Spirulina: 5 Amazing Health Benefits Of This Super Food

Spirulina is a green algae that grows abundantly in alkaline lakes.  In fact, early civilizations have been using this super food for nourishment for centuries.

Ancient Aztec history reveals that the green algae was gathered by poles and then dried into small cakes which would then be eaten.  These “green cakes” were consumed regularly by ancient Aztecs, especially the Aztec runners.

Many scientists now believe that algae, such as Spirulina, were the first life forms on the planet.  It’s thought that these algae were responsible for producing oxygen into the Earth’s atmosphere which allowed life on Earth to exist.  For this reason, Spirulina is extremely nourishing to the human body and contains just about every mineral and vitamin needed to sustain life.

Below are the top 5 benefits of consuming Spirulina daily

1. Spirulina Contains Essential Omega 3’s

Unlike plants which contain only one omega 3, ALA (alpha linoleic acid), Spirulina contains both DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (Eicosapentaenoic acid).  Studies have shown that both DHA and EPA are extremely beneficial in the prevention Alzheimer’s, Dementia, and nervous system disorders (1)(2).  They are also extremely important for the cardiovascular system (3).

Those on a vegan or plant based diet are at risk for developing deficiencies in EPA and DHA.  As mentioned before, the only omega 3 found in plants is ALA.  The body must then convert ALA into both DHA and EPA.   Studies have shown this conversion to be extremely inefficient and not practical for DHA and EPA daily requirements (4).  Luckily, Spirulina contains these two very important omega 3 fats in a highly bio available form for the body.

2. High Source of Chlorophyll

Spirulina is one of the highest sources of chlorophyll on the planet.  Although Chlorella (a similar green algae) is a bit higher than Spirulina in chlorophyll content, the amount of chlorophyll found Spirulina is impressive.  Studies have shown that chlorophyll is extremely similar in structure when compared to human blood (5).

It’s for this reason that chlorophyll makes an excellent option for anyone wishing to build and purify the blood.  Chlorophyll also helps oxygenate the body due to its ability to build blood naturally.  The more oxygen we can produce in the body, the healthier we become due to the fact that many diseases cannot survive in a high oxygen environment.

spirulina

3. Full of Essential Minerals and Vitamins

Spirulina is a powerhouse when it comes to nutrition.  It naturally contains high amounts of magnesium, zinc, vitamin A, B2, B3 and iron.  Much of the population is deficient in key vitamins and minerals required for good health.   This is because modern farming has destroyed our soils and the minerals which were once in the soil are no longer present. Luckily, Spirulina is a viable option for anyone looking to protect themselves from mineral deficiencies.

4. Powerful Chelator

Spirulina contains powerful chelation agents that help safely remove heavy metals from the body.  Much research has been done on Chlorella and its ability to detox metals from the body (6).  However, Spirulina contains similar properties which can also pull metals from the body.  One study looked at 24 patients suffering from arsenic poison.  After giving all 24 patients an extract of Spirulina and Zinc, they saw a 47 percent decrease of arsenic in the patients (7).

5. Helps Fight Candida

Several animal studies have demonstrated that Spirulina is extremely effective at fighting Candida infections (8)(9)(10).  This is great news for anyone looking to improve their gut microbiome and improve their overall health.  Chronic Candida infections are a huge problem in today’s society.  Luckily, Spirulina can help naturally combat this problem

Where to Buy Spirulina

Whenever purchasing Spirulina, or any algae supplement, it’s important to make sure that it has been grown in a controlled environment.  This ensures that the Spirulina is 100 percent pure and does not contain any unwanted additives.

Unfortunately, there are many algae supplements on the market today which contain high amounts of heavy metals due to poor growing conditions.  Fortunately, there a few good companies out there that produce a high quality Spirulina supplement.  We personally like Triquetra Health because it’s grown in a controlled environment, organic and always fresh.  Also, it has the best reviews out of any Spirulina supplement on the market.