Spirulina is a superfood that derives from nutrient-enriched green algae.
It has a reputation for being incredibly healthy and is fast becoming one of the most popular superfoods in the world.
This type of algae has been used for hundreds of years as a food product prior to being commercially produced in the 1970s. Dried spirulina is available for consumption via powders, flakes, or tablets.
How Do I Eat Spirulina?
A standard dose of spirulina is 500 milligrams and this is ingested 4-6 times per day.
Powdered spirulina can also be added to water or other juices. If you do not enjoy the taste of spirulina, you can easily disguise it and combine it with fruit blends like banana or pineapple.
Simply add some vegetable juice to your blender and blend in the powder until it is smooth. Alternatively to this, you can also sprinkle the powdered form of spirulina onto your food or mix it in.
Why Should I Eat Spirulina?
The USDA National Nutrient Database states that spirulina is densely rich in protein, and contains 4.02 grams per tablespoon.
Protein plays a vital structural role in your body and serves as the building block for enzymes and hormones. Iron is also present in abundance and there is 2 milligrams of iron per tablespoon in spirulina.
This helps to transport and store oxygen across the body.
Antioxidant functions and DNA synthesis are just a number of critical functions that are aided by iron. Spirulina contains an abundance of B vitamins like riboflavin, B6, flate, and thiamin also.
Vitamin K and E are also present in this superfood as well as the brilliant fatty acid gamma-linolenic.
What Does The Research Show?
Studies have shown that spirulina also has anticancer and antiviral qualities.
Studies suggest that this superfood plays a crucial part in boosting your immune system and can help to prevent some allergic reactions from occurring.
However, there is more research required in order to support these theories conclusively.
The Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database has also discovered that there is not sufficient evidence to support claims that this superfood helps to improve symptoms of conditions like ADHD, PMS, depression, fatigue, diabetes, or heart disease.
Precautions
This superfood can be grown within natural settings which increases the risk of it being contaminated by bacteria or heavy metals.
Thus, blue-green algae that is grown within a controlled environment drastically decreases the risk of this superfood becoming contaminated.
For this reason, you should try to buy your spirulina from a renowned brand.
You should also read labels carefully in order to select spirulina products that have been grown without herbicides, fillers, dilutants, or artificial pesticides.
You should always discuss your options with a medical professional prior to spirulina, especially if you have pre-existing conditions.
It is not recommended that you take this supplement if you are allergic to seafood or iodine. You should also avoid this supplement if you are breastfeeding, pregnant, or you have been taking immunosuppressants.
What Are The Health Benefits Of Taking Spirulina?
Spirulina boosts iron, amino acids, protein, and antioxidants. This is why it is often marketed as being a rich source of protein.
Spirulina contains 60% protein by weight, however, you will need to ingest it regularly to reap the benefits.
Many people who take this supplement have stated that their energy increased, although there is not an abundant amount of research into this.
Tips For Buying Spirulina
Spirulina’s growing environment vastly impacts its overall taste and nutritional quality. Thus, it is worthwhile doing research into where a brand has sourced its product.
This information can usually be obtained from the brand’s website. The majority of spirulina is produced in India or China.
However, this can contain a lower nutritional profile and potentially be contaminated.
Thus, you should locate a brand that has a customer service number and ask them for more information prior to purchasing any product that you are unsure of.
How Do I Store Spirulina?
Spirulina can be stored within bags or bottles and kept in your refrigerator.
While it doesn’t contain any oils or products that can become rancid over a period of time, it does contain an abundance of oxygen-sensitive nutrients that diminish over time, especially after you have opened the product.
Thus, you should always try to consume this superfood within a few months of opening it.
Conclusion
To conclude, spirulina has become increasingly popular over the last few years and is well renowned for being a highly-sought after and favored superfood.
This supplement contains an abundance of protein that is greatly beneficial if you are looking to build and restore your muscular strength.
Spirulina has also been stated to boost your immune system as well as increasing the amount of oxidation within your blood.
It is stated that it helps to improve the flow of oxygen throughout the body, restoring your cells inherently.
While there is not an abundant amount of research to conclude that it has beneficial properties in all instances, it undoubtedly contains an abundance of nutrients, vitamins, and minerals that have been proven to assist your body’s functionality and overall health inherently.
If you are not a fan of the taste of this supplement, then you should consider blending it with fruit products like juices.
Alternatively, you can sprinkle some spirulina over your food and ensure that you are mixing it in well.
If you do not mind the taste of this supplement, then you can consume spirulina in capsule form and there are an abundance of tablets that you can choose from.
It is also important to source your spirulina from a reputable brand as you want to ensure that you are consuming this superfood from the most natural source.
Thus, purchasing spirulina that has been cultivated in a controlled environment is always highly recommended as this removes the chance of your supplement being contaminated.
One of the most common things I talk to my clients about is calories, but so few of them actually know anything about them.
Calories is not a dirty word. If you remove emotion from it, it is simply a unit of energy.
We need calories to live and thrive, and knowing how many to consume is important to ensure that you’re living a healthy lifestyle.
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