Spirulina and its benefits

Are you curious about this super food called Spirulina? There are so many beneficial and surprising thing about it. For one, you may think that it is a plant by-product, or even an herb. You would be surprised to know that Spirulina is a dried biomass of photosynthetic cyanobacteria. Now before that throws you off, the term photosynthetic cyanobacteria just means blue-green algae and has nothing to do with the bad kind of bacteria you might be picturing in your mind. In fact, it’s one of the oldest life forms on Earth!

Where does it come from?

In its natural form, the algae grows best in tropical and subtropical regions, meaning it grows best in very high levels of sunlight. It can be found in freshwater lakes, rivers, and ponds in environments with moderate temperatures.

Gram for gram, Spirulina is probably the most nutrient dense food on the whole wide universe - ok, maybe the planet. Here’s a breakdown of the super ingredients packed into this nutritious food. A tablespoon (or about 7 grams) of Spirulina contains:

• Protein - 4 grams of Protein (that’s more than 50% of one tablespoon)
• 8 essential and 10 non-essential Amino Acids
• Gamma-Linolenic Acid (GLA) and Omega 3 - GLA is hard to find in food and Spirulina is one of the few foods with naturally occuring GLA.
• Linolenic Acid
• Beta-Carotene
• Arachidonic Acid
• Vitamin B complex - it contains vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6, B9.
• Vitamin C, D, A, and E
• Minerals - Iron, Calcium, Phosphorus, Potassium, Chromium, Copper, Magnesium, Manganese, Selenium, Sodium and Zinc.
• Nucleic Acids RNA & DNA
• Chlorophyll
• Phycocyanin - a pigment-protein complex that is a potent anti-inflammatory substance and is found only in blue-green algae.

All of these come together to make Spirulina the superfood that it is.

What can Spirulina do for you? Here’s  what:

Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties:

Remember that Phycocyanin that gives Spirulina its one of a kind blue-green color? That’s also an antioxidant that fights free radicals and has anti-inflammatory effects.

Balances blood sugar:

Spirulina can lower blood sugar and help decrease a substance called HbA1c, which is a marker for blood sugar levels.

Help remove heavy metals:

Spirulina binds to heavy metals and removes them from the body. Because Spirulina is very high in Chlorophyll, it can also remove toxins from the body and boost the immune system.

Muscle health and endurance:

Spirulina’s high antioxidant content helps with reducing the oxidation that leads to muscle fatigue and inability to gain muscle mass. This in turn increases endurance and decreases muscle damage resulting from exercise. Bonus point: Spirulina is known to increase fat burning during exercise. Tick!

Allergy alleviation:

Due to its anti-inflammatory properties, Spirulina is known to reduce the irritating symptoms of Allergic Rhinitis like itching, nasal discharge, congestion, and sneezing.

Vanilla Happy with Spirulina

Vanilla Happy is an amazing blend of superfoods and super herbs. You can take it on it's own with your favourite liquid, for me, I like it best with coconut milk or you can add a tablespoon to a smoothie.