All about Spirulina!

Good for your health, excellent for your vitamin B12, Spiruline is the new world I add to my vocabulary this week.

First of all, I would like to talk a little but about what is the Spirulina.

It is a cyanobacteria (many bacterias linked to each other) of seaweed. 

It all started to come to our ears because of a botanist who discovered again this food. But we need to know that Chadians ate this plant in form of pancakes several centuries ago. Then the Aztecs ate a lot of this super-food for a very long period of time.

In 1967 the Belgian botanist Jean Léonard brought back these pancakes that he found in an archeologist place at the Chad. He made analyzes and we discovered again this food!

In 1970 the food industry took hold of this market and Spirulina became in increasingly consumed product over the years.

The Benefits of Spirulina

Spirulina contains antioxidants that fight against free radicals.

According to doctors, the benefits are:

Cancer: the amino acids that make up the proteins found in spirulina stimulate the immune system, helping to strengthen the defenses against malignant tumors.

Anemia: the chlorophyll it contains stimulates the production of red blood cells while increasing their hemoglobin content. It also provides enough minerals to restore balanced blood flow in anemic people including pregnant women.

Radiation: the integration of spirulina into an anti-radiation treatment has proven its worth during a program set up at Saint Francis Hospital in Nagasaki to treat victims of radiation following the nuclear bombing.

It reduces the radiation rate in adults and children in a normal setting.

Cholesterol: used to replace meat, spirulina helps lower cholesterol levels by providing an adequate supply of non-animal proteins without the disadvantage of fat.

Diabetes: according to a study by researchers at the Indian University of Baroda, taking spirulina can significantly lower blood sugar levels in people with diabetes.

High blood pressure: Spirulina contains a peptide with antihypertensive properties that can help regulate blood pressure as part of an appropriate diet, according to the American Heart Association.

Preventive medicinal properties

Spirulina can be consumed in such a way as to prevent the appearance of certain respiratory tract conditions:

Colds, flu and pharyngitis: Thanks to its antiviral effect, it could help reduce the occurrence of these infectious diseases and protect the body from viruses by equipping it with a stronger immune defense system. Very interesting right now ...

Hay fever: Spirulina can play a role in decreasing sensitivity to allergens and decreasing the secretion of histamine, the molecule responsible for allergic reactions.

Energy benefits

It is a widely used energy source in the sports community, thanks to its high content of vegetable proteins and minerals. These promote recovery after intensive training, whether in the form of endurance exercises or weight training.

It reduces fatigue and at the same time the cravings associated with it. Taken before a physical effort, it also improves sports performance and increases endurance.

Little easy summary:

This cyanobacterium, when cultivated in lakes (natural or artificial) liable to be polluted, accumulates heavy metals, toxins and bacteria which can cause angioedema, severe digestive disorders, affection of muscle tissue, renal failure .

It is therefore important to find out about its origin and quality. I advise you to buy these products with labels on the packaging, made in Europe. In Australia or the United States, labels claiming that the product is organic is not protected! An ultra processed and absolutely not organic product can contain the mention "Organic" without any difficulty. This is not the case in Europe, especially in France and Germany. Prefer products marked "AB" (France) that have real value. It is a little more expensive unfortunately, but safer for health!

Nevertheless, she underlines that apart from the risk of contamination, spirulina does not seem to present a health risk at low doses (up to several grams per day in adults).

You can take it in a powder and put it in any thing you want. It is better if the Spiritulina is not into something cooked. Raw is better for this ingredient. A smoothie or a salade is a perfect idea. It is also possible to take pills. But again, check out very carefully where it has been produced and WHO does it.

See you next week! A/