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Spirulina is a kind of blue green algae. It belongs to the family of bacteria called cyanobacter which is one of the most abundant kind of bacteria in the planet. From plankton in the ocean to the scum you find floating on waterways, they are all part of the same family.
Spirulina gets its name because of the shape of the bacteria which is like a coiled spring. It has been used as food for centuries and is not new. For example in central Africa, specifically around lake Chad, indigenous people collect the algae, dry it make it into spirulina powder and use it in their daily meals. The Aztecs used to use it in their food and there is documented evidence that the use of spirulina goes back at least 10,000 yrs. The actual use could go back much further.
In all this time, the algae was supposed not only to be nutritious, but also very beneficial to health. As to whether this is an old wives tale is something that we will delve a little deeper and find out for ourselves.
What Exactly is Spirulina?
As mentioned spirulina is a form of bacteria and is a free floating algae that grows in fresh water. It is however very hardy and has been known to inhabit deserts where the mean temperature goes above 50 ºC. During droughts they have been known to lie in a dormant state without any water on rocks that can go up to 70 ºC or more. It is a single celled organism and is right at the cusp of development between plants and animals in the sense that although they are able to synthesize their own food with the help of sunlight, they do not have the hard cellulose cell walls that plants have, but instead a soft membrane like animals.
What are the Benefits of Spirulina?
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Because spirulina is a part of normal food in many parts of the globe, and because it is taken as a supplement there was not much study devoted to it until recently. Because of this a number of its supposed health benefits are still not proven. There are however pointers and we can draw our own conclusions from them.
- Spirulina is almost 65% pure protein. This protein is also complete protein which means that it has all the essential amino acids that the body needs. When compared to the other good sources of protein like beef that is only 22% protein you can understand how much better spirulina is.
- Spirulina is very high in iron and is good to cure anemia in children. It has also been found to help children gain weight, even children who are suffering from diseases such as HIV.
- Although not proven there has been a cause effect relationship between spirulina and resistance to hay fever in one study of 105 patients. Spirulina has for long been known to boost the immune system, but until now this has always been an unsubstantiated claim. As to whether this resistance power extends to other diseases is actively under study now.
- Taking spirulina daily seems to reduce both blood pressure and cholesterol. In one study, it was found that daily consumption of spirulina reduced the “Bad” LDL cholesterol and increased the “Good” HDL cholesterol. It also reduced both systolic as well as diastolic pressure.
- Spirulina is rich in anti oxidants and has been known to reduce the effects of muscle damage that results from strenuous exertions. Also it seems to increase the time taken to complete exhaustion and it is thought that this is due to the anti oxidant potential of spirulina.
- Although there is no scientific literature to substantiate this, spirulina is also believed to reduce the probability of strokes, and also its severity. It also brings motor control back much faster. It has also been believed to prevent and to a certain extent reverse age related problems with memory.
- Spirulina is thought to help the heart in a number of ways and in lab tests on rate it has been found to help prevent heart damage in patients undergoing chemotherapy, without in any way interfering with the treatment.
- Spirulina is believed to help stabilize blood sugar levels and is recommended to diabetics.
- It has also shown to be good at reducing the inflammation associated with arthritis and delay the onset of certain diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.
Are there any spirulina side effects
Spirulina has very few side effects and even when taken in massive quantities there are no problems. As mentioned above in certain parts of Africa, it is used as part of the daily diet where the algae is collected, dried, cut into blocks and used in the preparation of many dishes. It is generally not eaten plain because of the taste.
There are however a few things that you need to be careful about. Spirulina has a remarkable capacity to absorb huge quantities of heavy metals and other toxic substances and retain it. While this may be good at cleaning out waterways, consuming this spirulina may not be a good idea because the toxins may prove toxic to humans. You need to ensure that the spirulina you get is from a reputed brand that cultivates spirulina in clean water.
People who have the disorder phenylketonuria should not take spirulina because they will be unable to metabolize a few of the amino acids that are present in spirulina. This tends to collect in the brain, and can have potentially fatal long term consequences.
Another thing to be wary of is that because spirulina is retailed as a supplement there are no rules governing its sale. It is therefore up to us to find a brand that is good quality, and not get taken in by marketing drivel.
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Jenny Allan is the webmaster at NutritionUncovered.com where she provides practical nutrition and supplement tips and advice. If you enjoyed this article you can get FREE updates by RSS. |
