- Make It Yourself Lavender Heart-Shaped Bath Bombs!
- 20 Things You Never Knew About “Down There”
- 12 Best Foods For Those Suffering From Arthritis Pain
- 12 Personal Hygiene Mistakes Almost Everyone Makes (Mom Never Told You About #4!)
- 15 Medicinal Plants And Herbs From The Cherokee People
- 12 Mind-Blowing Benefits Of Drinking Coconut Water During Pregnancy
- 12 Outstanding Winter Foods That Won’t Fatten You Up Like A Christmas Turkey
Chlorella Can Be Your Detox Secret Weapon!
Photo credit: bigstock.com
Our world is awash in contaminants. Some days it seems like we can’t eat, sleep, or breathe without coming into contact with some new “deadly” chemical that gives you cancer, disrupts your endocrine system, or causes some other horrible health problem. Chemicals are used in everything we use, wear, eat, and drink.
What can we possibly do in the face of this onslaught of unhealthy compounds? Many doctors and holistic health advisors advocate some form of “detoxification”, but there are so many charlatans in the alternative health world. How do you separate what actually works from what is just plain B.S.? The answer is KISS- Keep It Simple, Stupid! Stick with what has been proven to actually work.
One of the most powerful and naturally detoxifying foods in the world is chlorella. In this article, you’ll learn all about the health benefits of this amazing life-form and how you can use it to cleanse your body of all the harmful chemicals and heavy metals that might be hurting you without you even realizing it.
1. Detoxifying properties
Chlorella is a form of algae – a single-celled life form that grows in the water. If you’ve been to a beach before you’ve almost certainly seen algae before – it’s the slime you see growing on the rocks. There are many, many different species of algae and most are not edible. But a select few species are, and research has shown they offer incredible health benefits.
Chief among these superfood algae is chlorella. This freshwater algae has a very tough cell wall, which is actually indigestible. This makes getting the benefits of chlorella somewhat of a challenge because it’s not as simple as downing a spoonful of algae. No matter how hard you chew it, the enzymes in our bodies cannot break down the cell walls of chlorella.
The solution is to use a chlorella supplement, that is specifically labeled as “broken cell wall” chlorella, because this is the only form of the algae that is usable by the body. Once chlorella has been “unlocked” in this way, the benefits are enormous.
Chlorella’s most powerful use is as a heavy metal chelator. A substance that can remove heavy metal contamination from the body is considered a “chelator” and chlorella does this in droves. One study on rats exposed to cadmium determined the chlorella-based feed was very effective at flushing the metal out of the rats’ bodies. Fecal and urine sample showed much higher levels of cadmium in the chlorella-fed rats versus the control group, which means that the cadmium was being cleansed from their systems much more effectively.
These benefits translate into humans as well. A study in Russia found similar results in industrial workers who had been exposed to cadmium, mercury, arsenic, lead, and other metals while on the job. Researchers tested over 20 different natural supplements, and found that chlorella extract, when combined with cilantro, was successful at removing almost all heavy metal contamination!
In addition to the detoxifying properties, which we will get to in a second, chlorella has numerous other qualities that make it one of the healthiest food supplements in the world.
Continue to Page 2
Photo credit: bigstock.com
2. Lowers and stabilizes blood pressure
In a study published in a 2002 issue of the Journal of Medicinal Food, researchers had people with high blood pressure stop taking their medication and replace their conventional treatment with 10 grams of chlorella and 100 ml of chlorella extract. Over the course of the two-month study, 25 percent of the patients saw their blood pressure lower even further, and blood pressure levels in the other 75 percent did not return to their pre-treatment highs. Promising news given the increasing prevalence of hypertension.
3. Chlorella also has a great nutritional profile
It is a great source of B vitamins, can improve your digestion, and is also one of the richest sources of plant protein in the world. The algae is nearly 50 percent protein by mass, which is great news for vegetarians and vegans.
READ ALSO: Improve Your Intelligence, Detox, Fight Cancer, And More With This 1 Drink
If you are perusing a detox program, you owe it to yourself to explore the various uses of chlorella and see how it can benefit you. It is a time-tested and scientifically proven way to clear your system of harmful contaminants and ensure you have a healthier and longer life.
References:
