Background

• Chlorella spp. (species) are single-celled green algae that reproduce quickly using only carbon dioxide, water, sunlight, and a few minerals. In the 1940s, chlorella was believed to be a "superfood" that could supply calories, fat, vitamins, and the 10 then-known essential amino acids to feed a booming population. Scientists have explored using Chlorella spp. in bioregenerative life-support systems for spacecraft and other closed biological systems, such as Biosphere 2.
• Current interest in chlorella includes using it for boosting the immune system and for detoxification. Because it is able to resist the damaging effects of toxic metals, chlorella may possibly be used to detoxify water, e.g., to remove arsenic from water.
• Two clinical trials studying chlorella's effects on patients with fibromyalgia have shown positive results, although higher-quality studies are needed for all areas of chlorella research.

References

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