Chlorella for Preconception, Pregnancy & Breast Cancer

What is Chlorella?

The Midwives of New Jersey currently recommend Chlorella vulgaris for several different purposes. Chlorella is a single-celled freshwater microalga loaded with large quantities of bioavailable vitamins and minerals, including folate, vitamin B-12, iron, potassium, selenium, magnesium, zinc, and calcium. The health benefits of chlorella include natural detoxification, digestive health, immune function, inflammation reduction, antioxidant function, estrogen balance, cholesterol metabolism, and circulation. Additionally, this green algae can help naturally lower your cholesterol levels and is also one of the top nutrients for the excretion of toxic metals (Source).

You can order Chlorella and other dietary supplements that the Midwives of New Jersey have thoroughly researched and recommended in our online store, The Essential Market.

Chlorella for Preconception Use

Chlorella use can result in the elimination of heavy metals and other toxins from the body. We recommend both men and women detoxify before conception because there is evidence that babies absorb the toxins in their mother’s blood. Newborn cord blood has been found to contain traces of as many as 200 environmental toxins (Source).

When both parents make the lifestyle changes several months before conception (like supplementing with Chlorella), their sperm and eggs mature in a healthier environment and will likely result in a healthier mom, baby, and placenta.

Chlorella Supplementation During Pregnancy

We also recommend Chlorella for pregnancy supplementation to our clients to improve pregnancy and birth outcomes and to boost your chances of realizing the birth you are planning.

This superfood supports your baby’s development by reducing harmful toxins.  Chlorella decreases the concentration of dioxins (environmental pollutants) transferred via the placenta to your developing fetus and decreases the dioxins in your breastmilk by 30% (Source). Dioxins can cause cancer, interfere with normal hormone function, and damage your immune system. Dioxins are highly toxic and are one of the causes of reproductive and developmental abnormalities in women and their children (Source). Scientific research has also shown that Chlorella suppresses the transfer of mercury in the mother’s body and diet to the fetus (Source).

Chlorella is such a good source of iron that pregnant women who regularly supplement with about 5 grams a day from the beginning of the second trimester, on the appropriate cycle, are much less likely to be anemic at the end of pregnancy.  This is a significant benefit to the women in our practice because anemia is a risk factor that can prevent women from having a home or a birth center birth.

Chlorella is generally considered safe to take throughout pregnancy. Take 3-5 grams of chlorella a day. We recommend Mercola’s chlorella, 10 small tabs 2 times a day. To avoid losing too much of the ‘good, ’ it is recommended to take this supplement for 2 months, stop for 2 months, and then repeat the cycle. When taking chlorella in pregnancy though, take for 2 months and stop for only one month especially if you were not taking chlorella prior to pregnancy. 

Another advantage of regular chlorella supplementation is a decreased incidence of pregnancy-induced high blood pressure symptoms like protein in the urine and swelling of hands, feet and face (Source).

Women should not have an out-of-hospital birth once diagnosed with Pregnancy-Induced Hypertension (PIH). Even in hospital births, anemia and elevated blood pressure take a significant toll on your birth plan. Women with these conditions will likely need intravenous access and continuous fetal monitoring and could be excluded from using the birth pool. This supplement is one of the easiest ways to keep your birth plan on track.

Chlorella Supplementation While Breastfeeding

Chlorella supplements are generally considered safe for use while breastfeeding. A new Japanese study has shown that one way to protect your newborn infant from dioxins in your own breastmilk is to take a high quality supplement of an algae called Chlorella pyrenoidosa each day (Source).

This small study showed that pregnant women who took a daily supplement of chlorella had significantly less dioxin in their breastmilk compared to the control group of pregnant women. This means that less dioxin will be transferred to baby. Furthermore, those taking the Chlorella had significantly higher levels of IgA in their breastmilk, which is part of the immune system that protects babies against infections. We recommend Dr Mercola’s Fermented Chlorella available at the Midwives online store The Essential Market.

Take 3-6 grams/day for 30-60 days then stop for 30 days and repeat.

Chlorella as an Anti-Breast Cancer Agent

Breast cancer is believed to be caused by environmental, genetic, and/or hormonal factors. American women have a 12% risk of being diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime. Exposures to environmental toxins like heavy metals and dioxins found in the air and our water can be mitigated by Chlorella because it binds to and eliminates metals like lead, mercury, and cadmium and other toxins from your body (Source). Cancerous tumors grow more easily in bodies where cells cannot repair themselves properly and do not have access to the nutrients needed to create or replace cells completely (Source).

Once a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer, supplementing with Chlorella for breast cancer supports anti-tumor activity. This can apply to people with breast, ovary, skin, lung, colon, and kidney cancers, as well as stomach carcinoma (Source). In addition to this supplement’s many other health benefits, there is a benefit in recommending broken cell wall chlorella for prevention and treatment.

Summary

Chlorella is an incredibly beneficial supplement for individuals planning for conception, during pregnancy, and for breast cancer prevention and support. Its rich nutrient profile, including vital vitamins and minerals, makes it an excellent choice for enhancing overall health, supporting detoxification, and reducing harmful toxins in the body. For preconception it plays a critical role in detoxifying both partners, ensuring a healthier environment for sperm and egg maturation. During pregnancy, it supports fetal development, prevents anemia, and helps reduce the risk of pregnancy-induced hypertension, all while supporting the body’s natural ability to detoxify. Additionally, Chlorella’s ability to eliminate environmental toxins like dioxins and heavy metals makes it an important tool in preventing and supporting treatment for breast cancer.

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