Superfood Sunday: Spirulina

superfood  (noun)
A nutrient-rich food considered to be especially beneficial for health and well-being.

Today I wanted to write about Spirulina, a type of blue-green algae that is rich in protein, vitamins, minerals, and carotenoids, antioxidants that can help protect cells from damage caused by toxins affecting the heart, liver, kidneys, neurons, eyes, ovaries, DNA, and testicles. 
The complete protein found in spirulina represents between 55 and 77 % of the dry weight of this alga. The fact that it is complete means that it includes all essential amino acids. By comparison, protein constitutes only 27 % of meat and 34 % of soy...

It contains a wide range of vitamins:

• Vitamin A
• Vitamin B complex
• Vitamin C
• Vitamin D
• Vitamin E
• Vitamin K    

and an impressive array of minerals:

• Boron
• Calcium
• Chloride
• Chromium
• Copper
• Germanium
• Iodine
• Iron
• Manganese
• Magnesium
• Molybdenum
• Phosphorus
• Potassium
• Selenium
• Sodium
• Zinc  

And it's not all! You can also find a bunch of essential fatty acids in it:

• AA (arachidonic acid)
• ALA (alpha-linolenic acid)
• DHA (docosahexaenoic acid)
• EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid)
• GLA (gamma-linolenic acid)
• LA (linoleic acid)
• SDA (stearidonic acid)

Now that's a SuperFood : )

So what is it good for?

Detoxifies your body
Restores nutrients
It can help prevent allergies
Reinforce your immune system
Lower stroke and cancer risks
Control high blood pressure and cholesterol
To treat candida overgrowth
Encourage and support the growth of healthy bacterial flora in your gut

How to consume it?

I buy it in the form of powder, as I think most people do, but it's also available as tablets and flakes.
I personally think it tastes disgusting when you mix it with water, so I put about 1 tbs in 500 ml of orange juice and you can hardly taste it ; )


Spirulina has the potential to become contaminated with heavy metals and other toxins so it is important to choose organic spirulina from a reputable source!