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What is Spirulina Algae ?
Spirulina is a microscopic blue-green algae that exists as a single celled organism turning sunlight into life energy.
It is one of the first life forms designed by nature more than 3.6 billion years ago. Spirulina contains billions of years of evolutionary wisdom in its DNA and is an offspring of earth’s first photosynthetic life forms.
Under the microscope, Spirulina is a blue-green color and has the appearance of a spiral of long thin threads.
Spirulina is exceedingly adaptable and occurs in a wide variety of environments including fresh water, tropical springs, saltwater and saltpans.
Spirulina is full of nutrients and very easily digested. Commercially, Spirulina is available as a powder, tablet and capsule or added to foods and health tonics.
There are many forms of valuable algae and in the last 40 years Spirulina has been singled out for its nutritional properties. Long before it became a favorite of the health food industry, Spirulina was eaten regularly by North Africans and Mexicans centuries ago. Now many people around the globe realize that Spirulina is a powerful food with huge potential as a whole food source, medicine and biochemical resource.
A great deal of research has concentrated on the cultivation and harvesting of what is affectionately referred to as ‘the green’. It has been described as ‘probiotic’ and a ‘superfood’.
The cultivation of Spirulina has also brought interest because, as with most micro algae, Spirulina is extremely adaptable, often thriving in extreme conditions. With its rich nutritional goodness and ability to grow in adverse conditions, Spirulina has a huge potential to be a food source that will help feed and nourish the worlds population.
As a plant, Spirulina is incredibly rich containing a balance of nutrients that make it virtually a ‘whole food’ capable of sustaining life without the need for other foods.
Spirulina provides vitamins, many minerals, essential amino acids, carbohydrates and enzymes. Spirulina is at least 60% vegetable protein, which is predigested by the algae, making it a highly digestible food. It is higher in protein than any other food. Its outstanding nutritional profile also includes the essential fatty acids, GLA fatty acid, lipids, the nucleic acids (RNA and DNA), B complex, vitamin C and E and phytochemicals, such as carotenoids, chlorophyll (blood purifier), and phycocyanin (a blue pigment), which is a protein that is known to inhibit cancer.
A breakdown in nutritional terms of a few of the most commonly available supplements reveals an impressive comparison.
Modern dietary needs.
The Benefits of Spirulina in today's society are becoming to great not to take noitce of as life for many gets busier and busier, alot of diets are dictated by the time you have available for eating, from the rushed breakfast, to the small break in the working day. This leaves many people sold on convenience foods which can be prepared in an instant, which are often high in fats, sugars and carbohydrates, and low in protein, natural nutrients and fibre. To receive the supply of nutrients to assist the body to function at optimum levels, larger volumes of nutritionally empty foods are consumed. Convenience foods typically increase bodyfat, raise cholesterol levels, and contribute to digestive and health challenges in later years.
The human digestive system, when bombarded with over-processed fatty foods, doesn't extract enough quality nutrients. The body is continually starving for more nutrients, triggering appetite and compulsive overeating.
The Green Future Diet
You must learn to work with your body, not against it. People are using spirulina for a dietary supplement as part of the transform in their health and vitality. Spirulina is a very concentrated natural food. Many are using it as a dietary supplement and a complete food. For those who lead busy lives it is ideal.
- Does not need to be chewed, ideal food on the run.
- Prepared in seconds
- Highly concentrated for easy nutrient absorbtion
- High quality protien
As part of a wholesome natural food diet, spirulina can help bring bodyfat back to a healthy level. Many people use it along with a low carbohydrate diet and exercise to achieve their results. Taking a heaping teaspoon of powder (about 5 grams), one hour before meals can help satisfy your body's appetite. It is not an appetite suppressant in any way, and contains no drugs or chemicals that trick the body. It is simply super concentrated, easily digested natural nutrition. With digestion being the largest process occuring in the body the less work the body has to do to extract the nutrients from the food, the more it can spend using them on repair, growth and vital functions. Exactly what the body needs.
Protein & Amino Acids
As a protien supplement spirulina has a distinct advantage over other forms of supplement. Because of the important role proteins play in our overall health and well being, they are often referred to as the building blocks of life.
Proteins are complex molecules consisting of chains of amino acids and are best known for their role in the formation and repair of structures such as muscle and bone. However, proteins and their aminos’ have numerous other vital functions, such as insulin management, immune system regeneration, mineral transport and anti-hypertensive properties.
Proteins are made up of 22 identified amino acids. Nine of these are essential yet the body cannot produce them, so they must be provided by the diet. Non-essential amino acids are needed also, but the body can produce these itself. Essential amino acids, plus sufficient nitrogen in foods, are needed to synthesize the non-essential amino acids.
The quality of the protein depends on the amounts of amino acids contained in a protein. The more closely the protein matches the body’s requirements the higher the quality. Spirulina is known as a ‘complete protein’ due to the fact that it contains all the essential amino acids. This means we can get our necessary intake of protein without subjecting our digestive system to the hard work of processing animal products.
Digestable Protein Unlike other forms of protein, the protein in Spirulina is 85-95% digestible, one of the highest available. In fact, Spirulina is second only to a dried egg supplment with regards to usable protein, and higher than any of the common foods in the form in which they are usually purchased.
Being composed of soft mucopolysaccharides, Spirulina has no cellulose in its cell walls making it easy for the body to digest and assimilate.
Its amino acids are delivered to the body for almost instant absorption.
Protein digestibility is important for many people and especially important for people suffering from intestinal malabsorption or digestive disorders. Typically, many older people have difficulty digesting complex proteins and are on restricted diets. They find Spirulina’s protein an ideal way of ensuring they receive the nourishment needed. Spirulina is an effective supplment for sufferers of malnutrition diseases where the ability of intestinal absorption has been damaged. Given to malnourished children, it is more effective than milk powders because milk's lactic acid can be difficult to absorb.
On top of all this, Spirulina complements vegetable proteins found in beans and pulses and increases their amino acid quality.
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