alone or during peri-, post- or peri- and post-initiational stages significantly elevated the sulfhydryl (-SH) and glutathlone S-transferase (GST) levels in the liver and skin tissues. The results suggest the chemopreventive potential of E-25 during peri-, post- or peri- and post-initiational stages of murine skin papillomagenesis. The possible significance of xenobiotic detoxication system in modulating the papillomagenesis pattern is discussed.

Hot water extracts of Chlorella vulgaris improve immune function in protein-deficient weanling mice and immune cells.

A study published in the Journal of Immunopharmacology and Immunotoxicology, December 2010 evaluated the effects of hot water extracts of Chlorella vulgaris (CVE) on a deteriorated immune function through utilization of a protein-energy malnutrition (PEM) diet. Male mice were fed for 8 days with standard diet or a PEM diet. Mice in the PEM diet group were orally administered 0.1 g/kg and 0.15 g/kg of Chlorella vulgaris extract  for the following week. Nutritional parameters such as the total protein, albumin, glucose, and interferon γ (IFN-γ) were increased in blood serum of the Chlorella vulgaris extract  treated group compared with the non-treated group. The mononuclear cell numbers from spleen, superficial, and mesenteric lymph node were reduced in mice fed with PEM diet, but numbers from the spleen and superficial lymph node were increased by the Chlorella vulgaris extract  treatment. The Chlorella vulgaris extract  treatment significantly increased the production of both interleukin (IL)-2 and IL-4 compared with the media control, but did not affect the production of IFN-γ. These results suggest that Chlorella vulgaris extract  may be useful in improving the immune function.

Dietary Chlorella protects against heterocyclic amine-induced aberrant gene expression in the rat colon by increasing fecal excretion of unmetabolized PhIP.

In a study published in the Food and Chemical Toxicology, June 2013, the impact of dietary Chlorella on PhIP metabolism and aberrant colonic gene expression following short-term PhIP treatment in male rats was investigated. High-performance liquid chromatography analysis revealed that fecal excretion of unmetabolized PhIP was significantly increased in rats whose diets were supplemented with Chlorella compared to rats in a PhIP-only group (P<0.001). Quantitative realtime PCR confirmed that the increase in beta-catenin and cyclin D1 mRNA in the colon induced by PhIP was ameliorated in rats pre-fed with Chlorella (P=0.052 for beta-catenin; P=0.005 for cyclin D1). The increase in DNA shearing that is a hallmark of caspase-8-mediated apoptosis by PhIP was also significantly diminished in the colons of rats pre-fed Chlorella (P=0.012). These results suggested that administering dietary Chlorella with a Western-style diet concomitantly or immediately before mutagen exposure might be beneficial in blocking the absorption of food mutagens such as PhIP.

 

Side Effects and Warnings

Chlorella is considered safe if taken in recommended dosage and for not more than 2 months.

No sufficient studies are available on the side effects of chlorella in pregnant and breastfeeding women. Avoid using chlorella supplements during pregnancy and while breast feeding.

Chlorella is mostly taken as a detoxifier, in some cases, the onset of detoxification process results to unfavourable side effects that may include nausea, flatulence, stomach cramps, diarrhea, etc. In consideration to this, it is best to start your chlorella regimen during weekends and stay close to home. In case where the side effects are too much, reduce your intake and gradually increase to recommended dosage in few days to soften the side effects.  Symptoms of side effects normally subside in a few days.

Chlorella has been known to cause serious allergic reactions, including asthma and other dangerous breathing problems.  It may also contain iodine, so be careful if you have iodine allergy. Chlorella can also cause an increased sensitivity of the skin to the sun.

Chlorella contains vitamin K and may reduce the effects of blood thinning medications such as warfarin.

“Autoimmune diseases” such as multiple sclerosis (MS), lupus (systemic lupus erythematosus, SLE), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), or other conditions may be affected by Chlorella by increasing the activity of the immune system and this could increase the symptoms of autoimmune diseases. If you have one of these conditions, it’s best to avoid using chlorella.

Availability

Chlorella algae grow naturally in fresh water but Chlorella for human consumption is generally cultivated in mineral-rich freshwater ponds and processed under the monitoring of microbiologists to ensure quality and purity. Chlorella is available in tablet, capsule, powder or liquid extract form and is sometimes combined with other natural foods such as spirulina, barley, wheat grass and seaweed.

Commercially available chlorella in the U.S. are from Japan, China, Taiwan and Korea. Those that are from China are the cheapest but the quality and purity may be lower compared to those coming from higher priced chlorella from Taiwan.
Some  chlorella are found to have calcium fillers which may be seen as white blotches (see picture below)and they may be cheaper because you are buying calcium instead of pure chlorella. Check the labels if it contains calcium carbonate (fillers).

How to take it

Chlorella can be taken as a pill or can be added to foods and drinks. Just follow the intake instructions as found in the label.

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