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Moringa vs Chlorella (Which Is Better For A Detox?)

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Both Moringa and Chlorella have a lot to offer. But since they share some similar properties, it might be hard for some people to choose between them.

If that’s you, you’ve come to the right place.

I started this Supplement Comparison Series for that exact reason. In every post, I take 2 types of supplement and put them head-to-head on pros, price, side effects, my recommendations, and more to help you figure out which one to use.

In this piece, we’ll take a look at Moringa vs Chlorella.

Here’s whether you should take Moringa or Chlorella:

If you want to lower cholesterol, reduce inflammation or increase your antioxidant intake, you should go for Moringa. Whereas if you want to boost your immune system, detox from heavy metals or improve your endurance, you should go for Chlorella.

What is Moringa?

Moringa (Moringa Oleifera) is a plant native to India that also grows in the tropics.

Now, the interesting thing about Moringa is that the whole plant is used for its health boosting properties.

In other words, the bark, root, fruit, seeds, leaves and flowers are ALL used for nutritional and medicinal purposes.

This is quite unusual for a plant, as usually only one or two parts are consumed.

(The leaves of the tea plant, as an example.)

What is Chlorella?

Chlorella is a single-celled green algae that grows in fresh water.

It gets its name after ‘chlor’ which means green in Greek and ‘ella’ which means a small thing in Latin.

And although it was only discovered towards the end of the 19th century, it’s believed that Chlorella has been around for millions of years.

As well as being used as a nutritional supplement, Chlorella is also used as a biodiesel.

Benefits

Benefits of Moringa

Moringa may reduce inflammation

Inflammation is a real double-edged sword.

On one hand, acute inflammation is important, as it signals to your body that something needs fixed ASAP.

A good example of this would be if you scolded yourself on boiling water.

The inflammatory response, although painful, helps your body heal the damaged skin.

Now, on the other sword edge, we have what’s known as chronic inflammation.

This is the type of inflammation that builds up over time when you eat a terrible diet, do little exercise and smoke.

Chronic inflammation is a silent killer as it’s been linked to many diseases, including stroke, cancer and heart disease.

Well, the good news is Moringa is rich in isothiocyanates.

Scientists believe that these are powerful anti-inflammatory compounds.

Moringa can help lower Cholesterol

People with high cholesterol are believed to be at higher risk of developing heart disease.

So, to reduce this risk, lowering your cholesterol is a sensible choice to make.

Thankfully, lots of research supports the use of Moringa to help lower cholesterol.

Moringa may lower blood sugar levels

High blood sugar levels are often the result of binging on junk food.

Now, the issue here is high blood sugar levels are super dangerous to your body, so a massive insulin spike happens to stabilize them which crashes your blood sugar levels.

This drop in blood sugar levels is often accompanied with an energy crash, fatigue and brain fog.

So, if you want to sustain your energy levels, you really need to keep you blood sugar levels stable.

Well interestingly, a lot of studies have shown how capable Moringa is at lowering blood sugar levels.

Take this study of 30 women for example, which showed that 7 grams of daily Moringa for 3 months reduced fasting blood sugar levels by around 13.5%.

Moringa is rich in Antioxidants

Excess free radicals can lead to oxidative stress, which is believed to play an important role in many diseases and aging.

Antioxidants are powerful molecules that help neutralise free radicals, which leads to less oxidative stress and a healthier you.

So if you want to increase your antioxidant intake (hint: you do), then you may want to supplement with Moringa.

Why? Well, Moringa is rich in the following antioxidants:

  • Vitamin C
  • Quercetin
  • Beta-Carotene
  • Chlorogenic Acid

But that’s not all though…

Research shows that using Moringa significantly boosts levels of antioxidants in the blood too.

Benefits of Chlorella

Chlorella may boost your immune system

Your immune system is vital as it helps fight off bacterial and viral infections.

It’s a complex system that’s made up of multiple cells that are called into action when a foreign invader enters your body.

Although the evidence is quite limited, Chlorella has been shown to boost the immune response in both human and animal studies.

For example, a study showed that men who supplemented with Chlorella produced more antibodies than when they took a placebo.

(Antibodies are an important part of your immune system that help your body identify pathogens.)

Another 8-week study concluded that adults who took Chlorella showed markers of enhanced immune function.

Chlorella is a nutritional powerhouse

Whilst the term “Superfood” is thrown around too often nowadays, Chlorella’s nutritious profile is impressive to say the least.

Chlorella is rich in:

  • Iron
  • Fiber
  • Protein
  • Omega-3
  • Vitamin C
  • Antioxidants

Each of these play an important role at keeping you vitalized and healthy.

Chlorella may enhance aerobic endurance

While only one study has looked at Chlorella’s effect on aerobic endurance, the results were fairly positive.

In this study, a group of adults took either 6 grams of Chlorella or a placebo every day for 4 weeks.

The results showed that those who took Chlorella could saturate their lungs with oxygen more effectively than those who took the placebo.

Although the mechanism for this isn’t fully understood, it’s believed to be due to the high BCAA content found in Chlorella.

