What’s small and green and packed with healthy potential? Chlorella!!!
You may have heard of this powerful cousin to spirulina. It’s actually considered a superfood by many, so its fame is well deserved.
And when it comes to chlorella for dogs and cats, we’re big fans.
What is Chlorella?
Chlorella is a single-celled, green freshwater microalgae. And it has an impressive list of characteristics that make it an important element in an animal’s (or human’s) diet.
For example, chlorella is a very good source of nutrients including the following:
- Protein – a complete protein source in fact, meaning it contains all nine essential amino acids
- Vitamins and minerals – vitamins A, C, and B, iron, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, zinc
- Antioxidants – beta-carotene, chlorophyll, lycopene, and lutein
- Omega-3s
And if you know anything about Adored Beast, it’s that we love algae – especially algae that can be grown sustainably!!! Chlorella is no different. Like our phytoplankton and our algae for Potent-Sea, chlorella can be grown in specially designed tanks that allow it to be harvested in a way that does not harm the earth!
But the fact that it can be grown on land, thereby protecting the environment, isn’t the only reason we love it for our dogs!
The Benefits of Chlorella for Dogs and Cats
There are many, many reasons why we love chlorella for dogs and cats. This tiny player has BIG game!
1. Skin Health
Whether your animal has allergies or just dry skin, several of chlorella’s nutrients are really good for supporting skin and coat/hair health. Vitamin D, nucleic acid, and vitamin B12. Beta carotene has been shown to boost collagen synthesis (especially in damaged skin), while chlorophyll is one of the strongest detoxifiers on the planet (and skin is the body’s biggest organ!).
2. Prebiotic Properties
By now most people know that prebiotics are very important for gut health. After all, probiotics can’t really survive without them. And our own research proves that our strains of chlorella are not only potent prebiotics, but they’re prebiotics that remain viable to probiotics in the gut!!
What’s really nice about chlorella as a prebiotic, particularly for our animals, is that it isn’t chemically-derived – it’s a natural prebiotic. And it’s more in line with what animals would eat compared to more commonly-used prebiotics like maltodextrin. It’s an actual functional prebiotic, not just a sugar.
3. Detoxification
An overload of toxins in the body can be detrimental to overall health. This puts a lot of pressure on the organs, which can’t perform at their peak when they’re overtaxes.
One of the most celebrated characteristics of chlorella for dogs and cats is its cleansing abilities. By binding to heavy metals in the body, chlorella helps eliminate them from the body. This includes things like lead, cadmium, and mercury from the liver, intestines, and blood. It brings the metals together and then eliminates them from the body through a process known as chelation. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3654245/
4. Fights Free Radicals
Our animals face an onslaught of damage from free radicals. Environmental pollution, processed food, chemical cleaning products… these are just a few of the things in our animals’ world that contribute to the build up of free radicals in the body. And these unstable atoms that cause oxidative stress in the body. Oxidative stress is linked to so many different diseases – everything from joint disease to cancer! Antioxidants work by scavenging free radicals and destroying them!
The antioxidant properties in chlorella make it a go-to for fighting free radicals.
5. Heart Support
We always want to make to make sure we’re supporting the heart as we support the other areas of the body. And chlorella helps do that!
Chlorella contains omega 3s and health-loving minerals like potassium, which help to protect blood vessels. It can also help to regulate blood pressure and blood sugar levels.
6. Brain Health
The epicentre of the body, the main communicator, the thinking cap: the brain. Just like humans, our animals’ brains can slowly decline as they age. This makes it essential to do what we can to help support cognitive function and brain health, both for senior animals and for young ones!
Chlorella provides many nutrients that support brain function, including B vitamins, vitamins A, C, D, and E, calcium, iron, phosphorus, magnesium, and zinc.
7. Joint Health
So many dogs, and cats too, suffer from joint issues. For both proactive joint care and to help deal with existing joint issues, chlorella can be an important addition to the diet.
Chlorella contains numerous nutrients that help regulate the body’s normal inflammatory response. The antioxidants in chlorella can help to reduce inflammation – important for things like arthritis but also after hard exercise or an injury. Plus, the outer wall of chlorella has been reported to contain 17% glucosamine which helps restores connective tissue like ligaments, tendons, and cartilage. This nutrient tremendously supports joint health.
Giving Chlorella to Your Pet
Chlorella for dogs and cats comes various forms, including tablets and powders, or as part of a combination supplement. Choose the product that best suits your animal, although powder is usually the easiest.
Keep in mind that chlorella products can vary depending on the way the chlorella was cultivated, harvested, and processed. And as always, find a product that does not contain any fillers, artificial colours, preservatives, grown fully sustainable on land etc.
If you are using straight chlorella, remember that it detoxes the body, so go slow – you want to give the body time to adjust.
Chlorella for dogs and cats is a simple ingredient with complex benefits. It’s easy to add to the diet to really provide a wide array of nutrients that support the entire body.
