Chlorella, a simple green algae, is sometimes used as a supplement or eaten fresh. Alfalfa may also be found fresh or in supplement form. These foods offer a variety of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients that benefit your health. Never take chlorella or alfalfa to treat a medical condition without first consulting your health care provider.
Calories
When it comes to caloric content, chlorella contains far more than alfalfa. A 100 g serving of alfalfa seeds introduces 23 calories into your diet compared to the 411 calories present in the same quantity of chlorella. The typical male diet includes 400 to 600 calories per meal, while women may consume 300 to 500 calories during a meal time, which may put chlorella off the menu or require you to eat less.
Vitamins
Chlorella is richer in vitamins than alfalfa. A 100 g portion of chlorella contains 51,300 IU of vitamin A while 100 g of alfalfa seeds has 155 IU of this vitamin; the suggested daily intake stands at 5,000 IU. Chlorella also provides 0.13 mg of vitamin B-12; alfalfa contains none. You need 2.4 mg of vitamin B-12 each day. Both foods provide you with many B vitamins.
Minerals
A 100 g serving of chlorella contains 895 mg of potassium, 315 mg of magnesium and 221 mg of calcium, whereas 100 g of alfalfa has 79 mg of potassium, 0.1 mg of magnesium and 32 mg of calcium. Your diet should include 2,000 mg of potassium, 270 to 400 mg of magnesium and 1,000 mg of calcium in your diet each day, so chlorella is the better choice for getting these nutrients.
Chlorophyll
The chlorophyll in chlorella and alfalfa may prove beneficial in treating slow-healing wounds, preventing cancer and provide antioxidant protections. Eating chlorella is a better source of this compound than alfalfa -- Natural Ways notes that chlorella has almost 10 times the quantity over that available in alfalfa, although alfalfa is the source from which most commercially sold chlorophyll is derived.
References
- Natural Ways: Chlorella's Nutritional Analysis
- USDA National Nutrient Database: Alfalfa Seeds, Sprouted, Raw
- The Diet Channel; Calories: What's An Ideal Daily Intake; Michele Turcotte, MS, RD/LDN
- McKinley Health Center; Macronutrients: the Importance of Carbohydrate, Protein, and Fat; March 2008
- All About Vision; Vitamin A and Beta Carotene: Eye Benefits; G. Heiting, OD; October 2010
- University of Maryland Medical Center; Vitamin B-12 (Cobalamin); June 2009
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