Alphabetic Guide to SUPERFOODS - Chlorella

My alphabetic guide to the best superfoods for your diet continues below looking at Chlorella, a fresh-water algae, renowned for its many benefits including a healthy immune system, detoxification of the body and anti-ageing.  The Japanese are huge fans and millions take it daily.  Read on for more benefits and info....

Chlorella is a single-celled, fresh-water algae, cultivated mostly in Asia.  In Japan, seven million people consumer it daily.  It has a very tough indigestible cellulose wall, so after harvesting it's milled making it more absorbable.

Key Actions
Alterative, nutritive tonic, rejuvinator.

Taste
Bland, a little like green tea.

Plant Facts
Chlorella has the highest chlorophyll levels of the plant world at 3-5% and a substance called Chlorella Growth Factor (CGF) which allows chlorella to go through its reproductive cycle in one day.

HOW DOES IT HELP ME?

DETOXIFICATION -  This is the number one algae for liver detoxification, removing alcohol,
heavy metals and environmental pollutants.
It's the top superfood in Japan, research after nuclear disasters showed it helped eliminate uranium, cadmium and lead.  It's also used to eliminate mercury from amalgam fillings.
Another Japanese study showed taking 4-6g of chlorella before drinking alcohol reduced hangovers by 96%!

HEALTH IMMUNITY - Japanese studies have shown that chlorella is helpful with suppressed immunity (chronic illness, after chemotherapy), speeding the recovery of developing immune system cells and restoring hte mature white blood cell population, improving resttance to viral and bacterial infections.

REPAIR AND REJUVENATION - Chlorella Growth Factor (CGF) makes this the fastest growing food on the planet, eating it dramatically increases our rate of tissue repair and renewal, helping restore the nervous system (fibromyalgia), boost immunity and may help degenerative brain disorders like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's.

ANTI-AGEING - The breakdown of cellular RNA and DNA is believed to be the main cause of ageing - as the highest known food source of RNA and DNA (10%), chlorella provides the body with the tools for our repair.  It also provides 60% pure protein (with all essential amino acids), a spectrum of vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids and trace elements.  One tablespoon of chlorella provides 320% of the RDA of iron and 120% of calcium.

HEALTHY DIGESTION - Chlorella helps multiply the population of lactobacilli bacteria in our gut four times faster than normal, while enzymes aid the digestion and absorption of nutrients from food. It's helpful with constipation, Crohn's Disease, colitis, ulcers, diverticulitis and bad breath.


HOW MUCH DO I NEED?

For detoxification it is taken daily for three to six months at 2 small teaspoons (5-7g) daily.  Introduce into the diet slowly to allow the body to adapt.  Maintenance dose is a small teaspoon daily.

SAFETY
Safe, although some people find it hard to digest. Consult GP if on blood thinning medication or you have auto-immune disease.


Article source - Little Book Of Superfoods, Neal's Yard Remedies