When it comes to superfoods, the foods that are most likely to come to your mind first are kale, avocados, honey, eggs, turmeric, cocoa, garlic, berries, and ginger. You may also agree that these foods are common and easily available in most grocery stores.
In fact, you probably already know many of the benefits that come the consumption of these foods.
Have you ever heard of Spirulina? Or is it a new vocabulary word for your diet? Well, this product is out there, but is still a rare find. So, when you do find it, you may become pleasantly surprised because it's better for you than most of the other superfoods currently on the market.
If you come across it, you'll want to give spirulina a shot so you can compare the results to other superfoods you have already tried. It’s quite amazing, and you will definitely love the experience. Spirulina has all the benefits that you have been looking for, and this makes it widely enjoyed by many people.
What Is Spirulina?
You may be surprised to hear that spirulina is a type of algae, but this shouldn't disgusted. If you're imagining the residue you always see around your pond, lake, or ocean, you're wrong! Get back here and so we can learn all about this awesome and nutritious spirulina algae. If you have had a chance to visit Africa or South America, then you may already know about spirulina because it grows in alkaline water sections in Africa and Mexico.
It has been consumed for ages in these two regions and is popular among the citizens of both regions. The most interesting fact about algae is that it has no roots so the nutrients made are retained for it to form its own food.
This makes the blue-green algae an excellent source of nutrients and a preferred ingredient in many supplements. With most water plants, you will notice that they have no leaves or trunk, so they form a good source of stored nutrients, as an outlet is not available.
This type of algae, therefore, has the nutrient it forms through photosynthesis, which are retained in the algae. When you research the many types of algae available, you will notice that many of them are not consumable and could even be a threat to one’s health when consumed as food. Spirulina, therefore, ranks among the top three recommended algae for consumption.
Many individuals will classify spirulina as a plant, but these algae are considered a good bacterium, as classified by scientists. With more research being completed on spirulina, it has been observed that it has different origins than normal plants and the pigments present gives spirulina both its color and nutritive value. The pigments present in spirulina are also powerful and are a strong antioxidant, as compared to other supplements.
When it comes to the real nutritional content of spirulina, it is so nutritious that it pushed the formation of an organization back in the 1970s to sell the algea as a survival food for people's primary needs. The organization achieved its goal in promoting spirulina and combating hunger and starvation around the world. When it came to space aeronautics, it’s reported that NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) and ESA (European Space Agency) incorporated the algae in the foods they supplied to astronauts in the space.
This brings out the real revelation of the importance of this algae product as far as survival is considered. With its remarkable nutrient composition, the algae was a preferred source of energy and this made it a better choice over the rest.
Benefits Of Spirulina
Spirulina has many benefits and the current research continuously reveals more benefits that come with consuming this algae. With the whole world now running towards spirulina as a supplement, more uses are expected to rise, as people continue and start to use this product. Spirulina has even been singled out as a major source of Vitamin B-12.
The synthesis of nutrients and DNA depend on this vitamin to occur. Health research shows that most of the nutrients found and needed within the body are not made by the body. For those who are vegetarians, getting Vitamin B-12 is usually hard, which is why a supplement is often required to make the required vitamins and nutrients that the body needs.
Meat and fish have all the vitamins to supplement the body functions and vegetarians have to outsource a way of obtaining those same vitamins. Therefore, vegetarians will have to take supplements that contains Vitamin B-12 to get the required vitamins for proper body functioning.
However, as much as spirulina promises to be the best, there is a warning that cautions against over-relying on this as a supplement. There is a research done that shows lower amounts of Vitamin B-12 present in this product and on the other side, there has been a speculation of large amounts of pseudo Vitamin B-12 being present in the body, which is considered as not an active form for the human body.
Therefore, the commercially available supplements still get a resistance of use, as the hazards are considered to be available, which means you are poisoning the body instead of activating it to support its functions. With this in place, a genuine fact states that about 36% of nutrients from normal spirulina are retained for use in the body.
The importance of spirulina can be seen in many ways. Since it works as an anti-inflammatory, it aids in the reduction of stress, as well as depression, which many doctors consider to cause many human diseases and health conditions worldwide.
When it comes to free radicals in the body, they may harm your general body health, and this is why the inclusion of spirulina in your general diet reduces the creation of inflammatory responses. The presence of the strong antioxidants in this food gives the benefit of standing above the rest as a master antioxidant.
Research shows that the use of spirulina contributes to 95% inhibition of reactive substances in the body, hence a highly-rated food supplement in terms of its effectiveness.
