| Spirulina Nutrition |
What is Spirulina?
Spirulina is micro algae grown wild in open alkaline lakes (Lake Chad) or in small scale or large scale controlled production environments called spirulina farms. The simple aquatic spirulina plant is nature's oldest concentration of nutrient rich food which sustains many life forms in the food chain, and supports cellular repair and regeneration.
Many people use spirulina in their own personal health care strategy for more energy, nutritional insurance, stabilizes blood sugar by reducing cravings, reverse anemia, weight control, and body cleansing. It is a light food that provides more endurance and strength and better nutrient absorption.
The Spirulina pacifica ingredient in our SpiruKELP food product is grown and harvested near Hawaii and then cold processed to protect the delicate nutrients.
What does spirulina do for your good health?
Well, first of all, spirulina's nutritional profile is second to none. Second, bio active spirulina's whole food source of essential plant nutrients plays an important role in health maintenance. Thus, as the ultimate superfood, spirulina is a reliable dietary food supplement.
There are numerous health benefits of spirulina, including:
1. Spirulina platensis has the highest complete plant protein content, its 65% to 71% easy to digest vegetable protein by dry weight includes all the essential amino acids, and without the trans fat and cholesterol of meat. By comparison, it contains more protein that carcinogenic soybeans (34%); beef (17%); and eggs (12%). Yet, spirulina only has a few calories.
Spirulina is the richest source of the amino acid phenylalanine, a natural appetite suppressant; and one of the richest sources of arginine, an amino acid which promotes the release of growth hormones which stimulate the body’s own regenerative processes. In all, Spirulina's highly digestible vegetarian source of protein contains 18 amino acids, including the 8 essential amino acids required for complete nutrition. Unlike Spirulina, Chlorella (which belongs to the green algae family) lacks the 15% to 25% percent biliproteins which are unique to blue green algae like Spirulina that have researched therapeutic value.
2. Spirulina is the superior plant source of vitamin B12 and B Complex (B1, B2, B6, B12)which are essential for healthy nerves and tissue. It contains 250% more than liver.No animal source of B12 or plant source contains more B12 than Spirulina species. Vitamin B12, cobalamin, is deficient in the diet of the vegetarian, and in particular, vegan lifestyle.
3. Spirulina's cell wall, composed of complex sugars called polysaccharides instead of cellulose, makes it an easy to digest source of nutrients quickly for short and long-term energy needs. Unlike Spirulina, Chlorella alga contains a cell wall which reders it difficult to digest if its producers fail to process it correctly.
4. Spirulina is the world's second richest source of chlorophyll (or magnesium); only Chlorella, another blue green algae species, contains more chlorophyll, vitamin A and zinc. Chlorophyll deficiency means low production of the vitamin B group enzymes.
5. Spirulina is the world's only natural source of all antioxidants: Vitamins A,C and E, selenium, SOD, and zinc. Spirulina, the world's highest beta carotene, food reduces long term health risks. Spirulina's beta carotene load is at least 60 times more concentrated than Popeye's favorite spinach and 10 times more than carrots. This superfood is your natural beta carotene insurance which helps support your body's defenses. As for other antioxidants, the selenium content can easily provide 25% of the RDA. The enzyme super oxide dismutase (SOD) is uniquely found only in bacterial sources where microbes synthesize SOD to protect themselves agains free radicals; thus, the primitive spirulina organism is endowed with this protective mechanism. Spirulina differs from other algae and is similar to bacteria in many ways, most notably cyanobacteria, which can be toxic; thus it occupies a special niche between plants and bacteria.
6. Spirulina contains all of the essential fatty acids (EFA), one of which is a rare essential fatty acid which is a key to health. A serving of 10 grams contain 225 mg of EFA in the form of linoleic and gamma-linolenic acid (GLA). GLA in mother's milk helps develop healthy babies and in Spirulina, GLA is accompanied with other nutrients for proper GLA metabolism (oils like black currant oil and evening primrose oil only provide fatty acids). Spirulina is a concentrated source of GLA, and a10 gram serving contains 135 mg. By comparison, a daily dosage of 500 mg of evening primrose oil contains 45mg. Studies show that nutritional deficiencies can block GLA production in your body, so a good dietary source of GLA can be important. No other wholesome food contains GLA.
