Superfood Spotlight: Chlorella
by Vickie Chin on Nov 25, 2020
Everyone could benefit from more energy and some heavy metal detox right? The answer is (mostly) always yes. If you’re looking to add an energizing boost to your day and help your body rid itself of heavy metals like lead and mercury, all while promoting healthy, glowing skin - chlorella might be what you’re looking for!
What Is Chlorella?
Chlorella is a green, single celled freshwater algae typically found in Taiwan and Japan. Similar to Spirulina, chlorella is an amazing source of chlorophyll and a host of beneficial micronutrients. Unlike most other green superfoods, chlorella actually contains a good amount of protein and omega-3 fatty acids. One serving of our chlorella powder contains 70% of the RDI of iron, 80% of the RDI of vitamin A and 250% of the RDI of vitamin B12!
Benefits of Chlorella:
Detoxifying:
It might surprise you to hear that you have large amounts of heavy metals in your body. We are exposed to heavy metals and toxins throughout much of our days and although our bodies require small amounts of certain elements like iron, some can be toxic in large amounts. Did you know that if you have a cavity filling, it’s likely made of mercury and could be negatively impacting you in ways that you may not realize? Chlorella is able to wrap itself around toxins like cadmium and mercury to keep them from accumulating in our body’s soft tissues and organs. It also has the ability to enhance our body’s natural ability to clear these toxins.
Immune Boosting:
Studies have shown that chlorella may support a healthy immune system response by providing the body with essential vitamins and nutrients while reducing inflammation due to high amounts of antioxidants and its impressive nutritional breakdown. Some studies have also pointed to an increase in antibodies in those who took chlorella vs those who took a placebo.
Promotes Weight Loss:
While this shouldn’t be your number one reason for adding chlorella to your routine, it’s worth noting that research has shown that regular chlorella intake may result in fat loss. This is likely due to the regulation of hormones that chlorella is able to promote while also improving circulation and increasing energy.
Promotes Healthy Skin:
If you’re a fan of DIY skincare, you’ve likely seen a recipe that included chlorella. Studies have noted that chlorella has shown to slow the aging process by reducing oxidative stress. We can thank the high amounts of vitamin A for that!
How To Use It:
Chlorella in its natural state has a hard cell wall that us humans cannot digest. Thankfully, chlorella that you’ll find in supplement form has first had its cell walls broken, in order to allow humans to reap all of its wonderful benefits. You can find chlorella in capsule, tablet, tincture and of course - powder form. Our favourite way to take it is by adding it to a morning smoothie - which is also probably the tastiest. At the end of the day, chlorella is essentially a seaweed and as you can imagine, it’s definitely not the tastiest superfood on the planet.Here’s our go-to smoothie recipe for enjoying chlorella, but feel free to add it to any smoothie recipe that you’d like or even try downing it in a glass of water with a fresh squeeze of lemon!
