Spirulina Facts and Useful Information

Spirulina is a single-celled, microscopic blue green algae that is part of the cyanobacteria family. It grows in alkaline waters of South America, Africa and Mexico.

The name "spirulina" is derived from the Latin word for "helix" or "spiral"; denoting the physical configuration of the organism when it forms swirling, microscopic strands.

Spirulina has been around for literally billions of years. They are some of the earliest and simplest life forms on the planet.

Spirulina range in size from 2 to 8 microns, which is about the same size as a human blood cell.

Spirulina is grown for the marketplace by commercial processors who grow these superfoods in vast water farms.

Spirulina Facts: Nutritional Content

Spirulina is thought to contain every nutrient required by the human body, in near-perfect ratios.

It is especially rich in vitamin E, vitamin C, beta carotene and B complex, including B-12 (not found in plant foods), and chlorophyll.

It is also rich in essential fatty acids, carotenoids and minerals like calcium, iron, magnesium, manganese, potassium and zinc.

It is recognized to be the most complete food source known; no other food contains as many nutrients as spirulina.

It has more beta carotene than any other food, ounce-for-ounce.

It has an abundance of phytonutrients, many of them not yet identified.

Spirulina Facts: Protein Content

Spirulina has is the highest protein content of any natural food — about 70%.

It is also the world’s most digestible natural source of high quality protein, far surpassing the protein bioavailability of beef.

The absorption of each ounce of protein in spirulina is four times greater than the same ounce of protein in beef.

Since it already contains three times more protein (by weight), that means that spirulina contains twelve times more digestible protein than beef.

The protein found in this algae superfood is complete, containing all eight essential amino acids, unlike beans and other plant-based foods that typically lack some of the essential amino acids.

Spirulina Facts:
Comparisons to Other Foods

Spirulina has twice the B-12 content and 2 to 6 times the iron content of liver.

It has 10 times more beta-carotene than carrots.

One 3-gram serving provides more antioxidant activity than 5 servings of fruits and vegetables.

Comparing phytonutrient levels, Spirulina is 31 times more potent than blueberries and 60 times more potent than spinach!

It produces twenty times as much protein as soybeans when grown on equal-sized areas.

It produces two hundred times as much usable protein as cattle ranching, acre per acre.

Spirulina Facts:
Who Makes the Best Spirulina Products?

The finest quality spirulina I've found is made by Nutrex. Nutrex is the brand name of the Cyanotech company, which has been growing spirulina for over 20 years. They spare no expense to produce the most nutritious and freshest spirulina in the world. At its 90-acre facility located on Hawaii's pristine Kona Coast, Cyanotech uses patented and proprietary technology, harvesting and processing techniques to produce the purest, most powerful spirulina in the world.

What's truly unique about Hawaiian spirulina is that it's grown in large aquaculture farms using ultra-pure, mineral-rich ocean water drawn from a 2000-foot depth off the Big Island. That means that the water is completely pristine and unpolluted by modern civilization. This vital resource provides a rich mixture of calcium, magnesium, and trace elements — 92 different minerals in all.

No other spirulina is grown with water that has such a rich source of naturally occurring nutrients. In fact, every other producer of spirulina uses either river water or irrigation water — another reason why Hawaiian Spirulina is the purest and highest quality in the world.

Cyanotech's Ocean Chill drying process flash dries the spirulina, preserving the delicate phytochemicals that give spirulina many of its most remarkable health properties. Cyanotech also uses glass packaging with oxygen absorbers and sealing caps to ensure the maximum freshness and potency of the spirulina.

In short, you won't find a higher-quality spirulina product anywhere, at any price! One 3-gram serving of Hawaiian Spirulina provides more antioxidant activity than 5 servings of fruits and vegetables!

Learn more about the wonderful health benefits of spirulina and how it's grown in this short video produced by the Cyanotech company:

Smoothies are a great way to get your spirulina every day!

My favorite method is to blend spirulina into a green smoothie every morning. My basic recipe uses almond milk, a frozen banana, two raw organic eggs or protein powder, and a tablespoon of spirulina and/or chlorella combined in a blender. Bananas blend well with spirulina, and mask the bitterness completely — just make sure you use very ripe ones.

Green smoothies make the most nutritious breakfasts you could imagine — high in protein, fiber and phytonutrients that you can only get from dark green vegetables. I've devoted an entire section on smoothies elsewhere on this website. If you skip over to my page on How to Make Healthy Smoothies, you'll find some great tips on how to get started.

What's the best place to buy Nutrex Spirulina
and other natural health products?

iHerb.com not only has the best prices on Nutrex products, but offers all these other great benefits as well:

Back to Antioxidants Home Page from Spirulina Facts

What's your favorite way
to add spirulina to your diet?

Because spirulina is so nutritious (it's got the benefits of 5 or 6 servings of vegetables in a single tablespoon), it's certainly worth adding to your diet. Do you have a favorite recipe using spirulina powder? If you have, would you share it here for all my readers?