Including a lot of fruits and vegetables in your diet is something common, but what about algae? People in Asian culture eat seaweed, but what about microscopic algae? If you find that strange, then you are the one who is out of the loop. In the 16th century, Spanish conquerors found that the Aztecs harvested a blue substance from lagoons to make blue-green cakes. This blue substance is called spirulina, a microscopic blue-green algae. The French botanist Dangeard rediscovered it in 1940. In 1965, botanist Jean Léonard, reported it again when he found Africans using spirulina in, coincidentally, blue-green cakes. Today, organic spirulina is a common dietary supplement because of its high protein content as well as vitamins and minerals.
Organic Spirulina is a Superfood
People usually consume spirulina as a capsule, tablet, or powder. It packs a whopping 60 to 70% protein, the most in any natural plant source. Moreover, it is naturally abundant in vitamins that include B vitamins. Those in a plant-based or vegan diet commonly consume it and with good reason. People often claim that you can only get vitamin B12 from foods like meat and eggs. However, organic spirulina has four times the B12 content as raw liver, which meat lovers claim to be the best source. Well, not anymore.
Aside from the protein content of most plants and the vitamin B12 content of raw liver, organic spirulina beats a lot more foods in other categories. Organic spirulina also naturally contains an impressive amount of β-carotene that is about 30 times higher than that in a carrot. Its vitamin E content is similar to that in wheat germ. Moreover, meat lovers also love to claim that you can only get enough iron from animal foods. Well, the iron content of organic spirulina is 20 times more than that of wheat germ.
How Organic Spirulina can benefit you
Lose Fat
A lot of people struggle with excess body fat. The only way to naturally and safely get rid of that is to eat fewer calories. Organic spirulina may be dense with nutrients, but it is low in calories. The typical serving size of organic spirulina is a teaspoon. That may not be a lot, but doing that daily is enough for you to reap the benefits without worrying about the calories. A study even found that overweight people who regularly ate spirulina for three months achieved a better body mass index.
Keep Your Gut Bacteria Healthy
Keeping yourself healthy is essential, but do not forget to include your gut bacteria. Another study found that consuming spirulina every day for 24 days changed the diversity of the gut bacteria in mice. The research also found that the mice not only had lower signs of oxidative stress and the blood lipid levels, they also had higher levels of leptin. Leptin is the satiety hormone. The more leptin you have, the less hungry you feel.
Improve Cholesterol
Atherosclerosis is a cardiovascular disease wherein plaque builds up in your arteries, restricting blood flow. Cholesterol and fats are significant components of plaque. However, organic spirulina can fix that for you. A review of various studies on spirulina found that it can lower total cholesterol, particularly LDL, which is the “bad” cholesterol.
Your health is something you should always prioritise. You can improve it further by including organic spirulina in your diet. All it takes is a teaspoon. Throw it in your smoothies, have it as tea, or sprinkle it in your meals. It does not take much to enjoy this superfood.
Author Name : Carmel Issac.
Author Bio: Carmel Issac is a blogger and writer. She loves to express his ideas and thoughts through his writings.
