Superfoods and Dietary Supplements Used by Astronauts That You Should Check Out: Chlorella vs Spirulina! Two Above Board Superfoods to Include in Your Diet.

Chlorella belongs to a species of single-celled algae that is naturally green in color due to the presence of chlorophyll. Chlorella requires water, carbon dioxide, and a few minerals to reproduce rapidly. Chlorella is known as a superfood as it’s full of proteins, vitamins, and nutrients and was considered a promising food source during the late 1940s when the world was facing a food crisis. Today, it’s known as a dietary supplement and available in powder and tablet form. Raw Chlorella is not consumable, thus it needs to be processed and is made edible in form of powder or tablets.

Spirulina also belongs to the algae family and is blue-green color algae that are consumable and is termed as a whole food due to the high content of proteins, vitamins, and carbohydrates. A dietary supplement, Spirulina is also used as a food supplement in aquaculture and poultry industries. It’s also used as a feed supplement in household aquariums. Spirulina is known to mankind since the 14th century when it was harvested in lakes and consumed by Aztecs and Mesoamericans.

Chlorella and Spirulina are well-known algae supplements and considered superfoods due to the rich nutrients found in them.

Chlorella has a high quantity of calories, omega-3 fatty acids, riboflavin, provitamin A, zinc, magnesium, and iron while Spirulina has a lower amount of calories, but a high amount of protein, thiamine, riboflavin, iron, and copper.

Though both Chlorella and Spirulina are rich in nutrients and belong to the algae family, there are few noteworthy differences between the two.

Chlorella has a high content of omega-3 fatty acids thus a nice option for vegans who want to take omega-3 fatty acids through a vegetarian supplement. The three types of omega-3 fatty acids are - docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). ALA is found in plants and our body can convert it into DHA and EPA, thus Chlorella fulfills the complete requirement of omega-3 fatty acid. Further, Chlorella has double the amount of calories than Spirulina.

Spirulina has more and ‘complete’ protein as it contains all the essential amino acids and more antioxidants like vitamin C and vitamin E as compared to Spirulina.

Chlorella is not only high in nutrients but has many other health benefits which include – aiding detox by removing heavy metals, boosts the immune system, improves cholesterol levels, keeps blood pressure in check, acts as an anti-oxidant, helps in respiratory diseases, improves endurance and regulates blood sugar levels.

Spirulina is also very high in many nutrients and provides several benefits as it has powerful anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties. It increases “good” HDL cholesterol, lowers “bad” LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, and also secures “bad” LDL cholesterol from oxidation. Spirulina may reduce blood pressure and possibly have anti-cancer properties. It may be effective against anemia and improves muscle strength.

Both the algae-based food supplements are beneficial in blood sugar control, improves heart health, rich in antioxidants, and are good sources of vitamins and beta-carotene.

Chlorella and Spirulina both are very high in antioxidants. Antioxidants combine with free radicals in your body to prevent the tissues and cells from any potential damage. A study done on a group of smokers suggested that those who were given Chlorella experienced 44% increased levels of vitamin C and 16% increase in vitamin E in their blood after 6 weeks. The participants who were given Chlorella showed a noticeable decrease in DNA damage as well. In another study, a group of people suffering from the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) was given Spirulina for 60 days and experienced a 29% increase in blood levels of vitamin C while the oxidative stress reduced by up to 36%.

Multiple studies have shown that regular consumption of these food-based supplements is beneficial in blood sugar management. The root cause is still under study, but several studies have indicated increased insulin activity by using Spirulina. Further, many studies on humans suggest that regular use of Chlorella supplements may increase insulin sensitivity thus effective in blood sugar management. Insulin is a hormone that carries blood sugar from the blood into the cells to be used for energy and Insulin sensitivity is important for the smooth functioning of this hormone.

Various studies have shown that Chlorella and Spirulina are helpful to improve heart health by influencing your blood pressure levels and blood lipid composition. In different studies, participants who were given Chlorella and Spirulina showed a reduction in LDL (bad) cholesterol and an increase in HDL (good) cholesterol while the blood pressure also lowered significantly after the 3-month study. Thus, both Chlorella and Spirulina may reduce your blood pressure levels and improve cholesterol management as well.

Both the superfoods, Chlorella, and Spirulina, are highly nutritious and rich in vitamins that include vitamin A, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, and also have carbohydrates, fats, magnesium, folate, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, copper, zinc, and beta-carotene. Both the food supplements contain all essential amino acids which are easily absorbed by our body. Spirulina is used as a dietary supplement by NASA for their astronauts during space missions due to its high protein content.