Four reasons to add chlorella to your diet today

Saturday, January 21, 2012 by: Donna Earnest Pravel
Tags: chlorella, blood pressure, nutrition

(NaturalNews) Chlorella is a green algae that is considered to be one of the most powerful superfoods known to man. Chlorella contains vasts amount of chlorophyll within its cell walls. The cell walls of chlorella are tough and indigestible, so many chlorella producers break the cell walls before selling the product. Broken cell chlorella releases the nutrients inside the cell walls so the human body can use them. Besides being possibly the richest source of chlorophyll on Earth, chlorella is also very high in plant protein. Chlorella contains fifty-eight grams of protein per one hundred grams of weight. By comparison, beef and chicken have twenty-four to twenty-eight grams of protein per one hundred grams of weight. Chlorella is a pain reliever, reduces hypertension, enhances the immune system in some cases, and chelates heavy metals.

Chlorella has been found to reduce pain

In 2000, a pilot study was conducted in which fibromyalgia patients consumed 10g of a commercially available chlorella tablet and 100mL of chlorella in liquid form. Symptoms were measured at the beginning of the trial, and again after one and two months of treatment with chlorella. After two months on chlorella, the fibromyalgia patients reported a significant 22% reduction in pain and tenderness. One-third of the patients believed their health was better after taking chlorella. Scientists involved with this study stated that a full double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial was warranted.

Chlorella reduces or stabilizes blood pressure, even when medication is stopped

In another clinical study, patients with hypertension were given 10g chlorella tablets and 100 mL chlorella extract for two months. Patients were taken off all blood pressure medications, then treated with chlorella. One-fourth of the patients saw a decrease in blood pressure after taking chlorella for two months. The other three-fourths did not see a rise in blood pressure, despite being taken off their blood pressure medication.

Chlorella enhances the immune system after flu shots in some adults

In a clinical trial performed in 2003, patients who had received flu shots were given chlorella to see if the algae improved immune system function. The subjects, all over the age of fifty, took either a placebo or chlorella for three weeks before being injected with a flu vaccine. At one week and three weeks after receiving the flu shots, patients between the ages of fifty and fifty-five who had been taking chlorella had two to four times more antibodies than the placebo group. Results were insignificant for older adults in the study.

Chlorella has potential as a heavy metal chelator

A study involving rats showed the potential chlorella has for counteracting heavy metal poisoning in humans. Male rats were given cadmium chloride, a toxic metal compound used in yellow dye and photocopying. Some rats were also fed chlorella powder, while other rats were used as the control group. Cadmium was found in the bloodstream, liver, kidneys, and small intestines of the rats. However, there was a remarkable increase in cadmium in the urine and feces of the chlorella-fed rats. In addition, tissue damage was less in the chlorella group. The research group concluded that chlorella can be considered an appropriate counteragent for heavy metal poisoning.

Sources for this article include:

Pubmed.gov. "Nutritional Supplementation With Chlorella pyrenoidosa for Patients With Fibromyalgia Syndrome: a Pilot Study," R.E. Merchant, et al. Phytotherapy Research: PTR May 2000 14(3); 167-73. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10815009

Pubmed.gov. "Nutritional Supplementation With Chlorella pyrenoidosa for Mild to Moderate Hypertension," R.E. Merchant, et al. Journal of Medicinal Food Fall 2002 5(3); 141-52. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12495586

Pubmed.gov. "Safety and Immunoenhancing Effect of a Chlorella-derived Dietary Supplement in Healthy Adults Undergoing Influenza Vaccination: Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Trial," S.A. Halperin, et al. CMAJ: Canadian Medical Association Journal July 22, 2003 169(2); 111-7. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12874157

Pubmed.gov. "Effect of Chlorella Intake on Cadmium Metabolism in Rats," J.A. Shim, et al. Nutrition Research and Practice Spring 2009 3(1); 15-22. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20016697

About the author:
This article is provided courtesy of Donna Earnest Pravel, owner and senior copy editor of Heart of Texas Copywriting Solutions.com. Get free weekly tips on natural healing and herbs by visiting her blog, Bluebonnet Natural Healing Therapy.