How to Take Chlorella
Taking chlorella is not complicated, but getting it right means the difference between a supplement that works as intended and one that passes through you with most of its nutrition locked inside an unbroken cell wall.
We have seen enough questions from our own customers to know that the practical details, including dose, timing, format, and what to eat it with, are the things that determine whether chlorella actually delivers on the nutritional panel printed on the back of the tub.
Chlorella Dose: How Much to Take Daily
Standard dosing for chlorella is 3 to 5 grams daily. That is roughly one teaspoon of powder or 6 to 10 tablets, depending on tablet size. This delivers a meaningful contribution of protein, chlorophyll, iron, and B vitamins without being so much that your digestive system objects.
If you are new to chlorella, start at 1 to 2 grams for the first three to five days. Your gut needs time to adjust to a concentrated algae food source, and bloating or gas in the first few days is common and settles. We covered the digestive details in our chlorella side effects article.
Jumping straight to 5 grams on day one is not dangerous, but it is unnecessarily uncomfortable for people with sensitive stomachs.
Chlorella Powder vs Chlorella Tablets
Powder is more versatile and typically more cost-effective per gram. You can stir it into water, blend it into smoothies, mix it into juice, or fold it into food. The taste is green, earthy, and mildly grassy. It is not unpleasant, but it is distinctive. If you blend it into a banana and spinach smoothie, the taste disappears entirely. If you stir it into plain water, you will taste it.
Tablets are tasteless, portable, and convenient, requiring no preparation and no blender. The trade-off is that many tablets contain binding agents and fillers alongside the chlorella itself. Check the ingredients list: a tablet with just chlorella and nothing else is better than one padded with maltodextrin or magnesium stearate. Tablets also tend to cost more per gram of actual chlorella than powder does.
We sell chlorella in both formats because the right choice depends on how you will actually use it consistently, not on which format is theoretically superior. A powder you never open is worse than a tablet you take every morning.
When to Take Chlorella: Timing and Meals
Take chlorella with food. There are two reasons. First, the iron in chlorella is non-haem (plant-derived) and absorbs significantly better when taken alongside vitamin C. A glass of orange juice, some bell pepper, or a kiwi fruit alongside your chlorella meaningfully increases the iron you absorb.
Second, taking concentrated algae on an empty stomach causes nausea in some people, and food buffers this. Morning or evening does not matter. Consistency matters. Pick the time you will actually remember and stick with it. There is no published evidence that chlorella works better at any particular time of day.
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Why Cell Wall Processing Determines Whether Chlorella Works for You
This is the single most important practical detail and it happens before the product reaches you. Chlorella has a tough cellulose cell wall that your digestive system cannot adequately break down. If the cell wall is intact, the impressive numbers on the nutritional panel stay locked inside the cell and pass through you unabsorbed.
"Broken cell wall" or "cracked cell wall" processing mechanically disrupts this barrier. Fermentation goes further, using microorganisms to break down the cell structure more thoroughly. We use fermented processing on our chlorella because we measured the difference it makes to nutrient accessibility and decided the additional cost was justified.
If your chlorella product does not mention cell wall processing on the label, you may be paying for nutrients you are not absorbing.
What our research found
Clinical trials have used chlorella doses ranging from 3 to 10 grams daily. Most studies used 5 to 6 grams. Doses above 10 grams have been used safely but without proportionally greater benefits in the available literature. Starting at 3 grams and increasing to 5 grams over a week reduces the digestive adjustment most people experience.
No published study has demonstrated that timing matters. Morning, evening, with food, or without food have not been compared in controlled trials for chlorella specifically. What does matter is taking it with vitamin C if you want better iron absorption, and taking it consistently rather than sporadically.
What Not to Take Chlorella With
If you take thyroid medication (levothyroxine), iron supplements, or certain antibiotics, space them at least two hours apart from your chlorella. The minerals in chlorella can interfere with the absorption of these medications if taken simultaneously. This is standard supplement guidance that applies to any mineral-containing whole-food product, not a specific chlorella risk.
If you take blood-thinning medication, the vitamin K in chlorella could theoretically interact. The amount at standard doses is modest, but mention it to your prescriber. We covered the full safety picture in our chlorella safety article.
Combining Chlorella with Other Algae Supplements
Chlorella pairs well with marine phytoplankton because they serve different nutritional roles. Chlorella provides chlorophyll, protein, and iron, while phytoplankton provides EPA omega-3 that chlorella does not contain. We formulate our Phytoplankton Super Greens as a combined product for this reason, and we covered the complementary logic in our multi-algae synergies article.
Cara Hayes, MSc Nutrition and Dietetics (University of Sydney), writes all content in the Phytality Knowledge Centre. Read our editorial policy.
Sources
This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Consult your healthcare provider before starting any supplement.
Methodology and Disclosure
Phytality manufactures fermented chlorella. Dosing guidance is based on published clinical trial protocols. Timing and format recommendations reflect our editorial assessment. Drug interaction information references published pharmacological data. All practical guidance is general and not a substitute for individual medical advice.
Last reviewed: March 2026
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