Superfoods For Optimum Health: Chlorella and Spirulina
by Mike Adams, the Consumer Wellness Research Center - page 7 of 39

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Both chlorella and spirulina are packed with nutrients and phytochemicals that boost health and fight disease. In this section, we'll take a closer look at their major nutritional components and see just what these superfoods have to offer.

Chlorella is a tiny, single-celled water-grown alga containing a nucleus and an enormous amount of readily available chlorophyll. It also contains protein (approximately 58 percent), carbohydrates, all of the B vitamins, vitamins C and E, amino acids, and rare trace minerals. In fact, it is virtually a complete food. It contains more vitamin B12 than liver does, plus a considerable amount of beta-carotene.

- A-to-Z Guide To Supplements, James F. Balch M.D.

Protein

Spirulina is simply the world's most digestible natural source of high quality protein, far surpassing the protein bioavailability of even beef (which most people consider to be the #1 source of protein). The digestive absorption of each gram of protein in spirulina is four times greater than the same gram of protein in beef. And since spirulina already contains three times more protein (by weight) to begin with, the net result is that, ounce for ounce, spirulina offers twelve times more digestible protein than beef.

That's an astounding difference. It means that spirulina is the ideal food source for people working to get more protein into their diets:

• People on low-carb, high-protein diets like the Atkins Diet or the South Beach Diet.
• People who exercise vigorously or engage in strength training.
• People who are frail, who have trouble gaining weight, or who are malnourished.

In fact, there's probably no better single food source on the planet than spirulina for these people. The protein found in spirulina is also a complete protein, meaning that it contains all eight essential amino acids, unlike beans, whole grains and other plant-based foods that typically lack one or more amino acids.

Personally, I've found spirulina to be the perfect replacement for meat in my own diet. For a variety of reasons that I don't have the space to write about here, I prefer to avoid animal meats in my diet. But tofu and soy products have never given me the "fullness" feeling of animal proteins. Spirulina is the only plant I've ever found that gives me as much protein as eating animal products. And I only need a few grams of spirulina to get the job done: I frequently take 5 grams with each meal, and I find it does the job of eating an entire serving of animal meat.

When it comes to protein, the bottom line is that spirulina is the world's best source for it. You can't grill it like a steak, but if you really want the best protein nutrition you can get, spirulina can't be beat.

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Next: The vitamin and mineral content of chlorella and spirulina

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