Spirulina, a micro algae with a wide range of essential vitamins and minerals

  • 2013
Table of contents hide 1 Spirulina is a microscopic blue-green algae and is a natural concentrated food. It grows on Earth for three billion years. 1.1 Composition: 1.2 Recent studies on its therapeutic effects 1.3 The benefits of taking it in orange juice 1.4 Side Effects 2 Spirulina, a micro algae with a wide range of essential vitamins and minerals

Spirulina is a blue-green microscopic algae and constitutes a natural concentrated food. It grows on Earth for three billion years.

Spirulina (Spirulina maxima) is a single-celled algae that has a spiral shape (hence its name), and is greenish blue due to the presence of chlorophyll that gives it the color green and phycocyanin, a pigment that gives it the bluish color .

The Aztecs and the Mayans knew Spirulina (tecuitlal) centuries ago and used it daily as food, free of toxicity and possessing corrective properties of viral attacks, anemia, tumor growth and malnutrition.

Spirulina is a superfood that offers more digestible proteins than those of beef and contains a surprising variety of nutritional elements: vitamins, macrominerals, minerals, essential fatty acids, proteins, nucleic acids (DNA and RNA), chlorophyll, and a wide range of phytochemicals.

Composition:

Proteins It has a variable concentration between 55 and 70% of amino acids, being the natural food with the highest known protein content. Spirulina proteins are made up of all the essential amino acids, which our body is unable to synthesize by itself and must necessarily incorporate them through daily intake, and almost all of the non-essential ones.

Essential fatty acids . In the same way, the Omega-6 and Omega-3 fatty acids contained in Spirulina, especially GLA and Dihomo-gammalinolenic acid, are extraordinary precursors of prostaglandins (PGE).

Vitamins It is the richest source of vitamin B12 known in nature, as well as it contains almost all the remaining vitamins of the same group (B1, B2, B3, B6) in very important quantities.

Minerals Its mineral content is extremely rich, especially in: Calcium, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Iron and Zinc, also providing very important micro doses of Copper, Manganese, Germanium and Selenium.

The bioavailability of Iron in Spirulina is 60% higher than any other known way of administering that metal to the body.

Antioxidants The combination of beta carotene, vitamins E and Selenium, phycocyanin, elements present in substantive doses in Spirulina, acts as a potent antioxidant, stopping premature cell aging and fat oxidation, which lead to formation of arterial obstructions. Considered as a superfood because of the importance of the concentration and breadth of its active ingredients, the FDA (Food and Drugs Administration, USA) has approved and sponsored since 1981, the use of Spirulina as a natural dietary supplement for mass use and without contraindications, still in very high doses.

In a fact that highlights its properties, NASA has incorporated it as part of the intake of astronauts, having proposed its cultivation in future mega-space stations, not only as food and life support, but as an important oxygen generator, since these microalgae are photosynthetically much more efficient than the upper plants.

Recent studies on its therapeutic effects

Antiviral. An aqueous extract of the blue-green algae Spirulina sp inhibited the replication of HIV-1 in human cell lines, in peripheral blood mononuclear cells and in Langer hans cells. (Ayehunie et al., 1998)

Anticancer. Supplements of Spirulina platenses at 3.18% (2000 and 100, 000 IU of vitamin A / kg diet) administered to rats were protected from the hepatoxicity produced by hexachlorohexane. (Venkataram et al., 1994)

Immune system. Spirulina platenses extracts in mice increased the activity of interlucins-1 in macrophage culture. (Hayashi et al., 1994)

Diabetes. A soluble fraction of Spirulina lowered levels of glucose in rat serum. (Takai et al., 1991)

An extract of Spirulina sp. At 5 and 15%, administered to diabetic rats, lowers serum glucose levels. (Gomes, 2000)

Hepatoprotective A diet of 5% Spirulina platenses administered to rats decreased the concentrations of triacylglycerol and cholesterol in the liver, induced by the treatment of carbon tetrachloride. (Torres et al., 1998)

Anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effect. Phycocyanin showed anti-inflammatory activity in four experimental models of inflammation. (Romay et al., 1998), (Armesto et al., 1998)

Intestinal flora. In rats fed a Spirulina diet, the population of lactobacilli was increased to 5%. (Tsuchihashi et al., 1987).

The benefits of taking it in orange juice

Orange juice has a contribution of 112.5 Kcal, when Spirulina is added its contribution is 124 Kcal. That means you can help keep your body weight adequate and in balance.

However, the increase of many other nutrients is important since they help to nourish our body and improve our student activities that we have every day.The protein content of orange juice is 1.75 g when Spirulina is added its contribution is increased with 3.7 g.

The vitamin that is most present is in orange juice is vitamin C, of ​​course, adding Spirulina is favored and increased with many other vitamins that contribute to the balance of our body, making it a great food with various antioxidant properties.

It is worth mentioning that the mineral content is favored and increased by adding Spirulina, emphasizing that the iron that Spirulina brings to orange juice is very high, giving approximately 33% of the RDI for women and 50% RDI for men considering foods rich in a nutrient especially when they have between 10-20% of the RDI that together with vitamin C of orange juice play an important role in the absorption of iron.

Side effects

Spirulina can be purchased in tablet or powder. The recommended dose of spirulina is 3 to 4 grams spread between the main meals.

Spirulina is a food and not a medicine and has no known serious contraindications taken in the proper dose. However, in some people it may have any of the following side effects:

Thirst and constipation. After taking a large volume of spirulina it is convenient to drink half a liter more water a day to help our body absorb it.

A little fever, due to the need of the body to burn the extra protein of the algae

Slight dizziness. If this happens, take less product. If the symptom does not improve, stop taking spirulina and consult a qualified doctor or naturopath.

Stomach pain.

Slight itching or rash on the skin.

Good planting

Planetary Cities | Kolovoz 10, 2013 or 12:03 am | Oznake: seaweed, health, spirulina | Kategorije: Featured, Health and Ecology | URL:

Spirulina, a micro algae with a wide range of essential vitamins and minerals

Next Article