What Are The Ingredients In Sun Chlorella?

Sun chlorella, also known green algae, has been part of the diet of the people of Japan, China and Korea for hundreds of years. The American Cancer Society describes chlorella as single-celled, freshwater algae. Chlorella contains chlorophyll and is manufactured into powders, granules, tablets and liquid extracts. Although use and manufacture of chlorella have increased, according to research published in the book "Food Biotechnology," scientific evidence supporting the benefits of its use is lacking.

Ingredients

There is one ingredient listed for sun chlorella: a strain of green algae called Chlorella pyrenoidosa. This strain of algae is the only component of sun chlorella. The Sun Chlorella USA website states that "Sun Chlorella contains no artificial colors, flavors, or chemicals." The algae are grown, harvested, dried and packaged according to manufacturer specifications.

Vitamins

The Sun Chlorella USA website lists the numerous vitamins in a 3-g serving of sun chlorella. This serving contains 0.055 mg of vitamin B1, 0.136 mg of vitamin B2, 0.054 mg of vitamin B6, 0.013 mg of vitamin B12, 0.21 mg of vitamin C, 0.0144 mg of vitamin D, 0.15 mg of vitamin E and 0.0384 mg of vitamin K1. Other vitamins in a serving of sun chlorella include 0.051 mg of niacin equivalent, 0.087 mg of folic acid, 0.267 mg of pantothenic acid, 0.00816 mg of biotin and 7.44 mg of inositol.

Chlorophyll, Electrolytes and Minerals

A 3-g serving of sun chlorella contains 81 mg of chlorophyll. Electrolytes in sun chlorella include 1.02 mg of sodium and 28.5 mg of potassium. The Sun Chlorella USA website lists several minerals as ingredients in sun chlorella, such as calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, zinc, chromium and selenium.

Fats, Amino Acids and Proteins

The total fat content of a 3-g serving of sun chlorella is 0.375 g. Included in this total are 0.0546 g of saturated fat, 0.053 g of omega-3 fatty acids and 0.056 g of omega-6 fatty acids. A serving of sun chlorella also contains a variety of amino acids, including arginine, lysine, histidine, phenylalanine, tyrosine, leucine, isoleucine, methionine, valine, alanine, glycine, proline, glutamic acid, serine, threonine, aspartic acid, tryptophan and cystine. The amount of protein in a 3-g serving of sun chlorella is 2 g.

Carotenoids

A 3-g serving of sun chlorella also includes the carotenoids lutein and beta-carotene. The Mayo Clinic describes these carotenoids as being "protective against age-related vision diseases, such as macular degeneration and night blindness, as well as heart disease and certain cancers."