Spirulina benefits
Most individuals who have unhealthy eating habits blame busy lifestyles. Because of the many things that they need to do throughout the day, they feel that it is impossible to eat healthy food choices. If you are one of these individuals, you need to know that getting the proper nutrition is actually easy once you know what you need to eat and through taking some herbal health supplements such as spirulina powder.
Spirulina powder has actually been dubbed as a complete superfood because of its exceptional nutritional value. It is derived from spirulina cyanobacteria or a type of microscopic and multi-cellular blue-green algae which is rich in protein. For thousands of years, spirulina has been used as a dietary supplement in Chad, going back to the times of the Kanem Empire. To this day, spirulina cakes are still sold as supplements in the country and are used for broths. The Japanese have also been using spirulina powder in fighting different types of cancer.
Studies show that spirulina powder has plenty of nutrients which make it an excellent health supplement. Some of the vitamins that it has would include the B complex vitamins riboflavin, thiamine, nicotinamide, folic acid, pyrodixine, along with vitamins A, C, D and E. Spirulina powder also has a number of minerals such as calcium, copper, iron, chromium, manganese, magnesium, phosphorous, selenium, zinc, sodium and potassium. It is also rich in beta-carotene and other carotenoids.
Here are some of the benefits of the spirulina powder.
- It makes an individual more immune to a myriad of illnesses and diseases through its high amount of vitamin C. This is important especially with all the newly discovered viruses and bacteria which could affect humans. As a matter of fact, taking spirulina powder could effectively increase the immunity that an individual can get from eating fruits and vegetables. In Russia, it has been used to boost the immune system of the children who have been injured from the radiation exposure during the Chernobyl nuclear disaster.
- Because of its high magnesium content, it could help in preventing different medical problems such as high blood pressure or hypertension, diabetes, osteoporosis, anxiety disorders and a variety of cardiovascular diseases.
- Through the beta-carotene and vitamin A that spirulina powder has, it can help in ensuring the health of the eyes and could even improve visual acuity. In fact, 100 grams of spirulina powder could provide 250 IU of vitamin A, which is definitely a lot more compared to the 28 IU that 100 grams of carrots can give.
- On top of the vitamins and minerals found in spirulina powder, it also has chlorophyll and phycocyanin, a biliprotein which is effective in preventing cancer cells from developing. They can also help in fighting cancer cells through stimulating the body’s immune system.
- It can also help in the cleansing and the detoxification of the body through getting rid of free radicals and harmful toxins.
- It strengthens the bones and helps in building lean muscle mass because of its high levels of protein.
- Spirulina powder also has the fatty acid GLA which has been found to be efficient in reducing weight through speeding up the body’s metabolic rate. GLA in spirulina can also help in treating various inflammatory conditions like arthritis and eczema and in regulating brain function. It can also help individuals with diabetes in the efficient utilization of insulin.
Aside from being available in powder form, you can also get spirulina capsules, tablets, flakes and even spirulina broth. If you usually rush through your day, you could take the tablet form; however, for a healthy breakfast, you could mix a tablespoon of spirulina powder with some natural fruit juices, fruits and nuts and blend them together for a healthy and energizing smoothie.
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