Boost your Immune System with Spirulina and Chlorella

by Caroline Ware September 10, 2019

Now that summer is coming to a close and the kids will be going back to school, cold and flu season will be here before we know it.

In addition to doing things like getting enough sleep, eating healthily and exercising on a regular basis, it is also important to find easy to take supplements that taste great and can help boost our immune systems.

A great example of this is our Super Juice Blend, which has a delicious apple-cinnamon blend and mixes easily in water, juice, or a smoothie.

Two of the key ingredients in Super Juice Blend are chlorella and spirulina. Both are natural sources of blue-green algae, which is naturally rich in a number of nutrients.

To understand why and how chlorella and spirulina can help detoxify the body and are such powerhouses when it comes to keeping us healthy requires taking a closer look at each of this algae-centric ingredients:

What is chlorella?

Marine microalgae like chlorella are a rich source of proteins, vitamins, and minerals and can be used in a number of products including those in the medicinal and nutritional industries.

As Research and Reviews notes (1) chlorella is a unicellular green algae that is made up of 40-60% valuable proteins. The extract from chlorella contains a number of biologically active compounds including anti-inflammatory and growth factors, as well as antioxidants and compounds that may help to heal wounds.

Because chlorella has a strong cell wall, it must be broken down before people are able to take it and properly digest it. Once it is ground into a powder, it is a great source of fiber, chlorophyll, vitamins and minerals that are easily absorbed by the body.

Also known by its scientific name of C. vulgaris, chlorella has a number of bioactive substances that can be used medicinally. Studies of chlorella have found that it possesses natural anti-microbial activity along with the aforementioned antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

Where does chlorella come from?

Chlorella is grown in fresh water, notes WebMD (2), and the entire plant is used to make nutritional supplements and other products.

Most of the chlorella that is found in products in the U.S. was grown in Taiwan or Japan.

While the quality of chlorella that is used in supplements can vary depending on how the algae was cultivated and harvested, we use only the best chlorella that money can buy for our Super Juice Blend.

Other than boosting immunity, how does chlorella improve our health?

Chlorella also appears to have a positive impact on health in a number of other significant ways, including reducing the effects of radiation treatments in people undergoing cancer treatments, preventing cancer, boosting the efficacy of the influenza vaccine, increasing white blood cell counts, and even protecting the body against toxic metals like mercury.

And, because chlorella assists in cell reproduction as well as in the body’s restoration processes that lead to healthy tissues and organs, it can be a powerful detoxifier.

For people with digestive-related health problems, chlorella has shown promise in its ability to increase the number of beneficial bacteria in the body. It may also be used to help treat Crohn’s disease, ulcers, and diverticulosis.

As a side note, by promoting healthy digestion in people and the growth of “good” bacteria, chlorella may help eliminate toxins from the body.

Chlorella has also been favorably linked to treating constipation, high blood pressure, reliving the symptoms of premenstrual syndrome, and for people with fibromyalgia.

What is spirulina?

Spirulina is a blue-green algae that grows naturally in oceans and salt-water lakes in subtropical climates. People have been using spirulina for a long time – for instance, the Aztecs harvested it from Lake Texcoco in central Mexico, notes Live Science (3).

Spirulina was once classified as a plant because of its ability to photosynthesize and because it has a number of plant pigments, the U.S. National Library of Medicine notes (4).

However, as scientists studied spirulina more, they realized that its biochemical properties and genetics made it a member of the bacteria kingdom and, more specifically, the Cyanobacteria phylum.

More specifically, three species – Spirulina platensis, Spirulina maxima and Spirulina fusiformis – have gotten a lot of positive attention from the scientific world because they are especially nutrient-rich versions of spirulina that may have a lot of value to our health.

What are the vitamins in spirulina?

As Healthline notes (4), spirulina is loaded with a number of vitamins and other nutrients. One tablespoon of dried spirulina powder has been found to contain:

11 percent of the RDA of vitamin B1 (thiamin)
15 percent of vitamin B2 (riboflavin)
4 percent of the RDA of vitamin B3 (niacin)
A good amount of copper and iron
4 grams of protein

As a bonus, this serving size is low in calories – only 20 – and has just 1.7 grams of digestible carbs.

How does spirulina help our health?

Spirulina has been shown to help our health in a number of ways; for example, studies have found that, like chlorella, it has strong anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.

Spirulina can also help support the healthy functioning of the immune system and the liver, which in turn can aid in detoxifying the body.

As Healthline notes, the main active substance in spirulina is called “phycocyanin,” which also gives the algae its attractive blue-green color. Phycocyanin works by preventing the production of inflammatory signaling molecules and warding of free radicals, which in turn leads to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory powers.

Additional studies have found that spirulina may have a positive effect on lowering triglyceride and LDL levels, and it can also help prevent LDL cholesterol from becoming oxidized. It also contains promising anti-cancer substances, especially in regards to oral cancer.

Is spirulina safe to take?

Like chlorella, experts in the medical profession consider spirulina to be safe, especially due to its long history as a food product for the Aztecs. But like any other supplement that is obtained from a natural source, it is important to be sure you are getting spirulina that is harvested from safe conditions.

Our valued customers can rest assured that when they are taking Super Juice Blend, they are getting only the best quality and purist ingredients that money can buy.