Chlorella pyrenoidosa, a freshwater single-celled green algae, is more popular in Japan as a regular supplement than vitamin C. An estimated 5 million Japanese use this medicinal algae every day. Chlorella's broad spectrum health benefits, amply researched by Japanese scientists, include the impressive fact that it contains 60% protein, including all the essential amino acids, and high levels of beta carotene and chlorophyll.
It is to chlorella's high chlorophyll content (more chlorophyll per gram than any other plant) that many researchers and enthusiastic users attribute its multiple health benefits.
Both scientific documentation and reliable anecdotal reports indicate that chlorella is effective in helping to reduce the symptoms of numerous types of cancers, diabetes, low blood sugar, arthritis, AIDS, pancreatitis, liver cirrhosis, hepatitis, peptic ulcers, viral and bacterial infections, anemia, and multiple sclerosis.
Chlorella is considered to be a first class detoxifying agent, capable of removing alcohol from the liver and heavy metals (such as cadmium and mercury), certain pesticides, herbicides, and polychlorobiphenyls (PCBs) from the body's tissues. A Japanese study showed that taking 4-6gm of chlorella before consuming alcohol can prevent hangovers 96% of the time, even after a night of heavy drinking.
Chlorella can also absorb toxins from the intestines, help relieve chronic constipation, favorably alter the bacterial flora content of the bowel and eliminate intestinal gas. It is also effective in healing skin wounds, both mild and severe.
About 30% of people can not tolerate chlorella. This may be due to a cellulase insufficiency: if you are unable to tolerate chlorella, it would be wise to consider adding a digestive enzyme supplement with cellulase in it to help digest the chlorella.
There have been hard-to-substantiate comments about the danger of mercury contamination in chlorella products. One doctor has responded by saying "What the investigators failed to account for was that the binding coefficient of chlorella to mercury is far in excess of its potential to release mercury into the body. It only absorbs mercury; it does not release it into the body."
A study showed that among 50 people with Alzheimer's, aged 70-90, taking 6gm daily of chlorella for 6 months, 68% experienced either a stabilization or improvement in cognitive functions.
Using large doses of chlorella facilitates fecal mercury excretion. After the intestinal mercury burden is lowered by other means, mercury will more readily migrate into the intestine from other body tissues where chlorella will aid in its removal.
Chlorella can mobilize mercury from inside the brain and from non-neurologic structures (muscles, ligaments, connective tissue and bone).
Chlorella increases TH1 cytokines to help balance the immune system. Other algae products may have similar benefits.
Chlorella or other algae may reduce circulating toxins and bowel autointoxication, and consequently improve chronic lower back pain.
Chlorella – a green, plant-like algae – is extremely high in chlorophyll which increases oxygen levels in the blood, thus boosting energy, detoxifying the blood and promoting tissue repair. The phycocyanin found in chlorella is a great immune booster as it helps the body produce more stem cells, which can be used to destroy the bacteria and viruses involved in liver inflammation.
A Japanese study showed that taking 4-6gm of chlorella before consuming alcohol can prevent hangovers 96% of the time, even after a night of heavy drinking.
Your body is a highly complex, interconnected system. Instead of guessing at what might be wrong, let us help you discover what is really going on inside your body based on the many clues it is giving.
Our multiple symptom checker provides in-depth health analysis by The Analyst™ with full explanations, recommendations and (optionally) doctors available for case review and answering your specific questions.