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You’ve heard about it, now its time to learn about it, so What is Spirulina?

To Get Started, be sure to watch this short Superfoods 101 video on Spirulina.

Lets start at the beginning…….its algae.

Spirulina Under A Microscope

Ok, so its a little more complicated than that, but it is in fact blue-green micro algae.  Now don’t confuse Spirulina with its close nutritional supplement cousin Chlorella which is a green algae.  Both are very beneficial but inherently different.

Spirulina is the common name given to two perticular forms of cyanobacteria, namely Arthrospira platensis, and Arthrospira maxima. Arthrospirais is now sold and used all over the world as a nutritional supplement, however it has its roots much further back in history.

Spirulina is believed to have been first utilized as a whole food supplement by the Aztecs and other Mesomerican cultures and potentially even earlier in Africa around Lake Chad.

Spirulina grows naturally in various lakes around the world.  Found typically in the tropical and subtropical regions, Spirulina needs highly alkaline water to grow.  This of course lends itself to the byproduct we consume as nutritional supplements being extremely alkaline as well.

Most Spirulina now however is grown in a “Spirulina farm” using advanced aquaculture and more specifically algaculture methods.  Grown in what have come to be known as raceway ponds and agitated using paddles, we can now grow large amounts of extremely nutritional and “clean” Spirulina.

Spirulina Farm

The Aztecs used to skim Spirulina from lakes using ropes them sit it to dry in molds forming cakes to be sold.  Now, spirulina is consumed typically in one of three forms:

• Flakes
• Powders
• Tablets/Capsules
  

  Flake Spirulina

  

  Spirulina Powder

  

  Spirulina Tablets

Now onto the fun stuff, the *Nutritional Benefits of Spirulina.  Spirulina is a nutritional powerhouse because its pretty much entirely beneficial ingredients, I mean its algae…..

The first number that strikes accord is that Spirulina is typically 50-70% protein depending on where your Spirulina comes from.  This is massive, compared to other common types of protein such as animal protein with beef coming in at about 22%.  Considered a complete protein, Spirulina contains all the essential amino acids.  Now pair this with the fact that the protein is coming from a living green organism and you also have beneficial chlorophyll (not to be confused with boraphyll for you Billy Madison fans out there).  Chlorophyll is beneficial to humans on many levels the most notable being that its chemical content and alignment is extremely similar to that of our own blood making it extremely absorbable.

Spirulina is also rich in essential fatty acids, contains a vast array of vitamins including A,various B, C, D & E vitamins.

As far as minerals go, Spirulina again contains a large dose, most notably it contains high levels of potassium.  It also contains, chromium, calcium, calcium, zinc, copper, iron, magnesium, sodium, manganese, phosphorus, and selenium.

Spirulina also contains carotenoids which are those natural pigments found in nature, most notably in plants, but also some marine animals such as lobster and salmon.  Most carotenoids do an excellent job as anti-oxidants as free radical scavengers and thus are beneficial for anti-aging.

Many double-blind human studies have shown Spirulina to:

• Maintain Healthy Cholesterol Levels
• Increase Energy
• Reduce Blood Pressure
• Increase Anti-Oxidants in The Blood
• and more….

Spirulina is also thought to nutritionally support:

• Healthy Digestion
• Healthy PH Levels in the Body
• Healthy Immune System Function
• Natural Cleansing & Detoxification
• and much more…

Now, with all that said if you do decide to consumer Spirulina Powder, there can be a serious drawback.  It’s called “Spirulina Mouth” and you may end up looking like this guy, haha.

But seriously, if you don’t want your mouth to turn that blueish green shade you can always take the tablets or capsules, ha.

So, hopefully you learned a lot about Spirulina and its potential benefits to your diet as a whole food supplement.

To view our selection of the Worlds Best Organic Spirulina Supplements just follow the link.

Enjoy

*Statements on this web site have not be evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not meant to diagnose, treat or cure any disease or illness.  The information provided on this site is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other health care professional or any information contained on or in any product label or packaging. You should not use the information on this site for diagnosis or treatment of any health problem or for prescription of any medication or other treatment. You should consult with a healthcare professional before starting any diet, exercise or supplementation program, before taking any medication, or if you have or suspect you might have a health problem.