Impressive Chlorella Benefits for Your Body

There are many chlorella benefits that can help your body (Image via Pexels @Supplements on Demand)
There are many chlorella benefits that can help your body (Image via Pexels @Supplements on Demand)

If you are a fitness freak or just a health conscious person in general, you might have come across chlorella benefits for the body. Chlorella is a relatively new addition to the repository of healthcare ingredients favored by fitness enthusiasts, first studied after World War II for its potential benefits as a protein source.

Some people believe that the "superfood" chlorella can cure just about anything by itself. It's a rapidly expanding algae that is understood to be good for your health in many ways.

Proteins, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and more can all be found in chlorella. To sustainably feed the world's expanding population, some have suggested using chlorella as a food source. Others have proposed using it as a renewable and sustainable fuel for farm machinery.

However, in the United States, it is primarily used as a dietary supplement and is consumed in tablet, powder, or liquid form. Supplemental forms of chlorella can be found among various species.

Whip up chlorella into a pudding to reap its many benefits (Image via Unsplash @Vita Marija Murenaite)
Whip up chlorella into a pudding to reap its many benefits (Image via Unsplash @Vita Marija Murenaite)

Chlorella Benefits: What is Chlorella?

Green chlorella are unicellular freshwater algae. While over 30 species exist, scientists most frequently work with Chlorella vulgaris and Chlorella pyrenoidosa. Chlorella benefits can be accessible to you only through supplementation due to the plant's indigestible cell wall.

Chlorella is generally purchased as a capsule, tablet, tablet, powder, or extract. It is used as both a dietary supplement and a biodiesel fuel. Research suggests it may have a wide range of positive health effects, with some of them listed below.


Chlorella Benefits: Nutrient Profile

There are many chlorella health benefits that you can gain by consuming it regularly. It's clear that it contains a number of useful nutrients, although the precise amount will vary depending on factors like growing conditions, species used, and how supplements are processed.

  • Chlorella is 50–60% protein by weight. It also contains all nine essential amino acids, making it a complete protein.
  • Some chlorella strains may also be high in vitamin B12, though this has not been conclusively proven.
  • One of the many chlorella benefits is that it can be a good source of iron and vitamin C. The daily value provided by supplements typically ranges from 0.6–4.0%. Since vitamin C aids in iron absorption, it's a win-win situation for those consuming the product.
  • These tiny green cells offer a wide variety of antioxidants beyond those already mentioned.
  • Chlorella also has trace amounts of other vitamins and minerals like magnesium, zinc, copper, potassium, calcium, folic acid, and the B vitamins.
  • Chlorella, like other algae, has omega-3 fatty acids. It only takes three grams of chlorella to get 100 milligrams of omega-3s. Check out these symptoms of omega-3 deficiency.

To that end, chlorella, when consumed in large quantities, can be a nutritious source of fiber. While fiber is important, most supplements don't even provide one gram per serving.

Chlorella is available in the form of powder and tablet supplements (Image via Flickr)
Chlorella is available in the form of powder and tablet supplements (Image via Flickr)

Clorella Benefits: How Can Chlorella Improve Your Health?

Check out the following chlorella benefits:

1) Acts as a Natural Detox

One of the best chlorella benefits is its ability to detoxify the body. Extensive research in animals has shown that it is useful for detoxifying the body of heavy metals and other toxins.

Heavy metals are rarely found in people's bodies at dangerous concentrations, but some occupations, such as mining, alongside environmental factors, can expose people to them.

Chlorella is one type of algae that has been shown to reduce heavy metal toxicity in the liver, brain, and kidneys in experimental animals.

The addition of chlorella to food has also been linked to a reduction in the levels of other potentially harmful chemicals. Dioxin, a hormone disruptor, is one of these and can contaminate animals used for food.

Chlorella is able to cleanse the body of heavy metals (Image via Flickr)
Chlorella is able to cleanse the body of heavy metals (Image via Flickr)

2) Enhances Immunity

One of the best chlorella benefits for those consuming it may be its ability to enhance immunity. Animal and human studies have shown that chlorella improves immune response, but the evidence is still preliminary. Results from a single, small study showed that when men took chlorella, compared to a placebo, their antibody production increased. As antibodies are a key component in the body's defense against pathogens, this discovery has encouraged further research on the topic.

Again, a small study of just eight weeks found that healthy adults who took chlorella had signs of increased immune activity. However, results have been contradictory, with some studies finding small effects and others finding none at all.


3) Antioxidant Activity

In addition to chlorophyll, vitamin C, beta-carotene, lycopene, and lutein, chlorella also contains a number of other compounds that have antioxidant properties.

Many chronic diseases can be fought with the help of these antioxidants. Many of the complications of diabetes are driven by advanced glycation end products (AGEs), and some of these antioxidants appear to inhibit their production.

A human study also found that chronic cigarette smokers, a population at a higher risk of oxidative damage, saw an increase in their antioxidant levels after taking chlorella supplements. Check out these best green powders to include in your diet.


There are many other chlorella benefits that impact the respiratory system, improve blood sugar levels, keep blood pressure in check, improve cholesterol levels, and also help manage respiratory diseases. As is evident by now, you can include chlorella in your diet for improved overall health.

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