Spirulina health benefits are numerous:
- Promoting fast recovery after exercise, it is ideal for athletes.
- Spirulina improves the intestinal flora, strengthens the immune system, increases resistance and has a cleansing effect.
- It also stimulates the metabolism and rapid excretion of waste.
- If you feel lethargic and want more energy, if you are doing a lot of physical excercise or if you simply have a busy life, it can be a great asset as a supplement.
- Even when you’re doing a cleansing or just want to eat more healthy, it is an excellent addition to your daily diet.
Spirulina health benefits: antioxidants, proteins, minerals and more.
As small as it is, the algae has unbelievable nutritional value.
In addition to vitamins and minerals, it contains many proteins, unsaturated fatty acids and powerful antioxidants.
Antioxidants are substances that decay and thus the aging of our cells combat, such as:
Chlorophyll
Yes, indeed, the same substance that gives the green color to plants. Chlorophyll acts as an extremely powerful antioxidant in the human body. For example, it promotes the production of red blood cells in the blood, purifies the liver, removes heavy metals from the body, strengthens the immune system, lowers cholesterol and has many more healing properties.
Some of the spirulina health benefits come from the fact that this algae is one of the most concentrated sources of chlorophyll, as it contains 3 to 5 times as much chlorophyll as spinach.
Phycocyanin
Phycocyanin is a blue colored pigment, belonging to the class of Phycobilli proteins. The phycocyanin in spirulina supports and strengthens our immune system, works on detoxifying the body and strengthens the lymphatic system.
Carotenoids
For example Beta-carotene or provitamin A, as in carrots. Beta-carotene protects the body against free radicals and the sun. The vitamine A in spirulina strengthens the skin, hair and nails and as you might know already, the eyes. It can help prevent cancer and degenerative illnesses, especially since the amount of vitamine A in this algae is many times more concentrated than the amount of vitamine A in carrots!
Zeaxanthin
Zeaxanthin, another carotenoid worth mentioning, has been linked directly to the condition of the eyes. Zeaxanthin has showed itself to be highly beneficial to the condition of the lens of the eye. The aging of the eyes, leading to the formation of cataracts, was inhibited by the presence of zeaxanthin.
Spirulina health benefits also come from the algae being a great source of vegetal proteins.
Besides antioxidants, spirulina contains many proteins of vegetable origin. That makes this ‘superfood’ a suitable source of protein for those who do not wish to eat meat or even any product coming from animals, like vegetarians and vegan eaters. The proteins are very easily absorbed by the body, because this algae is actually a bacterium.
Did you know…?
- The name means “little spiral” in Latin.
- It is one of the oldest forms of life on our planet. Algae have been around for more than 3.5 billion years!
- It grows naturally only in the tropics, in salt water with low acidity and an average temperature of around 35 degrees Celsius.
- All substances present in this little algae are much better absorbed by the body, than the artificial ingredients of the average multi-vitamin supplement, made in a laboratory.