Chlorella Benefits

What Is Chlorella?

Chlorella is a type of nutrient-dense green algae. It grows in freshwater, but it’s not something you can just pick and eat.

That’s because it contains an indigestible cell wall which is not digestible for humans. But luckily, you can benefit from chlorella by taking it in supplement form.

There are around 30 different types of chlorella, but usually, only 2 main forms make up the supergreen powders you can find it in.

Chlorella has been well studied and proven to provide humans with a wide array of potential health benefits.

How Does Chlorella Work?

Chlorella is unique in that it contains special components which help to transport and remove harmful pollutants from the body.

These tend to include things such as heavy metals, so chemicals such as mercury, lead, and aluminum, as well as glyphosates.

This means that chlorella can perform a natural detox process for the body – helping it to cleanse itself of an accumulation of unwanted pollutants. The glycoproteins it contains help to transport unwanted pollutants from the body so they can be excreted as waste.

Unfortunately, pollutants such as heavy metals are found in many food products and supplements. They can even appear in otherwise healthy products such as fish.

So it’s definitely a good thing to find a way to support the body to clear these particles.

Chlorella is also extremely high in chlorophyll – which is responsible for many of its health benefits too.

Heavy metals and other pollutants tend to get stuck to the membrane of chlorella – which is not digested and absorbed by the human gut.

This is a good thing because it means the pollutants are instead removed via the stool instead.

What Are The Chlorella Benefits?

With so many health benefits of chlorella it’s hard to pick – but here are three of the main benefits of taking these nutritious green algae.

So, if you’re wondering what chlorella is good for? Read on to find out. 

1. It Can Support Natural Detoxification

You’ve probably heard about detox supplements. The truth is that most of them don’t work – as they tend to include unproven ingredients or synthetic nutrients which don’t assist the body to do its job.

And the good news is that the body has its own detoxification pathways – it uses the skin, the lungs, the liver, and the bowels to excrete unwanted, or unhelpful toxins.

But unfortunately, our modern lives expose us to a whole host of pollutants we can do without. Mostly due to rising pollution levels, and food/ drink contamination. And heavy metals are some of the worst culprits.

Studies show that heavy metal contamination is a very real health concern and may lead to downstream health effects such as impaired cognition and neurological disorder.

But the good news is that chlorella is uniquely able to support the body with its own crucial detoxification processes.

By binding to pollutants it can support the removal of these potentially harmful particles. Several animal studies have shown this to be true.

In such studies, the results have shown that by removing the excess heavy metals there was reduced toxicity to risk to key organs such as the liver and kidneys.

The same studies also show that there was a reduced toxicity risk to the brain – which is key for healthy cognition during aging.

And, it’s not just heavy metals that chlorella can help the body process – there’s also evidence that it can lower the levels of hormone-disrupting dioxins.

As dioxin is thought to impair female reproductive processes and may worsen conditions such as endometriosis – it’s definitely something we want to minimize in the body.

2. It’s Highly Nutritious

Even with the best intentions, it can sometimes be hard to eat an optimal diet each and every day.

You get busy, you’re tired, traveling, or just unable to access the best kinds of food. And, even if you are chowing down veg on the regular, it still doesn’t guarantee you’re getting enough of each and every nutrient.

Poor soil nutrient levels can affect the nutrient density of even the healthiest foods – and many people struggle to absorb all the goodness anyway – due to gut issues and malabsorption problems.

Enter, chlorella – a super nutritious addition to top up your stores. It is impressively high in protein – which can support your muscle growth and immune function.

And unlike many plant-based protein alternatives, it actually provides you with all the amino acids you need for health – making it a complete protein.

Some types of chlorella, and often those used in high-quality supps like green tonik – are pretty high in iron too.  A daily dose of this super algae may provide up to 40% of your daily intake requirement.

Plus it also contains Vitamin C, which works in tandem with iron to boost absorption – making it a win-win for reducing fatigue and boosting red blood cell health.

Chlorella is also a good source of:

• Omega 3 – this essential fatty acid can boost your brain, help to keep your heart rhythm steady, and reduce post-workout inflammation – what’s not to like?
• Vitamin B12 – we know that vegans and vegetarians are often lacking in this nutrient – and this can leave to long-lasting nerve damage – so keeping topped up is key.
• Antioxidants – which can help to protect your body from the pesky free radicals which can wreak havoc on your cellular health and raise your risk of chronic disease.

3. It Can Improve Your Skin Health

We all want glowing, clear, and healthy-looking skin. But this can be hard to achieve.

