Following on from my previous articles on this super nutrient-rich, one-stop health supplement, chlorella, this week I’m writing about the amazing benefits of chlorella when it comes to blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar.

One of the positive benefits of chlorella is its ability to assist in good cardiovascular health. We now know chlorella is abundant in nutrients which may be beneficial to our cardiovascular health. It’s thought the nutrients in chlorella may help lower bad (LDL) cholesterol and triglycerides. Chlorella’s minerals and fatty acids also may help lessen the stiffness of blood vessels, improving blood vessel function and blood pressure.

High blood pressure is a major risk factor for heart disease. There have been positive studies relating to chlorella in relation to cardiovascular health. One study undertaken on participants with mildly high blood pressure, taking 4000mg chlorella daily over 12 weeks, found participants experienced lower blood pressure readings compared to those participants taking the placebo (1). Another smaller study of men taking chlorella found these men experienced less stiffness of their arteries (2).

High cholesterol can also contribute to heart disease. Researchers found 63 participants experiencing mild to high cholesterol levels, after taking 5000mg of chlorella over 4 weeks, experienced remarkable changes in total cholesterol, significantly reducing total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and triglycerides (3). A further study found chlorella had reduced cholesterol together with body fat percentage, with the suggestion chlorella may in fact improve fat metabolism. (4) It is believed chlorella may be effective in lowering cholesterol because of the bioactive compounds in the single-celled microalgae which can optimise the metabolism of lipids. The water-soluble fibres which are high in chlorella bind to the digested fat and reduce the absorption of sterols such as cholesterol from the intestine, thereby passing through the body and being eliminated.

Another of the many positive benefits of chlorella is its ability to assist with blood sugar levels. Generally, we relate blood sugar levels to diabetes and pre-diabetes which of course can become a major health issue. High blood sugar however also causes inflammation and damages blood vessels which can cause vision and nerve problems plus increase our risk of heart disease and stroke. Chlorella is thought to improve insulin sensitivity which in turn enables the cells to effectively utilize glucose in the blood for energy and to inhibit it from building up to dangerous levels. Chlorella boosts glucose reuptake in both our liver and muscle cells. If we consume chlorella at the same time, as we are eating carbohydrates, it’s believed the dietary fibre in chlorella can assist in the lessening of a blood glucose spike.

A study in the Journal of Medicinal Food found taking chlorella resulted in reduced fasting blood glucose levels. The studies also indicated that the genes engaged in the insulin pathway were impacted when taking chlorella, enabling glucose to be dispersed from the blood more effectively. (4)

So, when we add these health benefits to all the other health benefits I have previously written about, chlorella really is quite amazing. The detoxification benefits, the treatment of fatty liver, the enhancement of healthy aging and cellular regeneration, the protection of the health of our brain, plus the repairing and restoration of our aging and sun-damaged skin. As I said last week chlorella really is nature’s gift to healthy anti-ageing and is a great one-stop health supplement.

(1) Morio Shimada, Takashi Hasegawa, Chiaki Nishimura, Hiroko Kan, Toshihiro Kanno, Toshio Nakamura, Tsuneo Matsubayashi Anti-hypertensive effect of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-rich Chlorella on high-normal blood pressure and borderline hypertension in placebo-controlled double-blind study. Clin Exp Hypertens.2009 Jun:31(4):342-54 doi: 10.1090/10641960902977908

(2) Takeshi Otsuki, Kazuhiro Shimizu, Motoyuki Iemitsu, Ichiro Kono. Multicomponent supplement containing Chlorella decreases arterial stiffness in healthy young men. Clin Biochem Nutr 2013 Nov;53(3):166-9. Doi:10.3164/jcbn.13-51. Epub 2013 Oct 3

(3) Na Hee Ryu, Yeni Lim, Ji Eeun Park, Joohee Kim, Sung Won Kwon, Oran Kwon. Impact of daily Chlorella consumption on serum lipid and carotenoid profiles in mildly hypercholesterolemic adults: a double-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled study. Nutr J 2014 Jun 11:13:57.doi:10.1186/1475-2891-13-57

(4) Toru Mizoguchi, Isao Takehara, Tohru Masuzawa, Toshiro Saito, Yo Naoki. Nutrigenomic studies of effects of Chlorella on subjects with high-risk factors for lifestyle-related disease J Med Food. 2008 Sep;11(3):395-404 doi:10.1089/jmf.2006.0180