An Inroduction to Chlorella

You know that stuff at the bottom of the old swimming pool? Well that was algae. At church camp we used to joke how the algae was going to get us. I believe now that the algae did less harm than the chlorine. If algae are growing in your swimming pool there are probably other things as well. Maybe nasty bacterial things, not just friendly algae flora; also algae can get out of control, producing a "red tide" when water conditions are just right. The approximately 2 per cent of algae types that fall into this genus can be dangerous, especially in the massive concentrations that can occur. Fumes can be noxious and bronchial and nasal irritation can develop. This is connected often to the presence of nitrates from fertilizer and industrial run-off. This is in the modern era largely a man made phenomenon. When the little microscopic single-celled plant dies it of course de-composes. In the de-composition bad smells can occur. Also fish can be killed; but only indirectly by the algae. When nutrition and conditions are hitting on all eight cylinders, the algae grows so fast that it consumes most of the oxygen in the water and fish die off from the lack there of.

Saying all this; chlorella is not toxic for human consumption, at least not in any levels that you could possibly eat. It is a little complicated however. During the detoxification process the poisons pulled loose from the system by the chlorella can bring on headaches and feelings of malaise as the body starts to detox. From personal experience I know that at times mental confusion and a diminution of concentration can occur. If this gets too intense, it can be time to back off the chlorella for a few days. Also to get the benefits of chlorella it needs to be "cracked". In other words, to have its cell walls pulverized for easier digestion. Without this process the algae is much harder to digest and will cause more of a reaction. Also people react differently to certain substances and some tolerate the algae less than others. Well, this is some background information on chlorella. But it’s only a start. Here’s an individual’s personal experience:

"If you’ve worked in the mine, or in a refinery, or lived in a specially polluted are, there is a good chance that you have ingested some heavy metals or other toxins. If you eat a lot of processed foods or beverages, take vaccines or many types of medication, there is a good chance you have some kind of toxicity problem. Even eating chicken, beef or seafood can get you in trouble not to mention the mercury fillings that dentists have used for many decades and still use today. Side note: The American Dental Association now recommends against their use, but this is generally kept pretty quiet. Well, I fit into to at least two of these categories.

I have worked in a refinery and have a whole mouthful of mercury fillings (some call them silver-amalgam fillings) and I forgot, I grew up for years in coal country and Dow Chemical country at a time when they blew out unchecked poison out of their smokestacks. Well in latter middle age I had some tests done; was high on cadmium and some other heavy metals. Also mercury was suspected. Sometimes mercury will not show up in a lab test. The detoxification process needs to commence first to shake up the element that the body has stashed away deep within itself. The detoxification regimen included chlorella."

Serious detoxification is serious business, light maintenance detox not so much so. But when you’re pulling mercury or other heavy metals out of the brain and nervous system, it pays to know what you’re doing. It’s best to employ a naturopath or a good holistic physician, but the techniques are widely known and have been tested for years. And if it all gets too intense, just stop for a while.

The formula goes three days on and eleven days off. It consists of chlorella, cilantro, and alpha-lipoic acid. Make sure the chlorella is of good quality, that it has been cracked for digestibility. Take three times per day. Alpha-lipoic acid three times per day and a thumb and fore-finger full amount of cilantro also three times per day. The cilantro should be just brought to a boil, but not cooked for long. This removes certain bitterness. Preferably the cilantro should be homegrown, or organic.

Each of these substances works in certain ways. The cilantro will detox metals that the body has cleverly hidden away in the nervous system and in connective tissue and fat cells. The alpha-lipoic acid plays an intermediate role and the chlorella, of course works in the gut. The thing to be careful with here is to make sure that the detoxification runs its full cycle. The thing that we don’t want to do is shake up the toxic metals or substance, flush it out of where it is hiding and then not flush it out of the body entirely. The body hides these poisons where it figures it will do the least damage. We want to leave it there or get rid of it entirely!