12 Other Benefits Of Spirulina Supplement
This spirulina bacterium has been found to have more a lot of uses, and apart from the highlighted benefits, spirulina has an extra 12 uses you might want to know. The uses are unique and quite important as far as the health of the body is concerned. The uses and benefits are as follows:
- Protection of the body from allergic reactions by blocking compounds, such as histamines, from reacting in the body. This enables one to be in good health, despite the challenges of an environment that promotes allergies.
- Is able to stop cancer from spreading – this bacterium has the ability to kill and suppress cancer cells before they start spreading through the body. The research done shows the ability of this bacterium to stop breast cancer cells, as well as leukemia, from spreading through the body, which can easily cause death. The damages caused by radiation and chemotherapy can find a solution by using spirulina compound, which is excellent when it comes to the body's defenses.
- Support of immune system. As far as consuming spirulina is concerned, it’s clear that most of the immunity that happens in the body comes as a result of spirulina supplementation. Antioxidants present in this supplement enables improved immunity to the body.
- It also has the ability to control and lower levels of cholesterol in the body by lowering the low lipoprotein density.
- It has a probiotic effect, and this means that it can be used for life by improving your general body health, as well as the digestion in your gut system. If you have ever encountered any digestion problems, then this product might be of good use to you.
- It works to support your vision in a healthy way. There is always the risk of macular generation in the eyes, as well as cataracts. This supplement is designed to support the vision and promote good eye health. It has carotenoid, which is a powerful antioxidant for great vision.
- Stopping of virus duplication. Viruses are known to spread faster through replication. This bacterium is designed to stop the spread of virus such as influenza, HIV, herpes simplex 2, and hepatitis.
- Blood sugar regulation. This works especially for those suffering from type 2 diabetes. The results have been proven to show improved health in the affected groups just after taking this supplement.
- The liver works to promote many body functions and sometimes require support. Spirulina is great at supporting the liver. The liver can be attacked by different infections, such as liver damage and other chronic infections. The antioxidant nature of this supplement makes it effective when handling the liver infections and damages brought about by external agents. It also works as an immune corrector, hence protecting the body's immunity by boosting its functions.
- Asthma treatment. The treatment of asthma is usually expensive, and research has shown the effectiveness of this bacterium working on asthma patients to reduce their symptoms. Therefore, when one is suffering from mild or moderate asthma, then this supplement will do a wonderful job.
- Spirulina is an excellent supplier of nutrients. As many refer to it as a nutritional powerhouse, it has a huge supply of nutrients, such as Vitamins A, B, and C, as well as other minerals like iron, potassium, and fiber. Your body will also benefit from extra proteins that cannot be provided by the normal supplements on the market.
- Iron deficiency causes anemia, which is why the right dosage of spirulina as a supplement can be administered to successfully reverse the deficiency of iron.
The benefits highlighted are designed to assist the body so that it can remain in excellent form and that’s why the intake of this bacterium is encouraged for those that want to become healthier.
The right amount of this supplement should also be taken as overdose, as an under dose may result in harmful side effects.
When Using Spirulina
Among all the food supplements you have ever tried, you will now concur that spirulina bacterium might be the best source of natural supplementation that has ever been discovered. You will notice that it features over fifteen major uses and other discoveries are still being made about this product.
Most of the research done have linked this supplement to having fewer side effects that come only if one has used the supplement wrongly, including overdose and under dose.
Therefore, it’s clear that when the supplement is used in the right way, minimal side effects will be observed. It’s recommended by dietitians and other medical professionals to take the right amount of this supplement when the need arises.
The doctor also warns on buying this supplement from illegitimate retailers. They suggest that you acquire this supplement from reputable sources that are authorized to supply the supplement.
If you will get the right supplier, then the benefits will be effective on your body. On the other hand, if you use a supplier that hasn’t been authorized to supply, then you might get a product that will cause more harm than benefit to your health.
Most of the spirulina used in North America is cultured or made in a laboratory, which makes it widely available. The conditions in the lab allow for the best products to be made for the benefit of the body. Since it’s easy to grow and harvest, it ranks among the top sustainable foods in the world. Note that not all algae is safe for human consumption, hence the need to buy from reputable retailers only.
Spirulina Benefits Summary
If it was your first time to come across this supplement, then some suggestions and ways of using this supplement will benefit you. It can be incorporated into your meal as a snack. Adding a tea spoonful of spirulina powder to popcorn makes a tasty and nutritious snack. You can also add flavor by sprinkling powder from garlic on the mix then shaking.
It’s also recommended to add this powder to drinks and other meals to get the added benefits of using this food supplement. Once you start using this supplement, the benefits are instant and you will never imagine going back. Always seek medical advice before taking any supplement.
