Because inquiring minds need to know:
You might recall that after my most recent bout of stomach sickness, I decided that our hemp protein powder was either slightly rancid or Evil Incarnate, or both. However, because I was doubled over in sickness and sweats while Marty experienced nary a stomach cramp or gurgle, I was left to conclude that I– and I alone– must be deathly allergic to one of the ingredients in the powder.
The ingredient list is not very extensive or complicated for our particular brand of protein powder, but I was unwilling to try each ingredient on its own so I could single out what was causing my violent reactions. (Do I look like an idiot to you?) No- It was enough for me to swear off the protein powder altogether and to hope that whatever I was really allergic to wasn’t one of the more common ingredients, like hemp, flax seed, or (god forbid) chocolate flavouring!!
Unfortunately (but fortunately for me), one of our friends recently discovered the hard way that he, too, might be deathly allergic to a common ingredient in some protein powders. He sent us a foreboding e-mail the other day, describing in intimate detail how he had experienced crippling nausea and explosive episodes of throwing up after he had consumed a simple shake. His e-mail pretty much summed up my exact symptoms (spookily so), but he was able to take it a step further and to single out the ingredient that was likely causing his discomfort.
He wasn’t drinking the same brand of protein powder that we have– in fact, he simply made a fruit shake with a chlorella extract in it after a workout one day. (Our brand has chlorella in it too, though.) Apparently, after he had vomited his guts out, he did some research and discovered that an allergy to chlorella is more common than one might think. And even though a part of me knows I might not be able to draw conclusions about myself based on somebody else’s experiences, you know what? I’m perfectly alright making the assumption that I’m allergic to algae based on how closely his experience matched mine. End of story!
(Luckily for me, it’s not too hard to avoid eating algae… I might be a bit crunchy and granola for some people, but algae is not a regular player in my diet. I promise.)
Interesting post. I’m a great advocate of chlorella, and make no secret of that – so I’m keen to get to the bottom of this reaction that you and your friend attribute to chlorella. I am aware of chlorella products on the market that are inferior to others – and a few years ago in Japan this was highlighted by a spate of complaints relating to a Chinese brand that caused symptoms similar to those you describe. If strict hygiene and quality control procedures aren’t adhered to at each step of the manufacture, storage and handling of any food product problems can arise. Personally I avoid Chinese food products.
So based on my initial hunch would you kindly confirm the name of the brands of protein powder you and your friend were using. I’d like to check out their chlorella source.
Many thanks!
Incidently – regarding quality chlorella sources – the Japanese have among the highest quality standards in the world, so you can’t go far wrong there. But like anything there are various grades and qualities.
Hi Christopher, and thanks for the comment and the concern. Both my friend and I consumed ChlorEssence, a Japanese-sourced form of chlorella. My smoothie had ChlorEssence combined with Vega Complete Whole Food Health Optimizer, and his was just plain ChlorEssence.
Many of my friends are vegetarian and vegan athletes, and the great majority of them supplement with chlorella and have no ill side-effects. However, my system refuses to digest chlorella and I’m OK with that. I’d much rather be allergic to micro-algae than I would be allergic to something more common in my diet.
I became very sick vomiting, very hot and chills after drinking ChlorEssence from Japan, about 4 months ago. I kept the container it in the frig, and thought ($40.00 for 150 gm of powder) that I would try it another time, it is too expensive to just throw out–perhaps a reaction to something else. But today after drinking plain water with 1/2 teaspoon of CholEssence I vomited for hours again.
i feel like such a dummy! i read this entire post like you were allergic to CHOLERA.
Suzen– Hahahaha!! Hopefully it will be as easy to keep CHOLERA out of my diet as it will be to keep the CHLORELLA out!
I am also Crazy Allergic to Chlorella!!!
I took very high quality Hawaiian chlorella and instantly had my esophagus almost fill up with thick saliva. I had serious problem breathing!!
If I wasn’t young and healthy I could have really had a major problem!!!
I also felt like crap on it and I had already done a previous cleansing — so it was not a detox.
People need to stop promoting it like if there is NO ONE out there that is allergic. I think a good 15% of people are allergic to it~
And why shouldn’t they be — its an algae that hardly any human eats naturally so we have not gotten used it at all!!
Chlorella is my one and only allergy. I am strong and healthy and give me a little of that stuff and I get all F’d up…
Hope this helps somebody else.
Peace..
Hi there everyone, can you assist please.
How come won’t the hyperlinks on the top menu of the site webpage that submit a message work for me?
