Training & Nutrition - Need more information on nutritional supplements.

Hi everyone, I have been considering of taking nutritional supplements that could help me in reducing my cholesterol levels. The fact is that I need to maintain my health and for that I need to take care of certain issues. I have heard about blue green algae being a good supplement for controlling the cholesterol level! I need your suggestions on this and also - Do you consider for this being a good supplement???

If you're considering taking Spirulina or Chlorella, therapeutic doses differ a bit. For Spirulina you want about 10grams - 20 grams a day. For Chlorella, you want about half of the total amount of the Spirulina. Blue-green algae is more of a food, so consuming all these grams are alright, but can be costly. You can order bulk of spirulina online in powder form (much better than capsules) and mix it with OJ or a fruit smoothie.

I found this:
Cholesterol lowering effect of spirulina. by N. Nayaka, et al. 1988. Tokai Univ. Pub. in Nutrition Reports Int'l, Vol. 37, No. 6, 1329-1337. Japan.

Thirty healthy men with high cholesterol, mild hypertension and hyperlipidemia showed lower serum cholesterol, triglyceride and LDL (undesirable fat) levels after eating spirulina for eight weeks. These men did not change their diet, except adding spirulina. No adverse effects were noted. Group A consumed 4.2 grams daily for eight weeks. Total serum cholesterol dropped a significant 4.5% within 4 weeks from 244 to 233. Group B consumed spirulina for four weeks, then stopped. Serum cholesterol levels decreased, then returned to the initial level. Researchers concluded spirulina did lower serum cholesterol and was likely to have a favorable effect on alleviating heart disease since the arterioscelosis index improved.

I think that the way you are referring to that as a supplement………it can be also quoted as “organic food”. There is increasing consciousness about the intake of organic foods and I think that it is a good way to keep ourselves healthy. I have my cousin using blue green algae products (http://www.bluegreenfoods.com/) that are really helping him in his various treatments. I think that they are a good nutritional supplement as they contain small amounts of protein, vitamins (including C, E, and folate), beta carotene, and some minerals. I think that this will be a good choice for you.