Would it be surprising to hear that spirulina is both?
The nontechnical term for spirulina is pond scum; however, it is also an amazing source of protein that aids in many aspects of overall health!
Spirulina does have some benefits that target specific groups more than others.
Let's explore the facts of Spirulina to determine who it helps the most!
Important Spirulina Facts:
1.) It is commonly know that spirulina shares many similarities to chlorella. Probably the biggest difference is that spirulina is a multi-celled organism whereas chlorella is single-celled. Spirulina is classified as a plant, and it is also a blue-green type of algae (not just green like chlorella). Both have high chlorophyll content and lots of nutrition.
2.) Spirulina can uptake lots of trace minerals from its growing location. On one hand, that is wonderful, but at the same time it could be very dangerous if it grows in a contaminated water source.
3.) Many vegetarians or vegans find spirulina a very useful component to their diet because of its nutrient content!
An average serving size of 1 tablespoon has:
- Only 20 calories!
- 4 grams of plant protein
- Vitamin B1 at 11% of the RDA
- Vitamin B3 at 15% of the RDA
- Vitamin B3 at 4% of the RDA
- Copper at 21% of the RDA
- Iron at 11% of the RDA
It also has trace amounts of vitamins like D, C, B9, B6, A, and E. Even the amount of calcium in spirulina is about 26% more than you can get from milk!
4.) With all that protein and iron, it makes a great supplement for pregnant woman as well - as long as it comes from a clean source. Protein and iron is very helpful in aiding recovery from illness or surgery as well.
5.) One of the compounds that make this little algae super nutritious is gamma linolenic acid (GLA). GLA is an essential fatty acid and is usually created in the body but rarely found in a food source. This, coupled with the omega fatty acids 3, 6 and 9 found in spirulina, create an amazing anti inflammatory effect in the body. This is great news for people with any kind of inflammatory condition as well as allergies, as it can aid in the ability to reduce mucus and raise the B vitamin levels in the body.
6.) In addition to those anti inflammatory properties, the super plant Spirulina is jam packed full of antioxidants - it contains about 4 times the amount found in blueberries!
7.) Studies are showing that spirulina has the ability to balance blood sugar, which can be used to help control diabetes.
8.) Attention all athletes! If you want an edge on your competition, then consider adding spirulina to your diet. Not only does it aid in burning fat cells during exercise, but it also increases endurance and reduces the amount of damage done to muscles while exercising.
9.) Whether or not spirulina absorbs heavy metals when it is consumed is debatable, but studies show that spirulina definitely absorbs heavy metals while growing. One study tested over 25 commercial brands of spirulina, and each one had between 0.002 and 0.028 mg/kg of mercury. Granted that is not a huge amount, but considering no amount of some toxic metals are "safe" to consume, it is extremely important to have a quality version of this plant if you are going to consume it.
From https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3824145/
Even if spirulina doesn't have the binding properties to remove metals, it is still a really amazing plant that gives so much to the human body! Consider adding it to your daily regiment if you want to reap any of the benefits listed above.
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We hope this will inspire you to do additional research and work towards the best possible health for yourself!
For additional resources on this topic, please check out some of these links and the ones above:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3824145/
https://wellnessmama.com/4738/spirulina-benefits/
*This information is not intended to be medical advice; it is just shared research & experience.
