Chlorella is an edible species of unicellular algae. It is a common ingredient in dietary supplements. It is also turned into an extract and used as a natural food additive.
It is a rich source of various nutrients like chlorophyll, carotenoids, minerals, and vitamins. It also contains good fats – both the long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids and omega-3 fatty acids, which support the healthy function of the heart and regulate cholesterol levels. Chlorella also prevents inflammation that leads to illnesses.
Alternative medicine practitioners believe chlorella can mitigate the symptoms of fibromyalgia – anxiety, chronic fatigue, depression, and pain at tender points. The natural supplement reputedly outperforms antidepressants, antipsychotics, painkillers, and other pharmaceutical drugs prescribed to patients experiencing these symptoms.
More importantly, chlorella is shown to alleviate the crippling symptoms of fibromyalgia without causing adverse reactions associated with the use of pharmaceutical drugs. (Related: You can easily prevent inflammation-related conditions with chlorella, researchers discover.)
Chlorella supplements relieve pain and diarrhea associated with fibromyalgia
Numerous researchers studied the potential of chlorella as a health supplement for patients with fibromyalgia. One 2001 study by the Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) gathered a cohort of people suffering from either fibromyalgia, hypertension, or ulcerative colitis.
All participants took a 10 g tablet of pure chlorella every day. They also drank 100 mL of a chlorella-based energy drink. The supplementation period lasted for three months.
The results of the VCU experiment showed that the participants displayed improvements in the symptoms linked to the three diseases. Taking chlorella reduced their blood pressure and brought their blood cholesterol levels to normal.
Patients with fibromyalgia or ulcerative colitis also experienced improvements involving diarrhea. The digestion-related symptom came up quite commonly in patients with either disease.
Most importantly, people with fibromyalgia experienced relief from the pain caused by the syndrome after taking large amounts of chlorella. The natural supplement relieved the most crippling symptom of the disease.
Chlorella works for both triathletes and ordinary people
Researchers from the Ryutsu Keizai University also held a chlorella-centric study in 2014. They evaluated the potential effects and benefits of chlorella tablets on triathletes.
Triathletes push the boundary of human physiology when it comes to strength and endurance. When they participate in grueling triathlons, they increase their considerable energy levels by taking natural health supplements.
In the Ryutsu Keizai experiment, participating triathletes received the suggested daily dose of chlorella supplements for a month. Researchers evaluated the amount of energy metabolized by their bodies.
A six-week-long period of inactivity followed the supplementation period. Afterward, the now-unsupplemented participants served as a control group for comparison to their earlier selves.
The results showed that participants who took chlorella every day demonstrated higher levels of energy output than their unsupplemented selves. Furthermore, supplemented triathletes displayed higher limits on their strength and endurance. They also kept up high levels of physical activity for longer periods.
The Ryutsu Keizai study suggested that chlorella improved the body's energy reserves. Taking daily doses of the natural supplement also reduced fatigue and lethargy.
Most fibromyalgia patients are middle-aged women who experienced the symptoms after a period of inactivity. When a patient increases activity levels, he or she often experiences benefits like better sleep, improved moods, and better quality of life. Healthcare professionals often recommend their patients take up a form of exercise in addition to their primary therapy.
The VCU and Ryutzu Keizai research showed that taking chlorella can alleviate pain and fatigue in fibromyalgia patients, as well as healthy people. The natural supplement can boost energy, improve pain, and help a person sleep and rest better.
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