There are two types of green algae that are growing in popularity for their health benefits, these are; Chlorella Pyrenoidosa and Chlorella Vulgaris. There are subtle differences between the two types including; digestibility and anti-oxidant properties. Chlorella vulgaris is more digestible and better tolerated by people who have digestive issues, but slightly lacking in its ability to remove heavy metals from the body.
Overview of Chlorella Vulgaris
Chlorella is known as a “super food” and contains protein, vitamins, fats and minerals. It is widely used in alternative medicine to assist with healing. It is packed with energy and phyto-nutrients enriched by sunlight, oxygen, carbon dioxide and water. It has an amazing ability to reproduce itself every 20 hours. This ability to regenerate can increase healing and strengthen the immune system, when taken as a supplement.
When used as a food source, the protein and carbohydrate to fat ratio classifies this type of plant as a “whole food,” with complete proteins. It contains about 45% protein, 20% carbohydrate and 20% fat. It is also nutritionally dense in Vitamins and Minerals. It is especially rich in Vitamin B-6 and Vitamin B-12. Third world countries have experimented with its use to provide cheap, nutritional food to those without ample food resources.
One issue is that it has a very hard outer shell. In order to get the full nutritional benefits, the body has to break down or digest this shell. In some this can cause stomach cramping and discomfort.
Health Benefits of Chlorella Vulgaris
Chlorella vulgaris is one of the types of green algae that are more easily digested by the body. It has a weaker outer membrane that can be broken down by the enzyme activity during digestion. Because of this; it tends to lose a little bit of the increased nutrients and metal chelating properties with the softer cell walls, but is still shown to be beneficial. There is a strain called the “CK” strain that does have a little more nutrients and anti-oxidant properties than the original strain of vulgaris.
The only way to receive health benefits from chlorella is to properly digest it. There are some people who have digestive diseases and problems such as; IBS, Crohn’s Disease colitis and ulcers that experience discomfort during digestion of this supplement. Some strains can be mechanically broken down in the manufacturing process or the tablets can be chewed. The mechanically broken down tablets need to be done in a special way in order to preserve the benefits. When the tablets are chewed they are noted to have a very strong “grassy” taste, which may be unpleasant for some people.
There are many health benefits from supplementation with chlorella vulgaris, these include; minimizing side effects of chemotherapy and radiation, increased tissue regeneration in wound care and nutritional and growth support in children with short stature.
Studies in animals have shown that when injected into a tumor, it slows the growth rate of the cancer cells. It has some anti-hypertensive effects, may be able to lower cholesterol and prevent frequent bacterial infections.
Because chlorella vulgaris is more digestible, the Vitamin B-12 is better absorbed and more beneficial to strict vegetarians as it is comparable to the B-12 found in animal products. It also contains almost the same amount of zinc that is found in meat.
Side Effects of Chlorella Vulgaris
The only downside is that because chlorella vulgaris has a softer cell membrane, it does not have as much ability to detoxify the body of heavy metals such as lead and mercury. This benefit comes from the harder cell walls and their ability to bind to heavy metals and carry them out of the body. It has been found that the “CK” strain of this type is better capable of ridding the body of heavy metals.
As with any supplement, remember to check with your physician before you begin using Chlorella Vulgaris.