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 Chlorella |
| A single-celled, fresh water alga, which has been estimated to be in existence for as long as two billion years, chlorella is roughly the size of a human blood corpuscle. A single cell is 6/1000 millimeters across. Discovered in 1890 by Dutch microbiologist M. W. Beijernick, chlorella reproduces at a rapid rate. A single cell can divide and subdivide into four cells every 16 to 20 hours. |
| Nutritional Benefits |
Almost 60 percent protein, the alga yields about 40 tons per acre. The same acreage produces about a half ton of soy-beans per year. Chlorella contains all eight essential amino acids; its amino acids content is comparable to that of animal-derived protein, except that it has a slightly lower amount of methionine.
Chlorella contains impressive amounts of vitamins including vitamin C, vitamin A (in provitamin A or beta-carotene form), vitamins B1, B2,, B6, B12, niacin, pantothenic acid, folic acid, biotin, choline, inositol, PABA, vitamin E and vitamin K. Chlorella, in fact, has more vitamin B12 than liver. One tablespoon provides 333 percent of the RDA for this vitamin for adults. |
| Beta-Carotene |
Chlorella contains 180 mg of beta-carotene in each 100 grams. An efficient antioxidant, beta-carotene help lower the free radical burden on the body. (Free radicals are reactive forms of oxygen that destroy living cells.)
It has been found to protect the body against the effects of UV radiation, and this application is being studied extensively by Food and Drug Administration in Washington, DC.
Dietary beta-carotene also has been found to be effective against carcinogenic pollutants.
A 1983 study showed that beta-carotene protected guinea pigs from the free radical damage caused by an injection of carbon tetrachloride.
The nutrient, in a study at the Harvard School of Dental Medicine, demonstrated a dose response effect on hamster check cancer induced by a carcinogen present in tobacco smoke and chewing tobacco.
Populations with higher beta-carotene in-takes were shown, in a John Hopkins University study, to have lower rates of lung cancer while groups with less beta-carotene in their diets were demonstrated to have a higher cancer rate. |
| Chlorophyll |
| Chlorella which is 2% chlorophyll by weight, contains more chlorophyll per gram than any other land or sea plant. Loaded with carotenoids, chlorophyll is the green pigment in plants that convert light into energy. According to Dr Bernard Jensen, the chlorophyll in chlorella can help speed up the rate of cleansing the bowel blood stream and liver. It also has been found to influence animal growth, metabolism and respiration; hormone action, nutrition; the immune system and a number of disease states, as well as speed the healing of wounds and burns. It is probably best known for its deodorant properties. |
| Chlorella Growth Factor (CGF) |
In the early 1950s, Dr. Fujimaki of the People's Scientific Center in Tokyo separated a substance from a hot-water extract of chlorells through an electronically induced process and found it to be rich in nucleic factors; he named it Chlorella Growth Factor (CGF). Although the structure of CGF is not completely understood, preliminary research indicates that it is responsible for the height and weight gains in children as demonstrated in studies during which the youngsters took chlorella supplements six days a week.
CGF has been studied as a strengthener of the immune system as well as a "retardant" of aging. Research by Jensen and others tested Dr. Benjamin Frank's hypothesis that loss of energy and physical deterioration associated with aging were due to the increasing breakdown of nuclei factors (DNA and RNA) needed to keep the body's cells healthy. Frank held that the body's natural production of RNA and DNA become sluggish, possibly even as early as the age of 20. (DNA and RNA in all living things are made up of the same chemical building blocks.) He put his patients on a diet rich in DNA- and RNA- containing foods. He recommended the use of high-RNA foods such as canned or fresh sardines, salmon or other seafood; legumes; wheat germs and green leafy vegetables. (Canned sardines - at least 590 milligrams per l00 grams - are thought to be among the highest source of RNA. Chlorella reportedly may be 17 times higher in RNA than canned sardines. Since the nucleic components were made a available for repair and replacement of cellular nucleic acids, Frank expected to see improvements in his patients' energy levels and general well being. He found these benefits and a more youthful appearance in his patients, but he noted also that some of their long-standing problems such as arthritis, memory loss and depression began to diminish. |
| Detoxifying Benefits |
In Japan, chlorella's ability to counteract the posionous effects of nuclear and industrial pollutants have made it leading supplement there. One Japanese study showed that taking 8 grams of chlorella daily increased the excretion of cadmium in animal with cadmium poisoning three fold in the stool and sevenfold in the urine.
A test at the West Virginia School of Medicine involving feeding chlorella to animals who had previously taken hydro-carbon chlordecones showed that chlorella had interrupted the recirculation of the poison and of the poison and eliminated it from the animals' bodies. The researchers concluded that chlorella is potentially effective for detoxifying compounds with properties similar to chlodecone, such as dioxin and PCB, which are foreign to the biologic system.
Some have suggested that chlorella be investigated as a possible antidote for the Chernobyl accident fall-out damages that are expected to be with us for 100 or more year. |
| Immunity |
Some studies have indicated that chlorella can have a significant stimulating effect on the immune system. It has been shown to increase macrophage (a key element in the immune system) activity in rats; increases in macrophages have been shown to be responsible and have been found to help produce interferon, a body chemical that protects the cells from harmful viruses.
In the last 20 years, more than 4 million people have regularly supplemented with chlorella. Japanese doctors have reported successes in using chlorella for patients with stomach ulcers, chronic pancreatitis, inflammation of the stomach, chronic gastritis and chronic gall bladder inflammation. Other indications included relieving gastric distress, accelerating the healing of wounds, normalizing digestion and bowel function, as well as helping to regulate blood pressure and cholesterol levels. |
| A Universal Food? |
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Because chlorella is a high-protein food and gives the greatest yield of any food per unit of space, it has been eyed as a potential source of protein for the universe. German scientists during World Wars I and II investigated it as a possible means of alleviating wartime food shortages. After World War II , the Carnegie Institute of Washington, DC continued the studies begun by German scientists and found a way to grow chlorella commercially.
The Japanese took over its development since then. It grew in stature as a food supplement in the 1970s when a Japanese firm devised a means of breaking down chlorella's cell walls without removing them from the product itself. The disrupted cell walls, as already indicated, are an important source of nutrients. The Dyno-Mil process, as the Japanese process was called increased the digestibility of chlorella significantly. Other methods, such as blanching and steaming, are also used today to make chlorella's cell walls more digestible. Chlorella is available in tablets, granules and liquid form. |
(The above is for information only) |
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Neutralizes excessive body acids.
