Chlorella tablets: a nutritional powerhouse

Algae: A Superfood

Algae has many distinct sizes, colors, shapes, and growth forms. Its cellular makeup can go from one cell to millions of cells, depending on the type. Colors can be blue-green, green, brown, golden-brown, fire, red, and yellow-green. Algae is a nutritional powerhouse greatly needed nowadays as our soils face a level of depletion that didn’t exist in the past. Both NASA and the United Nations uphold that algae contains 1,000 times more nutrients than any other fruit or vegetable.

Overall Algae Nutrition

Algae offers a wide array of nutrients (as listed at dr.axe.com) which vary depending on the type of algae/seaweed:

  • Protein and amino acids, up to 60 percent protein by dry weight
  • Vitamins A (beta-carotene), C (ascorbic acid), E and K
  • Many of the B-complex vitamins, including B1 (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin), B6 (pyridoxine), choline, biotin, niacin, folic acid, pantothenic acid and B12 (cobalamin)
  • Minerals and trace minerals, including iodine, calcium, chloride, chromium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, potassium, phosphorus, sodium and zinc
  • Omega-3 fatty acids, including EPA, DHA, GLA and ALA
  • Active enzymes
  • Phytochemicals like chlorophyll, fucoxanthin, and other plant pigments
Spirulina powder: a nutritional powerhouse
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Algae’s Health Benefits

Algae’s health benefits are numerous. Algae can help with weight loss, cancer, heart health, inflammation and pain, brain health, mitochondria health, cholesterol, heavy metal detox, and stem cell proliferation. The most consumed algae and seaweeds include: arame, bladderwrack, blue spirulina, chlorella, dulse, hijiki, kelp, kombu, nori, ogo, and wakame. 

kelp: a nutritional powerhouse
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On a Final Note

I enjoy consuming chlorella and spirulina tablets on a regular basis. They are easy to take along as a snack during the day instead of greens (as mentioned in a previous post) and clearly give a nice amount of nutrients. I also enjoy using Dr. Cowan’s Garden sea vegetable powder (to sprinkle on various dishes) and Oceans Alive, which contains two marine phytoplankton strains, high in nutrient density. Consuming various types of algae helps a great deal in getting the right amount of nutrients each day. Give it a try!

Until next time!

References

Asprey, D. (2023, June 28). Algae: Why this Superfood is an Insider Secret for Longevity. Dave Asprey. https://daveasprey.com/algae-why-this-superfood-is-an-insider-secret-for-longevity/

Price, A. (2016, November 23). Top 7 Algae Benefits that May Surprise You. Dr. Axe.    https://draxe.com/nutrition/algae-benefits/

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Every year, the EWG (Environmental Working Group) issues a list of foods (the dirty dozen) that you should buy organic to avoid exposure to a high amount of pesticides and chemicals. Also, they list the non-organic fruits and vegetables (the clean fifteen) that are alright to buy if buying everything organic is too expensive for our wallet. It is good to keep in mind that the closer we are to buying everything organic, the better it is for our health and the health of farmworkers who are even more exposed to a high amount of chemicals.

So the fruits and vegetables to buy organic (for 2019) are:  

  • Strawberries
  • Spinach
  • Kale
  • Nectarines
  • Apples
  • Grapes
  • Peaches
  • Cherries
  • Pears
  • Tomatoes
  • Celery
  • Potatoes
  • Hot peppers

And the fruits and vegetables that don’t have to be organic (for 2019) are:

  • Avocados
  • Sweet corn
  • Pineapples
  • Sweet peas frozen
  • Onions
  • Papayas
  • Eggplants
  • Asparagus
  • Kiwis
  • Cabbage
  • Cauliflower
  • Cantaloupes
  • Broccoli
  • Mushrooms
  • Honeydew melons

When in doubt, at the store, just consider the thickness of the skin. The thinner the skin of the fruit or vegetable, the more chance it has to be an organic option only.

Of course, it is always better to buy in-season produce at a local farmers’ market, even if it isn’t certified organic. Where I live, there are quite a few Amish farms and farmers’ markets, which is very helpful in bypassing the stores’ offerings. But I am also happy to find some organic options at the local supermarkets.

And in order to consume a wider variety of plant specimens, something that our ancestors were privileged to do, I like to order vegetable powders from Dr. Cowan’s Garden. Using those powders saves a lot of prep time to anyone who has a busy schedule but still wants to eat as healthy as possible. It can also be a great way to have children eat more vegetables without them realizing it if the powders are mixed in, say, the batter of a given recipe.

As an alternative to green vegetables, when not at home, I like to consume the algae tablets that the company Energy Bits offers. They go well with staying in mild ketosis during the day.

Finally, if you can grow a few herbs or vegetables in pots or in a garden, even though it can be time-consuming, it is a very rewarding step to take towards eating healthier.

There is more than one way to increase our consumption of vegetables and fruits (the latter truly to a lesser extent) and to avoid the conventional chemical-laden varieties. It is whatever fits our budget and works with our busy schedule.

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