Chlorella, cracked/broken cell wall powder vs. Chlorella protein (isolate or high-protein algal powder)
Among 107 on-market chlorella products with an identifiable primary form, 51.4% use Chlorella, cracked/broken cell wall powder (55 products) and 27.1% use Chlorella protein (isolate or high-protein algal powder) (29).
| Chlorella, cracked/broken cell wall powder | Chlorella protein (isolate or high-protein algal powder) | |
|---|---|---|
| Quality tier | Unrated | Unrated |
| Chlorella by weight | — | — |
| Share of market | 51.4% | 27.1% |
| On-market products | 55 | 29 |
| Median declared dose | 750 mg middle half: 500–900 | — |
| Most common brands | Garden of Life, Bioray Kids, Vibrant Health | Naturade, Vibrant Health, Garden of Life |
Doses are declared per serving in mg. “By weight” is the share of the ingredient that is the nutrient itself (e.g. elemental magnesium in a magnesium salt).
Why Chlorella, cracked/broken cell wall powder is unrated
Cell-wall disruption is the stated rationale (the intact wall is hard to digest). Only one small human crossover compared whole-cell with split-cell chlorella (n=10, protein drinks): plasma amino-acid availability was marginally greater with split cell (p=0.09) and well below milk or spirulina; not enough to rank.
Source: Williamson E et al. 2024, Front Nutr 11:1487778, PMID 39610880
Why Chlorella protein (isolate or high-protein algal powder) is unrated
A protein-enriched ingredient (Chlorella protothecoides is not the species used in the cited trials), not whole-cell chlorella; recorded without a dose.