Cheers
well now that a whole host of us have had some type of reaction to chlorella ,what next for supplementing whole green nurishment? I pretty much had the same symptoms as omar related to.
Zona, Though your Chlorella post was originally April 2009 I was fascinated to read that you and those responding had the same allergic reaction I had with Chlorella.
I was new to Chlorella a few weeks ago and very excited to reap the benefits and keep my immune system super strong.
After a couple of days of gradually adding Chlorella to my diet I was struck down out-of-the-blue with that crippling nausea, incredible cramps and intense intestinal distress. I rarely get sick and now for about 36 hours I was completely bedridden aside from my many trips to the bathroom. I thought possibly I had gotten a flu bug or maybe I hadn’t added the Chlorella gradually enough and had some sort of a detox reaction????
2-3 weeks later which brought us to yesterday afternoon, I decided to try the Chlorella again still hungry for those great proposed benefits!!! So I take 4 tiny tabs where 25 tabs equal 5mg which is said to be a daily dosage. Within a couple of hours the nausea begins and escalates again to that crippling crescendo. Thank God I wasn’t out on a date when it hit!! No remedies would knock it out or even down. There is NO Doubt that I have an allergy to Chlorella. My one and only allergy in this life! Never again will I consume it!!!!
I will definitely be on the lookout to ensure I do not consume any products with this additive.
Thanks so much for your post and those who added to it!!!
I too found out the hard way that I am allergic to Chlorella, my chiropractor suggested it to help detox my breast milk and with in a few hours I had horrific vomiting and diarrhea at the same time for 5 hours straight…I was at the point of vomiting bile and pregnant mind you, I thought I had food poisoning but a few months later (post pregnancy) I consumed a green to go that you put into water and with in a few hours I was sick out of both ends for 5 hours straight! My current chiropractor did a nerve test and said I don’t have an allergy…but I still don’t want to tempt fate and go through that sickness again….this is also my one and only allergy, I am a healthy person!
Hi, I know your chlorella post is slightly old and I hope you don’t mind me contacting you. I got unbelievably sick from chlorella (while pregnant) and nearly died. I made a website about my experience to let people know how careful they should be with this stuff. If there is any chance you can reference my website http://www.badchlorella.com – I am trying to get enough people together that got sick from Yaeyama Chlorella to get Source Naturals (that’s the maker of the stuff I took) switch to a better warning label. Of course they claim that I am only the second case they’ve ever heard of, and I want to use my site to get all those random chlorella sickness stories in one place to warn potential users. Do you mind telling me who was the maker of your chlorella? Did you ever contact them about how sick you got? it would be so kind of you to reply, either here or on my website http://www.badchlorella.com. I appologize if I am stirring up some horrible memories – I know from first had experience how horribly sick this stuff can make you.
Biggest thanks in advance,
AssiaG
I believe there is something with quality control. I originally purchased the Sun Brand Chlorella from Vitamin shop and had no side effects. However I ran out and decided to try their brand. Once it got in my system, I ( like others on other boards) have experienced several days of Asthma like symptoms. It is horrible. Unfortunately it took me several days to put 2 and 2 together and eliminate the Vitamin Shoppe brand Chlorella from my diet and am starting to get back to normal. No pressure in my chest, my intestines feel back to normal. Glad to hear that I am not the only one experiencing problems.
well, I do have lyme and therefore tried chinese chlorella as a detox since i ran out of burbur wich i handle pretty good.
after taking four tabs of it I started to feel weird….as if I was going to have s seisure…i also noticed a strange feeling and burning sensations in my head…i will NOT take it again!!!!!
I thought that quality control was possibly the problem the first time I took chlorella and had an intense bout of vomiting, so ordered Yayama Cholerella from Japan, distributed by Jarrow. It sounded so superior that I didn’t consider I’d have a problem. Within a 1/2 hr. I was vomiting violently and then an hour later included spasms in the colon that left me so weak I couldn’t get up off the bathroom floor. I think my face has never been whiter ! I am not allergic to any other green foods so am baffled by this reaction.
Ani, did you ever contact the maker of this stuff? I think this stuff is poison and I am currently in litigation with the maker. Can you leave me a message at sick@badchlorella.com? if you’ve contacted them and if there was any reply. Thanks so much!
