Fatigue is something everyone experiences at some point or another. Most often, it's in response to a lack of sleep, dietary issues, or periods of high stress, though there are many other factors that can contribute to its development (Bassi 20081). Fatigue can be temporary or chronic, with a broad range of severity. Naturally, the specific causes of fatigue for each case determine the ways to reverse it. The occurrence of chronic fatigue is surprisingly common, and it's most often due to a combination of factors (Junghaenel 20132). One part of the solution is diet related. Addressing nutrition inadequacies and imbalances is a vital component of managing energy levels. Chlorella has been highlighted by many researchers as being one helpful dietary strategy for targeting several fatigue-related issues (Noguchi 20133).
Fatigue can come from several different dietary issues: too much or little food, nutrient deficiencies, or poor nutrition as a cause or instigator for disease (Tardy 20204). Proper nutrition is firstly needed for calories which are converted into energy. Beyond this, many vitamins and minerals are required for effective energy metabolism (Tardy 20204). The path from food to energy via digestion is complex and requires a multitude of vitamins and minerals to take part in chemical reactions. The most essential required micronutrients for metabolism are: b vitamins, vitamin c, zinc, iron, and magnesium (Tardy 20204). This may partially explain why chlorella has been shown to improve energy levels, as it is a good dietary source of all of the aforementioned nutrients (Rani 20185).
The second possible diet-related cause of chronic fatigue is when poor diet contributes to illness. Most illnesses, if not all, take an energetic toll on the body. In particular, diabetes is known to cause feelings of tiredness (Fritschi 20106).
Another significant factor that can lead to chronic fatigue is chronic stress. The phenomena of oxidative stress in particular is a well known cause of low-energy and other unpleasant systems (Fukuda 20168). Oxidative stress occurs when the body has an excess of dna-damaging free radicals in the body. This can stem from countless environmental sources, all with the common effect of causing inflammation (Fukuda 20168). This is another area where chlorella's unique benefits can be of assistance. Chlorella is very high in a number of antioxidant nutrients which may combat oxidative stress, and it has anti-inflammatory properties (Lee 20109). Chlorella has been shown to reduce symptoms of fatigue in otherwise healthy subjects with these effects (Okada 201710).
While there certainly is more to the issue of fatigue than chlorella can comprehensively address, such as sleep issues, medication side effects and mental health aspects, it can certainly serve as a component of an otherwise healthy lifestyle to help maximize energy and vitality.
References
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