Spirulina and Chlorella First Foods of the Earth and the Foundation of Nutrition of Great Health By: Bob McCauley author of "Achieving Great Health" Copyright 2005 by Watershed.net and TheRawDiet.com A building constructed from inferior materials is ready to collapse at any moment, if not from external then from within. The body built of inferior materials awaits the same fate. The basic elements of the human cell must be constructed from the exact nutrients it has been using over millions of years of evolution or it will fold under the attack of any disease. Detractors of algae dismiss it as pond scum, which is a laughable assertion stated out of shear ignorance. The nutritional content of Spirulina or Chlorella make them the most powerful foods in the world. No other foods could possibly compete with them. Of the nearly 70,000 species of algae that exist, most are quite nutritious. A few are toxic and a few are powerful nutraceuticals capable of supplying the body with nutrients unimagined by most other foods. A nutraceutical is any food that provides the body with the proper nutrition so the body can heal itself.
	Spirulina and Chlorella are perfect whole foods, true superfoods . They have perfect compliments of protein (60%) carbohydrates (19%), fats (6%) bio-available minerals (8%). They are not extracts, concentrates or amalgams of vitamins and minerals that look good on paper such as the vitamin and mineral supplements that people generally believe to be healthy. In reality, the body does not absorb 90% of these vitamin supplements because they are dead, void of enzymes. On the other hand, eating Spirulina or Chlorella is like eating any other whole food such as a banana, apple or broccoli. Algae are the oldest foods in the world. Fossil records show that Spirulina and Chlorella have existed for billions essentially unchanged for all that time. They have both developed strategies of survival against harshly unfavorable conditions such as drought, radiation and even strong man- made poisons that have driven many other plant organisms to extinction. There are several different species of these two algae, however the ones that I refer to here are Spirulina Pacifica and Chlorella Pyrenoidosa . Another Chlorella product found on the market is known as Chlorella Vulgaris, which is nutritionally inferior to its powerful cousin Pyrenoidosa. The alga found in swimming pools is a close cousin to chlorella vulgaris . It does not have the broad array of nutrients of Pyrenoidosa, its incredible fiber nor does anywhere near the same amount or quality of Chlorella Growth Factor (CGF). Don't be fooled by price, Chlorella Pyrenoidosa is worth the extra money and why it is considered the most powerful food in the world. Spirulina Pacifica is nutritionally superior to its cousin Spirulina Platensis. Spirulina Pacifica is grown in Hawaii and has been refined and enhanced through thousands of generations of the same strain being used over and over until it has been tweaked to nutritional perfection. Hawaii has the best growing environment for Spirulina in the world. Aquaculturists select from millions of Spirulina cells in order to develop superior strains of microalgae that are higher in nutrients such as beta carotene, iron, amino acids, calcium and numerous others. A tremendous amount of scientific research has been done on both Spirulina and Chlorella from universities and medical institutions from around the world. They have proven to be one of the best solutions world hunger problems. They are also used as feed for all kinds of live stock. Once tableted, they will last up to a year with refrigeration and even longer if vacuum-packed. Which one should you take? Even though the nutritional profile of Spirulina and Chlorella are quite similar they are completely different foods, as different as apples and oranges. Although many of the nutrients in these foods are the same, they will assimilate and benefit the body in different ways. This is also why we should attempt to get as many different types of foods into our diet as possible. The greater array of nutrients in any food, the more nutritious it is. Spirulina is a nitrogen based blue green algae and has the predominant odor of seaweed. Chlorella is an oxygen based green algae that has the predominant odor of fresh grass. Chlorella gets its name from the high amount of chlorophyll in it, up to 10 times that of Spirulina which is itself quite high in chlorophyll. Chlorella belongs to a class of algae called chlorophyta. Spirulina is an extremely high energy food, great before a work out and is very good for the treatment of arthritis. Chlorella is excellent for digestion, heavy-metal