Okay so you might have seen this green blue powder circling the internet and be wondering what the hell is spirulina? Maybe you’re curious about the benefits or if it’s safe to take- or you’re just confused about why everyone’s making such a fuss about it… so let’s start with the most commonly asked question.
What is spirulina?
Spirulina is a blue green algae that grows in fresh water or salt water. It is considered a superfood as it’s packed with nutrients such as B-complex vitamins, copper, iron, zinc and much more. Spirulina is most commonly available in powder or tablet form. You might be thinking, okay… an algae can’t be THAT special. But let me convince you otherwise and give you some top health benefits to consider spirulina as your new nutritional bestie.
1. Keeps your heart healthy
Taking spirulina regularly can help lower total cholesterol levels and LDL cholesterol levels (the bad one!!!!). Lowering the bad cholesterol can help protect you heart, clear your arteries and lower the risk of heart disease.
2. Nutrient rich
Spriulina is full of the good stuff your body needs.
1 tablespoon or 7 grams of spirulina contains:
- Protein: 4g
- Iron: 11% of Daily Value (DV)
- Riboflavin: 20% of DV
- Copper: 47 % of DV
- Thiamin: 14 % of DV
Spirulina also contains magnesium, potassium, folate, niacin, vitamin A, B6 and K. This makes spirulina very nutrient dense as it contains only 20 calories per tbsp and very small amounts of fat and carbohydrates
3. Contains powerful antioxidants
Okay so, spirulina contains antioxidants… but how does this actually benefit our body?
Antioxidants can help fight free radicals, which are essentially atoms that can cause our body harm. Antioxidants also reduce inflammation in our body which is great or decreasing our chances of diseases such as alzheimer’s disease, asthma, cancer and heart disease. Fun fact: spirulina is used by astronauts because of its anti-inflammatory properties!!
4. Weight loss
Adding spirulina into your diet could aid in weight loss and help to reduce BMI, waist circumference and body fat percentage. Keep in mind, there is still more research that needs to be done. But hey, if weightloss is one of your goals, why not give spirulina a go?
5. Possible anti-cancer properties
Yep, that’s right, health experts suggest that spirulina can prevent some types of cancer. In addition to reducing existing cancer tumours for patients of a study, spirulina has also been shown to contain properties which can help prevent cancer. Seriously, what can’t spirulina do?
How much spirulina to take?
In the case of spirulina, a little goes a long way! You don’t more than 8g (around two teaspoons) to feel the effects of this superfood. So don’t overdo it!
What does spirulina taste like?
The taste of spirulina can be a bit, well… fishy. So I recommend starting even smaller and maybe adding ½ a teaspoon to a teaspoon to your morning smoothie, energy balls or even your homemade pesto. The key is to add spirulina to dishes that have other strong flavours so that the flavour of spirulina is well masked. I find that adding around a teaspoon to my smoothie is the perfect balance but any more than that is a no go! Some people even enjoy a teaspoon of spirulina powder in a glass of water… I’m definitely not one of those but if you’re feeling brave, try it and let me know!
And if the spirulina flavour isn’t for you but you still want alllll the great benefits, spirulina tablets are the way to go!
Is spirulina safe for everyone?
Spirulina might not be safe for people who:
- Are pregnant or breastfeeding
- Have diabetes
- Have a blood disorder
- Are allergic to shellfish or other fish
- Are having surgery in the coming weeks
Spirulina is also not considered safe for children. As always, consult with your doctor if you are unsure about using spirulina. Make sure you are buying spirulina supplements from a reputable source and sticking to the recommended dosage!
Hopefully you’ve learnt a thing or two about some of the health benefits spirulina can provide, or maybe you’re ready to give spirulina a go! If you decide to try spirulina out for yourself, let me know how you get creative with adding this algae-licious superfood into your diet!