7. Spirulina contains iron for women and children's health. Iron is essential to build a strong system, yet it is the most common mineral deficiency. Spirulina contains more than 2 cups of spinach per RDA and it is easier to absorb than iron and magnesium supplements.
9. Spirulina contains minerals such as iron, magnesium, zinc, potassium, calcium, manganese, selenium, and phosphorus and vitamins A (actually beta carotene), C, E, and H.
10. Spirulina possesses uncommon phytonutrients for health and body cleansing. Scientists are discovering the benefits of polysaccharides, sulfolipids & glycolipids, and the rainbow of natural pigments that give spirulina's deep green color. Green (chlorophyll), blue (phycocyanin) and orange (carotenoids) colors collect the sun's energy and power growth. Chlorophyll is a natural body cleanser and is often referred to as nature's green magic. Chlorophyll alkalizes the blood, inhibits the growth of harmful bacteria, fungi and viruses, removes toxins from the body, stimulates the immune system and improves the digestive system.
In addition to being a natural health food supplement, spirulina's amazing facts include:
1. Spirulina is Earth's first food. The tiny green spiral coil is first photosynthetic life form designed by nature 3.6 billion years ago to harvest the sun's energy, growing a whole food source of bioactive nutrients. This whole foods diets supports the nutritional needs of fish, humans and other life forms.
Blue green algae produced the oxygen in our atmosphere allowing all higher life forms to evolve. It contains everything life needed to evolve into its rich diversity today. This immortal life form contains billions of years of successful evolutionary wisdom coded in its DNA. However, unlike yeast (single celled nutrient-rich organisms), it's nucleic acid content is low -- nucleic acids lead to increased uric acid levels in blood thereby increasing the load on the kidneys and causes gout which is unhealthy.
2. Spirulina produces more nutrition per acre than any other food. It can solve the world's nutrition problem because of its high growth rate and high nutritional rate. For instance, it can produce 20 times more complete protein food per acre than cancer-causing soybeans.
3. It can be grown with brackish water and non-fertile land that cannot be used by other crops.
4. We can use less resources to grow spirulina, the most powerful food on Earth, and help save the last of the primordial forests which are cut down to grow monoculture crops.
5. Eating spirulina can provide personal nutritional health insurance and it is a workable solution for the health of our planet as well.
6. Spirulina is the most researched algae because it contains antioxidants, phytonutrients, probiotics, nutraceuticals, enzymes, and more nutrients. It contains compounds like phycocyanin, polysaccharides and sulfolipids that enhance the immune system. Spirulina contains the most remarkable concentration of functional nutrients ever known in any food, plant, grain or herb. No other micro algae or macro algae has been the subject of such intense research over the past 30 years because, unlike other algae, we can economically cultivate spirulina all over the globe.
Continuing scientific research on spirulina reveals that:
1. Several years ago, the National Cancer Institute announced sulfolipids from blue-green algae like spirulina were remarkably active in test tube experiments against the AIDS virus. The researchers discovered that Calcium-Spirulan inhibits the replication of HIV-1 Herpes Simplex, Human Cytomegalo virus, Influenza-A virus, the mumps and measles viruses in laboratory tests, yet was also found to be very safe for human cells.
2. In 1993-95, research showed that natural polysaccharides in spirulina increased T-cell counts, strengthened the immune system and raised disease resistance in chickens, fish and mice.
3. The animal feed stock industry is embracing spirulina as a new probiotic to replace overused antiobiotic drugs in animal feeds.
4. In 1994, a Russian patent was awarded for spirulina as a medicine for reducing allergic reactions from radiation in the Children of Chernobyl.
5. NASA scientists discovered that Spirulina is an excellent, compact space food for astronauts (1 kg of Spirulina is nutritionally equal to 1000 kg of assorted vegetables).
What are the negative side effects of eating aquatic plant foods?
Marine foods are ideal and safe for consumption by children, pregnant and nursing mothers. Adverse side effects or dangers of carefully processed spirulina by an ISO certified company are unfounded.
Spirulina has a natural detoxification effect on the body. A full body detox of harmful toxins can result in such symptoms as gas (flatulence), or loose bowels (stools). It is suggested that you begin with one teaspoon of SpiruKELP per day in two 8oz glasses of clean drinking water and increase this to 2 tablespoons per day. Drink water daily to improve your health naturally.
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