I broke out in hives after taking Chlorella straight for 2 weeks. The hives lasted about a month. It was so awful. Folks if you want to know if you might have a reaction to it do a skin prick test. Crush the pill and mix it with some water in a small bowl or cup, then take a sterile needle and pick up some of the chlorella mixture and prick (scratch) your skin with the needle. Make sure you leave some product on your skin. Watch it closely to see if a hive develops. I had a hunch this was causing my allergies. Once the hives and itch went away, I did this and the area developed a hive. If this happens to you, then get rid of the stuff it will cause you much more harm than good.
Hi Jenny!
Similar experience. I feel like the rash should be going away faster and I am frustrated that it is not. I did the scratch test and had a major reaction. I really hope my hives don’t last a whole month!! Please send more info I would really appreciate it. Thank you!
Pingback: chlorella « Elizabethian Tea
Hi I was taking a combination of chlorella, spiralina and wheat grass for approx ten weeks. I started to get severe stomach cramps, bloating only five days ago and I stopped taking the stuff. I have put this down to the chlorella after reading some of the side effects. I haven’t been able to eat anything solid since the cramps started and feel ill with alot of digestinal wind, can someone please tell me how long does this last for and what can I do to try and relieve symptoms?
Hi everyone– thanks very much for your comments and discussion! It sounds like I’m not the only person who experiences severe reactions to chlorella…
I have spoken with a few doctors and nutritionist friends about my suspected chlorella allergy. The consensus seems to be this:
1. Chlorella has extremely cleansing and detoxifying properties, which can “shock” the body into very unpleasant reactions (that seem to be allergies but might not be). Some people are able to gradually introduce chlorella into their diets once they have worked hard in other ways to clean up their eating and generally detoxified their bodies.
2. That said, some people are actually allergic to chlorella and should just avoid ingesting it. This is not a particularly difficult substance to avoid, since it is not a common ingredient in most foods.
3. Not being able to take chlorella supplements is just fine– people who eat a variety of land-based leafy greens in their diets can get just as many vitamins and minerals as those who can tolerate sea vegetables.
4. Any negative reactions to chlorella or other supplements should always be discussed with a doctor, because there may be larger issues at play.
5. There are WAY worse foods to be allergic to than algae! I consider myself fortunate that I can’t tolerate algae but am able to eat things like nuts, corn and other common allergens.
I hope this helps! I don’t envy anybody who experiences anything similar to my vomit-thon after taking chlorella, but hopefully any negative side effects will dissipate soon after taking chlorella out of the diet again. Cheers!
Dana, did you ever contact the makers of this stuff? I think this stuff is poison, so I made a website about my experience with chlorella http://www.badchlorella.com. Cheers, stay healthy, AsiaG
Hi. Very interesting comments, especially point No. 1. I tried it about 3 years ago and after a few days, started vomited for three weeks. The first three days or so, I was being sick every half hour right round the clock. The next few days I only vomited when I tried to eat. It took almost three weeks before I could keep anything at all down. At the end of 3 weeks, I found that the only thing I could eat without being sick was a very small piece of apple. Then a pharmasist suggested trying a carton of ‘invalid’ food, which I tried and from then on, I started to recover. About 2 months later, not knowing for certain what caused all of this, I tried one pill of chrolella again, and I was sick about a half hour later. I suppose my body recognised what it was straight away and made me bring it up before it got right into my system!
Hi everyone,
I started using naturya chlorella powder from a pouch, sold as organic from a health shop. I made a daily shake by mixing a teaspoon of powder with fruit, soya yoghurt, lecithin and rice milk. First week no problems then on monday about 2 to 3 hours after drinking I had stomach cramps extreme bloating and felt nausious. Eventually after vomiting a few times i felt better but very weak. For the next two days I ate light meals but didnt make my shake. Today I decided to make my shake again and within an hour or so I had the most severe bloating, cramps, extreme vomiting and diarreha all at the same time which lasted over a good hour. I have never felt this ill in my life, I thought I was dying, I felt so weak and had to call my sister to ring me every half hour incase I passed out and nobody would know. I have slept for 2 hours and still feel very weak. I had a feeling that it was either to do with rice milk or the chlorella and still not sure. Obviously I wont be touching either for a while but eventually I will try a very small dose of both on seperate occassions to see if I can uncover the cause. But have been enlightened by the fact that others have had these symptoms too so maybe it is the chlorella. I know I never ever want to feel like that again. I still have to find the strengh to go and clean up now.
Thank God for the internet and people sharing experiences! Thanks for putting up this page. I’ve been getting this vomiting reaction as well, even though all was fine the first 2-3 times I took the chlorella powder (by Xynergy in the UK).