Stress, lack of sleep, and UV light exposure can all show up on the face as wrinkles, premature aging, and other impurities.

Luckily, chlorella can help. Chlorella skin benefits are particularly unique. Because it’s packed with antioxidants it can help to reduce the damage caused by environmental pollutants and sunlight exposure.

Being such a good source of Omega 3 and other skin-boosting vitamins helps too. Omega 3 can reduce inflammation in the body but also improves the texture and appearance of the skin. It may help to reduce annoying facial redness and other undesirable skin issues – including acne.

And speaking of acne – chlorella also targets this confidence-zapping ailment by supporting the healthy detoxification processes in the body.

When we have excess toxins within the body this can sometimes show up in the skin – but because chlorella binds to pollutants and heavy metals like lead, it can help to remove these particles from the body – which may show up as clearer skin.

How Much Chlorella Should I Take?

How much you should take depends a little bit on who you ask. Some herbalists claim you only need as much as a teaspoon a day to reap the rewards.

But those who swear by chlorella’s health-boosting benefits may take as much as 15g per day.

If you are new to the supplement it’s probably a good idea to start slow and ease your way into taking this superfood on a daily basis.

You can then choose to slowly increase this over time, to avoid any unwanted GI effects. But never exceed the safe upper limit on your supplement – make sure you read it carefully to avoid “overdosing”.

Generally speaking, taking chlorella is deemed to be very safe – especially if you stick to the recommended limits.

But if you’re on blood thinning medications it’s a good idea to check in with your doctor before taking it. Because chlorella is naturally rich in Vitamin K.

Whilst this is a good thing for many people – it might interfere with these medications if you take them – so best to be safe.

The only other real thing to be aware of with chlorella is that it may increase your level of sun sensitivity. Especially if you are taking a lot of it.

But this doesn’t pose a problem providing you are sun-safe, and remember the SPF, which is essential anyway for skin health.

What Type Of Chlorella Is Best?

Ideally, you want to find a type of broken cell wall chlorella to take. This is because as we mentioned earlier – the cell wall in chlorella is not digestible by humans.

But when the wall is broken down properly, it means you can easily absorb all the wonderful benefits it has to offer.

What’s more, it makes the nutrients more available – meaning you can obtain a higher amount with the same dose.

This means it’s better to choose a broken cell wall version of Chlorella than a pulverized version. Because in the case of the latter – you may not be able to gain access to the nutrients on offer – making it a waste of money.

How To Take Chlorella?

As mentioned earlier – chlorella needs to be processed before it’s consumable by humans. So it’s not possible to just wander to your local pond and pick some.

But that doesn’t mean it’s difficult to get more chlorella into your daily diet.

That’s because it is a core ingredient of many superfood blends. And green tonik is no exception.

Here you can find a good quality, highly absorbable form of chlorella which you know the body can actually break down and use.

And remember if the idea of eating algae doesn’t fill you with joy – you can always add green tonik to your morning juice or smoothie.

Although many people actually enjoy the taste of green tonik as it is – probably because the earthy greens are well complemented with other flavourful ingredients such as berry and mint.

And, although you can just buy chlorella as a single, stand-alone supplement, remember that most nutrients and superfoods work synergistically.

That means you tend to get the best health outcomes if you combine nutrients together rather than alone.

With green tonik you’ll also get a hefty dose of essential and often lacking nutrients, an antioxidant boost, and additional adaptogenic aids.

Here are some of the other benefits you can expect from taking green tonik regularly:

• Improved immune function – due to its vitamin C content, garlic bulb, and olive leaf extract – all of which offer immune-supportive, antiviral abilities.
• Reduced stress and anxiety – green tonik combines anti-anxiety adaptogen ashwagandha, with stress-soothing B vitamins and Rhodiola for additional support.
• Better mental focus – with nootropic agents such as L-theanine, and the ancient herb ginkgo leaf powder – you can expect enhanced productivity and better concentration.

And it would be pretty pointless if your detox-promoting supergreens actually contained the very thing you’re trying to rid the body of – heavy metals.

Luckily green tonik is third-party tested to assure its purity – and with full transparency labeling you can see exactly what you’re getting as well as what you’re not.

So if you could do with a little detox support then why not consider taking chlorella as part of a green tonik blend, and get more for your money?

Julia Ebbens, MSc

Julia is a health content editor and nutritionist from Norwich, UK. She has worked as a health coach in private practice and for the national health service. She undertook an MSc in nutritional medicine to deepen her knowledge.

She enjoys producing evidence-based content which inspires people to become healthier and happier.