by jpowell » Wed Jun 27, 2012 7:37 am
Actually, marketing for spirulina being what it may (often over-hyped in several ways for sure although from what I've seen, the false claims about B12 and DHA in spirulina more often come from raw vegan activist weirdos than from companies selling the products, that may be an over-generalization, it's just my impression).... Marketing for chlorella is quite similar, but then they seem to have quite a few nutritional similarities, in the same ways as, say, broccoli and spinach might. Both are green vegetables, but they are not the same.
There are some clear benefits/use cases to consuming both....
* According to the chemical analysis I could find, spirulina protein contains a very slightly higher lysine percentage than most legumes. I'm sure you would agree this is both rare and valuable for vegans. Yes, it is much more expensive per unit protein than say split peas, lentils or peanuts, but the whole food is 65% protein, almost comparable to many protein supplements, not at all comparable to whole legumes. The price point per unit protein is only a little higher than pea protein isolate, but the other 35% contains a lot of highly concentrated good nutrients. This is not a case for everyone eating spirulina or anyone basing their entire diet around it, but surely a case to strongly consider using some if you're after a mineral and antioxidant rich high lysine diet (most athletes?).
* Spirulina is incredibly rich in iron (much more densely so than lentils or most green veges), and doesn't contain phytic acid that might slightly inhibit the iron absorption from lentils. Since a common way to consume spirulina is by mixing it with fruit juice, that's an easy way to get iron and vitamin C together.
* Spirulina is extremely high in a range of carotenoids. These are a whole class fat soluble nutrients (red through yellow pigments) that not only serve as THE source of vitamin A in vegans but also provide potent, actually absorbed antioxidants (with some of the high ORAC foods, it's questionable how much of the antioxidants, especially polyphenols are actually absorbed... they may still be useful, but from what I can tell, far less so relatively than what it looks like in the lab. There seems to be a pattern of in vivo studies being less promising than in vitro studies, which is not true of carotenoids). Unlike Vitamin A supplements or fully formed vitamin A from eating other animals, they are not toxic if you consume a little bit over your needs, your body simply won't convert any more of them to vitamin A than what it requires. Other vegetables (carrots, pumpkins, most green vegetables, tomatos and capsicums (lycopene)), also contain carotenoids, but I think you'll find the range of carotenoids, as well as the concentration, is superior in the algae. In particular, alpha carotene is quite probably more potent than beta carotene Red palm fruit oil is another very good even more concentrated source of carotenoids.
* Spirulina is extremely high in chlorophyll (just look at it's dark green colour). This may also have antioxidant benefits (actually I am skeptical, but since I can't find a downside to consuming the green foods anyway, and there are other advantages, it doesn't hurt).
* Spirulina typically has a pretty good Magnesium content, which arguably most people (not especially vegans) are at some risk of deficiency and which is arguably an extremely important nutrient for athletes with (controversial but credible) benefits ranging from neuromuscular performance/reactions to hormonal optimization to slightly greater power to weight (Mg is lighter than Ca and partly interchangeable for some bodily functions). In general, Magnesium content is more likely to be reliable in aquatic based products (seaweed and algae) than in land grown vegetables, where it depends partly on availability in the soil.
* Chlorella is I think similar on most of these points but I know less about it. From memory, I think you might find a key difference in the Zinc content (higher), and possibly less Mg content.
Disclaimers: I am not an expert on spirulina, or even on nutrition. I don't sell it. I do buy it. I am constantly reviewing my nutrition, have read, thought and questioned quite a bit by now on the subject and try to consider but question/check at least most claims, and my nutrition pattern has reached something fairly stable that I am confident really supports my performance. I only eat 10-20g per day of spirulina and I am considering adding or substituting some chlorella.
Brewers yeast is also good in moderation. I have some and I hate the taste, except a little bit mixed in Miso soup, which I find actually improves the taste of the miso somehow. It has a very high B vitamin concentration, hence the strong need for moderation. I think some of the B vitamins are added ingredients (certainly looks that way on the packaging for mine!) It may have some good minerals too, but I strongly doubt it delivers the same key benefits as algae in this area. In this sense it is sort of a hybrid between food and supplement.