I took some today – having merely suspected a connection between chlorella ingestion and vomiting/intestinal distress last time – and I felt sick to my stomach, which tightened up something awful. Fortunately, I managed to keep a lid on the upchucking. Later, though, the diarrhoea I experienced reminded me of the time I had to prepare for a colonoscopy (the examination from down south), when I had to take a purgative that made me pee from my butt, effectively. It was frightening.
I realise now that even so much as a whiff of the stuff – actually just thinking about it – makes me nauseous!
I too think quality control is not the issue, though is it possible that once opened, the product – in my case, a very very fine powder – quickly becomes denatured/ contaminated with ambient air/humidity? Is it possible the chlorella is chelating the air around it? (Sounds very stupid, I know.)
Possibly, this power food is just too powerful for human consumption. Leave it to those for whom it was created, the creatures of the sea!
All the best to you all.
I took Clorella powder for the first time yesterday. I have no problem with spirulina or wheatgrass or any other supergreens but within an hour of taking a teaspoon of powder( possibly too much…) my whole body was covered in a red itchy rash. I have never had an allergic reaction in my life and I don’t have sensitive skin but this was horrendously itchy and burning sensation which was only fixed by taking an anti hystamine tablet of my husband’s. Although it has calmed down I still have symptoms on my ears! Possibly I took too much first time so I will try again in a week or so and see if I can introduce it gradually. Keep you posted…
I think I am allergic to chlorella. I tried the sunfood brand (David Wolfe), which is said to be really pure and high quality. I tried it a few years ago and vomited a ton and yesterday I tried it again and the same thing happened. I used to eat tons of chlorella by the brand Earthrise and had no problems. I have never had any problems with Spirulina either. I don’t get it and I’m not happy with it! I just ate another, small dose of chlorella to see if I will have the same symptoms. I’ve been a raw foodist for 10 years and detox usually just makes me nauseous or gives me a headache. I am not someone to vomit easily. I might get nauseous at times after a double shot of fresh wheat grass juice on an empty stomach, but that does not make me vomit. I wish I knew what was up!
I had to scroll down and comment after reading one of the comments. Yes, there most likely is people allergic to Chlorella, I agree with that. However, the statement that “hardly any human eats it” is very false. Chlorella is widely used and common in Japan. Look into it.
I have just experienced vomiting and diarrhoea after consuming chlorella in a smoothie, I have had it before a few times with no such side effect. I was pleased to find this site to shed some light on why I was so sick…I had an inkling it was it as the smell makes me nauseous. I will be definantly be doing my research to try get to the bottom of this! not happy – still recovering.
Like most people here I took Chlorella twice before seeing sense. I’m a pro at vomitting anyway as I have a Hiatus Hernia. I got some ‘Natural Chinese Chlorella’ from a Holland & Barratt – who’s tagline is ‘Were good for you’.
After I hugged the toilet first for a few hours being sick at both ends and sweating like you wouldn’t believe. I got not One, but Two ambulance rides to A&E over the course of a week! A drip and anti-sickness soon sorted me out The wrenching brought up blood and I thought I was a gonner!
So, after the second time ive all but narrowed it down to these little green tablets. I’m not sure which of the ingredients I was allergic to- but after reading this I think it’s safe to assume ill be avoiding cholrella from now on!
Foolishily I thought this stuff was just the same as Chlorophyll (maybe it is?) and I had assumed it was just grounded green vegatables and other magical stuff – having read here (and on the label) that is is a microalgae it makes me think of some sweaty pond full of green-goo created by bird poop! I think there is a reason Im alergic to algae
On a serious note – if I wasn’t yound and healthy already this stuff could have seen me off – that is the only reason i’m sharing my experience with you as it no laughing matter. Get this s*&* off the shelves!
Paul
Hey Paul,
Thanks for stopping by. Chlorella is not the same as chlorophyll– chlorophyll is the pigment that is found in green plants (very high in antioxidants), and chlorella just happens to contain a ton of chlorophyll.
Very informative and good complex body part of written content, now that’s user pleasant (:.
This is what God says about Chlorella. Listen to Him and you will live well.
Leviticus 11:9-10
These shall ye eat of all that are in the waters: whatsoever hath fins and scales in the waters, in the seas, and in the rivers, them shall ye eat.
And all that have not fins and scales in the seas, and in the rivers, of all that move in the waters, and of any living thing which is in the waters, they shall be an abomination unto you:
In simple words God is saying stay away from Chlorella.
Could this be the best comment EVER? I’m thinking so!