detoxification, and is a powerful cancer fighter and immune system builder. Therefore, the answer to the question as to which of these two algae should you take is that you should definitely have both of them in your diet. Protein, the Great Regulator Spirulina and Chlorella are perfect proteins meaning they provide the body with the nine essential amino acids, yet they go much further. They are 60% protein in the form of amino acids that are in the right ratio to one another. There is a lot of confusion and misinformation about protein, how much protein is actually in certain foods and what the protein actually consists of. For instance, most people assume meat is comprised of 100% protein when it is only 22% protein on average. Meat only has eleven amino acids and is heavily weighted in only four of them, which means that the body is receiving a very lopsided version of protein. What the body needs is a broad array of amino acids that are in the correct proportion to one another such as Spirulina, Chlorella and even wheat grass. Wheat grass juice is only 24% protein (higher than meat) compared to over 60% for Spirulina and Chlorella, which is the highest amount of protein of any whole foods. Dosages How much to take. When to take it. Chlorella: A maintenance dosage of Chlorella is about 3 – 5 grams per day. Although you will not see significant changes taking such a small amount of whole food, your body will be getting a broad array of nutrients unlike it has seen before. Since Chlorella is a detoxifying whole food, not a concentrate or extract, a person can eat as much as they desire without any fear of it becoming potentially toxic in any way. Chlorella is best taken before a meal with probiotics, our friendly bacteria ( Acidophilus and Bifidus ). Chlorella causes probiotics to multiply at four times the rate of normal. Maintenance Dosage: 3 – 5 grams/day Significant Part of the Diet: 6 – 10 grams/day Immune System Builder: 11 – 14 grams/day Primary Source of Protein : 12 – 19 grams/day Healing Purposes & Heavy Metal Detoxification: 20 – 30+ grams/day Best before a meal to aid with digestion. Spirulina: A maintenance dosage of Spirulina is 3 -- 5 grams per day. Although their nutritional profile may appear to be quite similar, Spirulina and Chlorella are completely different foods. Spirulina is great before a physical workout. I take 5 – 6 grams religiously before any kind of physical training. Stamina, endurance and recovery are significantly improved with Spirulina . After a strenuous workout where the body is pushed to its limits, an additional 10 – 20 grams should be taken during the following 24 hours to rebuild the body and muscle tissue that has been torn down. Spirulina should also be taken 15 – 30 minutes before a meal to help prepare the stomach for proper digestion since it also helps accelerate the reproductive rate of probiotics. Maintenance Dosage: 3 – 5 grams/day Significant Part of the Diet: 6 – 10 grams/day Immune System Builder: 11 – 14 grams/day Primary Source of Protein : 12 – 19 grams/day Healing Purposes: 20 – 25+ grams/day Also great before a workout. ~ Bob McCauley Other Articles By Bob McCauley Additional Spirulina Information Resources: (These may be available in your local health food store) Spirulina http://www.watershed.net/spirulina.htm Chlorella http://www.watershed.net/chlorella.htm E3 Live AFA blue-green algae, http://www.TheRawDiet.com/e3live.html Natural Choice Productics Probiotics Natural Choice Products Multiple Digestive Enzymes Vegan DHA Golden Algae http://www.rawfood.com/cgi-bin/order/index.cgi? af=1560&display=single&item_id=0694 Blue Manna (Wild Klamath Blue Green Algae) http://www.rawfood.com/cgi-bin/order/index.cgi? af=1560&display=single&item_id=0845 Blue Manna is a unique extract from the wild blue-green algae AFA (Aphanizomenon-flos aquae) containing high concentrations of phycocyanin, the blue pigment present in all blue-green algae. Crystal Manna AFA Blue-green algae, http://www.naturalzing.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=352 Nirvana Manna http://www.rawfood.com/cgi-bin/order/index.cgi? af=1560&display=single&item_id=1023 Nirvana Manna is a synergistic blend of Raw, Organic Superfoods designed to raise your Energy, help you Focus, enhance your Flexibility and Strength and open you up to a new level of Sensuality. It is truly a Heart Food! The ingredients in Nirvana Manna are the most potent and come only from the most trusted sources.   Ingredients: Raw Cacao, Maca, Wild Klamath Blue-Green Algae, Coconut Oil, Raw Honey, Organic Cinnamon, Organic Vanilla Bean, and Primordial (Himalayan) Salt which contains over 70 trace minerals and is a great source of electrolytes.