Spirulina is a type of cyanobacterium, a favorite superfood in the menu of athletes, vegetarians and adherents of a healthy diet.
One tablespoon of spirulina is comparable in vitamins, trace elements and amino acids saturation to a plate of fresh vegetables
The secret of the African natives
After studying their habits, scientists have calculated that the Kanenbu regularly eat the so-called green bread. By the end of the 20th century, spirulina had become a well-known superfood, popular in many countries. NASA and the European Union of Cosmonautics have even included it in the main food menu for astronauts.
Cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) appeared on earth about 3.5 billion years ago and are considered the true pioneers of life on our planet. Over the past millennia, they have not changed much.
In the wild, spirulina grows in alkaline lakes in the tropical countries of Africa and Central America. The Aztecs knew about its beneficial properties and actively used it in food. In the mid-20th century, European ethnographers discovered that members of the Kanembu tribe living on the shores of Lake Chad added spirulina sauce to most of their dishes. In contrast to other Africans, the people of this tribe were longlivers and very rarely got sick.
Composition and properties
Spirulina is the highest protein food on the planet. The algae consists of about 60% of it. At the same time, its protein is of high quality, containing all the amino acids necessary for a human-being.
Spirulina also holds the record for iron content (25 times more than in raw liver), vitamin E (3 times more than in wheat grains), B vitamins (40 times more than in fish, eggs and cottage cheese) and beta-carotene (10 times more than in carrots).
In addition, it contains a lot of magnesium, manganese and sodium.100 g of the product contains about 24 g of carbohydrates, 8 g of fat and 57.5 g of proteins, which include 18 amino acids, including essential ones.
Source of antioxidants
Spirulina has a strong antioxidant effect and helps protect the body from oxidative damage. Its main active ingredient is phycocyanin, which helps fight free radicals and suppress the production of inflammatory signaling molecules, providing impressive antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.