There are many varying opinions on the nutrient value of blue-green algae and its cousins spirulina and chlorella.
There are many ads stating that blue-green algae, spirulina, and chlorella are wonder foods that "may help increase energy, decrease fatigue, enhance brain function, oxygenate the blood, nourish the nervous system, improve memory and concentration, increase muscle mass, speed healing, protect against pollutants and radiation, purify the blood, relieve kidney stones, and improve over-all health." Is trher any merit to these claims?
Chlorella and spirulina are in the algae family, a huge class of organisms that range in size from microscopic single cell organisms to hundreds of feet long (multi-celled seaweed). More than 200 species have been harvested and used as food since prehistoric times in virtually every landmass that has a coastline. They are also commonly used as fertilizer. Algae are abundant, high in minerals, and can be good sources of protein, carbohydrates, fiber, essential fatty acids and vitamins.
The microscopic algae growing in cold ocean waters contain high amounts of essential omega-3 fatty acids. But these are not the algae that are harvested and packaged as store shelf supplements. They are actually at the bottom of the oceanic food chain and are consumed by zooplankton. Zooplankton are, in turn, consumed by larger and larger shellfish or fish, and eventually by fish-eating birds and mammals. So, as the ultimate preadtor, humans receive their benefits when we eat cold-water fish and shellfish.
Blue-green algae, spirulina, chlorella, and other algae that grows in stagnant fresh-water lakes can be harvested because they collect in large amounts on the surface ("pond scum") and can be skimmed off. However, these varieties do not contain the omega-3 fatty acids that are found in the cold-water species. They do contain protein, vitamins and minerals, but not in any greater amounts than that found in any other food.
Ancient tribes in Central and South America harvested the algae from their lakes, dried it in bricks and used those bricks as food. You would need to eat a pound of blue-green algae to equal, say, a pound of soybeans. That's why it makes no sense to buy blue-green algae in pills. A pound of dried soybeans costs 89 cents; a pound of dried blue-green algae in pill form costs over $1000. Blue-green algae does not contain any "miracle" substances and has not been shown to cure anything, despite the claims of its promoters.
Our conclusion is that, while the algae family of supplements do provide substantial levels of carotenoids and high levels of protein, it would require a massive amount of pills or powder to equal the nutrient value of a recommended diet of lean protein, fruits, and vegetables.
