**Potential of** *Chlorella* **as a Dietary Supplement to Promote Human Health**

#### **Tomohiro Bito 1, Eri Okumura 2, Masaki Fujishima 2 and Fumio Watanabe 1,\***


Received: 26 May 2020; Accepted: 17 August 2020; Published: 20 August 2020

**Abstract:** *Chlorella* is a green unicellular alga that is commercially produced and distributed worldwide as a dietary supplement. *Chlorella* products contain numerous nutrients and vitamins, including D and B12, that are absent in plant-derived food sources. *Chlorella* contains larger amounts of folate and iron than other plant-derived foods. *Chlorella* supplementation to mammals, including humans, has been reported to exhibit various pharmacological activities, including immunomodulatory, antioxidant, antidiabetic, antihypertensive, and antihyperlipidemic activities. Meta-analysis on the effects of *Chlorella* supplementation on cardiovascular risk factors have suggested that it improves total cholesterol levels, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and fasting blood glucose levels but not triglycerides and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels. These beneficial e ffects of *Chlorella* might be due to synergism between multiple nutrient and antioxidant compounds. However, information regarding the bioactive compounds in *Chlorella* is limited.

**Keywords:** antioxidants; *Chlorella*; dietary fibers; dietary supplements; folate; lutein; vitamin B12; vitamin D2
