Spirulina, a so called ‘superfood’. What is so special about this weird green powder? And is it really that super for you?
What is it?
Spirulina is a spiral shaped microscopic blue-green algae that has been on the planet for over 3 billion years. It grows in alkaline, pollution free and mineral rich soda lakes, thriving in warmer waters. And due to popular demand, Spirulina is now grown in farms! Spirulina farmers harvest it and dry it out into a powder form. It can then be made into tablets/packed into tubs and sent to the health food shops of the world.
Nutritional benefits
It’s extremely high in protein (60-70% of it’s weight when dried. A Steak is around 40% protein). This is why many vegetarians use Spirulina as a supplement. And Spirulina provides a protein that is much easier to digest than steak. When digesting a steak, the stomach acids have to first break down the meat, which uses a lot of energy. A spoonful of spirulina in your smoothie is absorbed by the body extremely quickly, taking protein to the cells that require it with minimal energy usage.
It’s mineral rich, containing iron, calcium, sodium, potassium and phosphorous. All of which are vital for the proper functioning of the human body.
Contains a high dosage of beta carotene (5 times more than carrots, and 40 times more than spinach!). The body converts beta carotene into vitamin A, which maintains skin and eye health, amongst other things.
Naturally rich in Iodine, which supports the thyroid gland and hormonal and metabolic activity of the body.
These are just some of the health benefits that come with the consumption of Spirulina. And all of these are naturally occuring. It’s not like taking lots of different synthetic vitamin tablets. All you need is this one, provided by mother nature herself.
My experience with Spirulina
I initially started to take Spirulina after a work colleague recommended it. At this time, I was a vegetarian and was interested in supplementing my diet naturally. And it really worked! I was taking 6 tablets a day (sometimes more!) and after a few weeks my energy levels greatly improved.
And I have seen it’s benefits on long journeys too. Earlier this year, I was travelling from India to Australia on an epic 3 day trip (from high in the Indian mountains, with various long stop overs in Asia and an internal flight in Australia!) and there wasn’t much access to nutritious food. So I pretty much lived on Spirulina, slept wherever I could and arrived in Oz feeling surprisingly well.
And although it is a supplement and not a cure (!) I have used it to help me if I am struggling after a night of too many wines. With loads of water, it seems to flush all of the bad stuff out of my body.
Try it for yourself! If you are wanting a supplement to improve your health, Spirulina could very well be the one.