Chlorella is a great food. It's actually an algae, very high in protein, oxygenating substances, an awesome chelator of sorts, and full of nutrients like: protein [amino acids], deodorizing chlorophyll, magnesium, vitamins, enzymes, and minerals.

Technically, it's a complete food. You could, if you had no culinary aspirations whatsoever, live on it.

Here are some of the specs:

WHAT IS IT?
-It's an algae

WHAT DO YOU DO WITH IT?
-You consume it. It goes well in smoothies, blended in water alone, if you're going for the total oxygenating experience [I don't recommend if you're very toxic. Could make you lose your lunch... in the literal sense.], add it to finisher seasonings [like a seasoning to go over your popcorn, or other snacks]; however,you don't want to heat it and destroy any of its rich enzymes and nutrients! They tend to be delicate and heat sensitive.

Depending on what your end goals are will be the determining factors governing how you take it. Each application and concentration will determine different results for your system, and if you're not use to it, you'll want to ramp it up to a normal or above normal dose.

WHERE DO YOU GET IT?
-You can find it online by doing a Google search, or you can get it at a good local health food store. You just want to make sure that it's fractured cell or membrane, meaning that the tough outer membrane has been broken in order to make the nutrients more bioavailable [usable] to your body. Other than that you may end up with some pretty expensive product and very expensive bathroom trips [if you know what I mean]. ;~)

ARE THERE ANY RISK FACTORS?
-Yes. Anytime you deal with product on or off the market [and I don't care what it is] there are going to be risk factors. You want to know a few things to allay legitimate concerns:
-Where was the chlorella sourced?
-What distances does it have to travel to get into your hands?
-What are the company's practices on processing: harvesting, drying, storing, and shipping?
-What's the company's track record? [What does its community have to say about their product?]
-What type of independent testing has the product undergone?

If the chlorella's been grown in an environment where there's toxic or radioactive spillage, where the water table has been contaminated, etc. you probably will want to continue searching before making any purchases. If the company uses high heat in their drying process you'll know that the beneficial parts of the product have been denatured and you'll therefore not get the best out of that manufacturer. If the company processes the chlorella on shared equipment, you'll have to make sure that you wouldn't have an allergic reaction to whatever it's shared with [i.e. nuts, wheat, etc.].

I love the product and have my preference in the company I've purchased mine from [Sun Chlorella], but I'll preface it with this, I haven't refreshed my research in a moment to check out the new chlorella products on the market to see if they compare to my positive experiences with Sun Chlorella.

That said, do your independent research and don't be afraid to ask the manufacturers questions and for third party verification. You've got one body, one life and you want to make sure you give it the best things right out of the gate.

For more information and a great discussion on this and other health topics join one of our Facebook groups diving into some great health and food topics.

Until next time...