(BCAAs have been found to enhance aerobic performance in many different studies.)

Chlorella may help clear toxins from your body

Although heavy metals, such as iron and copper are essential in small amounts, they can be toxic if they build up over time.

For example, iron build up has been shown to increase the risk of heart failure.

In animals, Chlorella has been shown to reduce the heavy metal toxicity of many vital organs, including the liver and brain.

Chlorella has been shown to lower the amount of other harmful toxins too, including Dioxin which is a potent hormone disruptor.

Cost

Moringa Cost

Moringa is usually sold in the form of capsules or as a powder.

Typical prices for these are:

  • Powder: $20 for 1 lb
  • Capsules: $10 for 100

Chlorella Cost

Chlorella is typically sold as a powder or tablets.

Here are some standard prices for these:

  • Tablets: $9 for 120
  • Powder: $32 for 1 lb

Side Effects

Moringa Side Effects

Moringa is generally considered safe with a low risk of side effects.

But if you’re a Diabetic or you take blood sugar lowering medication, then be sure to consult a Doctor before using Moringa.

(This is to avoid Hypoglycaemia, which is an extremely dangerous condition that occurs when your blood sugar levels are too low.)

Chlorella Side Effects

Chlorella has been deemed “generally recognized as safe” by the FDA.

This isn’t to say it’s suitable for everyone though, as some people have experienced nausea and tummy pains after taking Chlorella.

Also, those who are  taking immune system medications or have immunodeficiency should be wary with using Chlorella due to its effects on the immune system.

Recommendations

My Moringa Recommendation: Organic Spice Resource Moringa Leaf Powder

Organic Spice Moringa Leaf Powder

Click to see on Amazon

Overview

A solid Moringa supplement that comes in powdered form.

Perfect for those who enjoy the freedom to choose how much Moringa they’d like to take.

What I like about it

As it’s in a powdered form, you can chop and change the dosage to meet your needs.

This is super helpful as some people will be better off taking a lower dose, and others will do better with taking more.

You just need to experiment and see what works for you!

Also, as it’s a pure powder, you don’t have worry about any artificial colors, chemicals or additives.

Just real Moringa goodness.

And as a bonus, this Moringa is organic meaning there are no nasty chemical pesticides or fertilizers that you need to be wary of.

Potential Drawbacks

While being powdered has its benefits, it also has its drawbacks too.

For example, some people find taking capsules to be more convenient.

This is purely down to preference though.

(If you don’t like taking powders, then simply don’t choose this product. I won’t be offended, I promise!)

Check price and read more reviews of Organic Spice Resource Moringa Leaf Powder on Amazon.

My Chlorella Recommendation: NOW Organic Chlorella Powder

NOW Organic Chlorella Powder

Click to see on Amazon

Overview

A top-quality organic Chlorella supplement from a world-renowned brand.

You really can’t go wrong with NOW Organic Chlorella Powder.

What I like about it

The fact this is a powdered supplement is excellent for reasons explained earlier.

(The flexibility of changing the dose to suit your needs for those with a short memory span.)

Another great feature is that the Chlorella has had its cell walls broken down.

This makes it much more absorbable so that your body can utilize it better and benefit from it more.

Also, NOW are one of the most trustworthy supplement companies out there, and I’ve used many of their products in the past (including their zinc) and can only speak highly of them.

For this reason, I have no doubt that their Chlorella is just as good.

Potential Drawbacks

Although not expensive by any means, NOW Organic Chlorella Powder is a tad pricier than other Chlorella powders out there.

But this is the price you pay for a top supplement from a top brand.

Check price and read more reviews of NOW Organic Chlorella Powder on Amazon.

Moringa vs Chlorella: The Verdict

I appreciate you sticking to the end of this Moringa vs Chlorella breakdown with me, and I hope you’ve learned a lot!

By now, most of you will know exactly which one of the 2 supplements you’re convinced by.

Some of you may even want to use both!

But if you’re still on the fence, then here’s what I’d recommend as a high-level guide:

You might prefer Moringa if:

  • You want to reduce inflammation
  • You want to lower your cholesterol
  • You want to lower your blood sugar levels
  • You want to boost your antioxidant intake

You might prefer Chlorella if:

  • You want to boost your immune system
  • You want to increase your nutrient intake
  • You want to enhance your aerobic endurance
  • You want to detox your body from heavy metals

Hope this helped!

BJ

Saturday 11th of December 2021

Thank you for your comparison of Moringa to Chlorella. I have a history with both: Over a period of time, I supplemented with Chlorella (Sun A brand) many years ago until I experienced major nausea and purging. I attributed this to the chlorella although I never discovered how nor why. I was introduced to Moringa more recently, still quite a few years ago, and I used it regularly until, after a couple of years (?), I had stomach cramps with the moringa. This may have been due to a particular brand I was using. I am eager to resume Chlorella for purposes of detoxing, and I'd also like to address inflammation with Moringa, but I'm wondering if they'd "cancel" each other out and whether there'd be stomach issues, considering I'm so much older now than when I began using these superfoods.