Chlorella vs Spirulina: Which Superfood Better for Overall Health?

If you’re on the hunt for a nutritional source that can boost your daily health, you may be wondering whether to choose chlorella or spirulina to assist you with this. The truth is that both of these products have been used in medical practices throughout time to help with a variety of health conditions – so how do you know which one to choose?

If you want to pay particular attention to a medical condition, chlorella or spirulina may help. Read this article to identify what chlorella and spirula are, how these sources are different, and how they can help you with your health today!

What are chlorella and spirulina?

Let’s start with chlorella. Chlorella refers to a single-celled alga which can develop both in water and on land. Thriving in conditions of sunlight, water, minerals, and carbon dioxide, chlorella is the reason that stagnant water turns opaquely green. During the 1940s and 1950s, people viewed chlorella as a possible solution to the planet’s food crisis since it offered nutritional food sources for a relatively low price.

On the other hand, spirula describes a biomass of cyanobacteria and a source of consumption for both humans and animals. Different spirulina species, including Arthrospira platensis, maxima, and fusiformis, are cultivated and utilised as dietary supplements worldwide.

Chlorella vs spirulina: how are they similar?

Chlorella and spirulina have similar fat, protein, and carbohydrate structures, while they are both packed with vitamins, minerals, and calories. As well as this, both nutritional sources boast high levels of antioxidants, which are great for our bodies.

The term antioxidant refers to compounds which operate to neutralise free radicals in our bodies. This action helps eradicate damage to our tissues and cells, boosting our overall health and well-being. Studies have showcased that those that consume chlorella and spirulina can experience a range of benefits, including an increase in vitamin E and C levels in the blood. Since both of these vitamins acquire antioxidant properties, we can assume that these sources can offer us some great health benefits.

Chlorella vs spirulina: what’s the difference?

While chlorella and spirula have similarities, they also hold some key differences, the most prominent of which lie in their nutritional differences. Let’s take a look at how these two healthy sources differ below.

• Omega fatty acids

Both algae comprise different polyunsaturated fats. While spirulina contains more omega-6 fatty acids, chlorella contains more omega-3 fatty acids than spirulina, despite spirulina containing this too. This is important since many individuals don’t consume enough omega-3 sources. With this being said, you need to eat very high proportions of chlorella and spirula to meet your omega-3 requirements on a daily basis. Therefore, individuals should consider turning to concentrated algal oil supplements to meet their dietary needs, especially as this is a fantastic animal-based alternative.

• Vitamins and minerals

Spirulina has fewer calories than chlorella, yet it still contains extensive amounts of copper, iron, riboflavin, and thiamine. It also has a much more considerable amount of copper. Despite this, chlorella contains more calories, riboflavin, zinc, and iron than spirulina. It is also higher in magnesium, provitamin A, and phosphorus.

• Protein

Both chlorella and spirulina contain amino acids essential for overall health and well-being. Our bodies can quickly absorb these acids, making it no surprise that these ingredients have been used for food sources over a long span of history.

However, chlorella and spirulina are currently being investigated further for their source of protein, although some studies have shown that spirulina could have more significant amounts of this source. After all, NASA has even used spirulina as a supplement during space missions.

Conclusion

So, there you have it. Hopefully, after reading this article, you are a little more clued up on what chlorella and spirulina are, how these dietary supplements differ, and how they could help you and your health in your daily life. While chlorella and spirulina share a range of valuable similarities, their difference in nutritional content sets them apart.

Identifying your individual health problem may be able to help you determine which of these sources could help boost your health the most and which you should opt for. If you’re still unsure which nutritional source to choose, it may be worth speaking with a medical professional to receive more guidance on this topic.

Whether you consume chlorella, spirulina, or both supplements, each could help enhance your daily well-being and improve your life!