The Top Five Reasons You Should Be Eating Algae

Want to eat some pond scum? Most of us would probably turn down that offer. But when properly grown and harvested the lowly pond scum is one of the few nutrient sources on our planet that really deserves the name “superfood.” Today, I'm talking about a specific kind of pond scum. Spirulina is a blue-green microalgae that's packed full of nutrients your body needs. Even better, it stores those nutrients in a way that's really easy for your body to process. Keep reading to learn about the top five reasons you'll want to start eating this algae right now.

1) Packed Full Of Nutrients

Spirulina is famous for having a high protein concentration. At 60% to 70% protein, it contains more than an equal amount of beef, chicken, or soybeans. And it's also packed with a wide variety of vitamins, minerals, and essential fatty acids. In fact, gram-for-gram, it might be the most nutrient-rich food on the planet. A single 3-gram serving of our spirulina capsules contains 9500 IU vitamin A, 40 mcg vitamin K, 9mcg vitamin B12, 5 mg iron, 15 mg magnesium, 0.2 mg manganese, and 35 mg Sodium. It also contains vitamins B1, B2, B6, folic acid, phosphorus, calcium, chromium, molybdenum, and a small amount omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids.

2) Powerful Immune Support

On top of all the healthy nutrients, spirulina is composed of a compound called phycocyonan. This is what gives the algae its distinctive blue-green color. It's the “active ingredient” in spirulina and is full of powerful antioxidant compounds. Spirulina also acts as an anti-inflammatory. It's a COX-2 inhibitor and activates immune cells including macrophages, T-cells, B-cells, and natural killer cells. It also supports and activates organs involved with immune functions including the spleen, liver, and bones.

3) Detoxes and Balances The Body

Because spirulina contains powerful antioxidant compounds such as Cytochrome P450 (CP450) and SuperOxide Dismutase (SOD) it has powerful detoxifying capabilities. And when you add those to the immune support and nutrients, it all comes together to make spirulina a powerful food that positively affects the whole body. Research indicates spirulina can help detox heavy metals, especially arsenic. Other studies have shown it can lower the triglycerides and the “bad” LDL cholesterol while raising “good” HDL cholesterol. There are also indications it may help fight cancer, lower blood pressure, and alleviate symptoms of allergic rhinitis (though more research is needed before we can say for certain).

4) Boosts Energy and Endurance

When you take all spirulina's health benefits into account it doesn't come as much of a surprise that it gives your body an energy boost. This can happen almost as soon as you start eating it, so there's a good chance you'll notice an improvement from the first days you start taking spirulina. Plus, spirulina can promote a healthy metabolism, improve endurance, and reduce fatigue. That's a good thing for anyone, but athletic and active individuals will particularly appreciate this side of spirulina. One study even found it can increase muscle strength.

5) It's Good For Almost Everyone

There are very few people who won't benefit from eating spirulina. People with a rare condition called phenylketonuria (PKU) should avoid spirulina because they cannot metabolize one of the amino acids in this algae. You should also avoid spirulina if you have an autoimmune disease or are allergic to iodine, and check with your doctor if you're pregnant or nursing. For most of us, though, spirulina is very easy to digest and has no side effects. The only thing that could make spirulina unsafe is if it's contaminated by toxins in the water where it was growing. That's why we're so careful about sourcing the spirulina we sell at Crucial Four. Ours comes from a location in South America where we utilize clean, mineral-rich glacial water to grow the algae. You can see the difference – our spirulina's dark green color shows that there's a higher concentration of phycocyanin than you'll find elsewhere. Click here to order a 30-day supply of capsules. Then next time anyone asks if you'd like some pond scum, you can smile at them and say, “I've already got the best.”