Superfoods get a lot of buzz due to being rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. And while some of the best-known are familiar, easy-to-devour foods like berries, avocados, and dark, leafy greens, there’s another on the rise that might be a bit harder to swallow, though worth it: a microscopic alga that goes by its Latin name of Chlorella vulgaris.
“Chlorella is nutrient-packed food, specifically a green algae, with potential to be called the next big ‘superfood,'” registered dietitian Roxana Ehsani tells Fortune.
Found in freshwater, invisible to the naked eye, and residing at the very bottom of the food chain, this green microalga has been found to be rich in protein, carbohydrates, healthy lipids (fats), antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. The algae can also be cultivated with a small environmental footprint—meaning that unlike conventional agriculture, they can be cultivated with minimal impact, making for a nutrition source that’s healthy not only for people, but for Earth.
“As consumer interest in health-conscious and eco-friendly products grows, Chlorella vulgaris could be one of the superfoods that redefine the future of food innovation,” said Helen Onyeaka, University of Birmingham chemical engineering associate professor and lead author of a recent study on the alga’s promise, in a news release about the findings.
“We found that Chlorella not only meets growing demand for sustainable food sources,” she said, “but also offers substantial health and nutrition benefits.”
Below, more about why you should consider trying the alga—and how to best do that.
What we know about benefits of ‘the new spirulina’
Chlorella, within the wellness world, has been recently dubbed “the new spirulina,’ referring to the already popular blue-green algae sourced from saltwater. It can be found in supplements—including in popular greens powders—and smoothies, such as the Erewhon $21 Kacy Musgraves-collab smoothie, and is available at health-food stores in a dark-green powder or in tablet form. But using Chlorella to create a smoothie or other concoction is recommended, as, on its own, it’s been described as having a taste that is “bitter,” “grassy” and even “fishy.”
Still, it contains a cavalcade of nutritional offerings, including not only proteins, omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, amino acids, and carbohydrates, but vitamins and minerals B12, B6, C, D, folate, vitamin K, iron, zinc, copper, calcium, potassium, magnesium, and zinc, according to a 2020 study on its potential.
Health benefits, according to various studies, include anti-tumor properties, potential for preventing Alzheimer’s disease, and positive effects on major depressive disorder. Studies have also shown it to help lower LDL (bad) cholesterol, flush out toxins, fight inflammation, help normalize blood pressure, and boost immunity.
Chlorella challenges (including taste)
Mostly, these include variable nutrition content depending on different growing and harvesting conditions, as well as risks of heavy metal accumulation from the environment (which can be helped with quality control), and, notes the most recent study, “sensory issues such as unpleasant taste and smell.”
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Finally, warned dietitian Toby Amidor in a Chlorella guide published in Today’s Dietitian, reported possible adverse reactions to ingesting the algae include gastrointestinal issues, allergic reaction, and sun sensitivity—and it’s contraindicated for anyone taking blood thinners, as chlorella contains large amounts of vitamin K, which helps form clots.
To overcome the taste issue, Ehsani recommends mixing it into orange or pomegranate juice, into pancake or waffle batter before cooking, or into smoothies. A green smoothie, greens powder, or fruity, gingery smoothie can help mask the taste, as can rolling it into balls along with dates and cacao, hiding it in ice pops or cookies, or simply swallowing as tablets along with the rest of your daily supplement regimen. Sun Chlorella also makes udon noodles containing the magic algae. Finally, scientists are working on finding ways to make the superfood more palatable on its own, including with the development of a light, new strain out of Portugal.
Says Onyeaka, “By overcoming production challenges through technological advancements, we can pave the way for Chlorella’s widespread adoption.”
More on nutrition:
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- 4 health benefits of rosemary, including a hidden compound scientists could potentially use to fight Alzheimer’s
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