I've been a fan of Spirulina for a while and have taken it regularly in the past. I think I am going to start taking both Spirulina and Chlorella again.
Probably add them in to a pre-workout shake, post workout, and then maybe before dinner. Just curious if anyone else takes them and if so in what doses. Seems like you need to really take a crapload for it to make a difference. i.e. - the Naked Green Machine Superfood Juice I had this afternoon only has 1300mg of Spirulina and 400mg of Chlorella which really won't make any difference.
A couple articles if you are curious:
http://watershed.net/spirulina_chlorella_article.htm
This one is very long but worth the read.... everything you ever needed to know.... http://www.chlorellafactor.com/
Some suggestions on doses ..
How to take chlorella and spirulina
Let's talk about how much chlorella and spirulina you should actually take. The following figures are based on an average 150-pound adult. Adjust proportionally to your own body weight.
Spirulina
Disease-fighting dose: 20 grams / day
Maintenance dose: 10 grams / day
Athlete dose: as much as 60 grams / day
Upper limit: there is no upper limit. You can eat spirulina like food. If you eat "too much," you will simply get full.
Chlorella
Disease-fighting dose: 10 grams / day
Maintenance dose: 5 grams / day
Upper limit: there is no upper limit, but introduce chlorella into your diet gradually and monitor your stools. Since chlorella can result in mild diarrhea in some persons, introduce it slowly. (Your body will adapt over a period of a few weeks, allowing you to take more.)
Once again, most people take far too little of these foods. I've seen people take two tiny tablets of chlorella -- about 300mg -- and declare they've "taken my chlorella for the day!" That's like eating one bite of broccoli and expecting to receive the full health benefits of broccoli.
In order to be effective, you've got to take the much larger doses mentioned above. If you buy chlorella in tiny tablets, as it is often sold, that means taking a handful of tablets with each meal. Here's a tip: don't count out the tablets every single time. Count them once so you know what five grams looks like. After that, just grab a handful and toss it down your throat. It doesn't matter if it's off by a few tablets. Remember: these aren't drugs. You don't have to be exact about it, just make sure you're getting at least the doses mentioned above.
There's no harm in taking more, of course. Aside from the health benefits I've described here, the main thing you'll notice is that your stools will turn green. This is an indication that you're getting a good dose of chlorella and spirulina into your diet. If your stools aren't green, you aren't taking enough
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Dosages
How much to take. When to take it.
Spirulina and Chlorella
First Foods of the Earth and the Foundation of Nutrition of Great Health
by
Bob McCauley
Bob's Biography
Additional Spirulina Information
Additional Chlorella Information
Chlorella: A maintenance dosage of Chlorella is about 3 – 5 grams per day. Although you will not see significant changes taking such a small amount of whole food, your body will be getting a broad array of nutrients unlike it has seen before. Since Chlorella is a detoxifying whole food, not a concentrate or extract, a person can eat as much as they desire without any fear of it becoming potentially toxic in any way.
Chlorella is best taken before a meal with probiotics, our friendly bacteria ( Acidophilus and Bifidus ). Chlorella causes probiotics to multiply at four times the rate of normal.
Maintenance Dosage: 3 – 5 grams/day
Significant Part of the Diet: 6 – 10 grams/day
Immune System Builder: 11 – 14 grams/day
Primary Source of Protein : 12 – 19 grams/day
Healing Purposes & Heavy Metal Detoxification: 20 – 30+ grams/day
Best before a meal to aid with digestion.
Spirulina: A maintenance dosage of Spirulina is 3 -- 5 grams per day. Although their nutritional profile may appear to be quite similar, Spirulina and Chlorella are completely different foods. Spirulina is great before a physical workout. I take 5 – 6 grams religiously before any kind of physical training. Stamina, endurance and recovery are significantly improved with Spirulina . After a strenuous workout where the body is pushed to its limits, an additional 10 – 20 grams should be taken during the following 24 hours to rebuild the body and muscle tissue that has been torn down. Spirulina should also be taken 15 – 30 minutes before a meal to help prepare the stomach for proper digestion since it also helps accelerate the reproductive rate of probiotics.
Maintenance Dosage: 3 – 5 grams/day
Significant Part of the Diet: 6 – 10 grams/day
Immune System Builder: 11 – 14 grams/day
Primary Source of Protein : 12 – 19 grams/day
Healing Purposes: 20 – 25+ grams/day
Also great before a workout.
~ Bob McCauley