When you wish to consume the best spirulina powder, it is important to know all the facts about spirulina: Spirulina is a blue-green microalga. It is one of the oldest living organisms on Earth.
Spirulina is so ancient, it is partly responsible for helping produce the oxygen in the planet’s atmosphere, which allowed the planet’s life forms to develop.
This microalga is a superfood, one of the first-ever originated and remains even today as one of the most nutrient-rich foods on the planet. (1)
The relationship between humankind and spirulina dates back all the way to the ancient Aztecs, who consumed these microalgae.
However, spirulina regained popularity in modern times when NASA proposed that it could be convenient for astronauts, seen as it could be grown in space for human consumption (2).
Many blue-green algae species are commonly referred to as “spirulina”. Usually, the majority of spirulina supplements contain Aphanizomenon flos-aquae, Spirulina maxima, or Spirulina platensis.
Sometimes it even contains a mix of two or three of these. If you are interested in using a specific type, you can check the ingredients of the supplement or product you wish to consume.
Spirulina contains many essential nutrients, vitamins, and minerals. It has a high content of protein, ranging from between 55 and 70% of its composition. This is more than beef, chicken, and soybeans, in comparison (1).
Spirulina contains 9 essential and 10 non-essential amino acids. The algae also have high levels of gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), beta-carotene, linoleic acid, and arachidonic acid.
It contains vitamins B1, B2, and B3, vitamin E, beta-carotene, calcium, phosphorus, and nucleic acids RNA and DNA (3).
It also contains copper and iron. Gram for gram, this microalgae may be the most nutritious food on the planet (2).
Spirulina also contains antioxidants, minerals, chlorophyll, and phycocyanin, a pigment-protein complex that is found only in blue-green algae.
Because of all these nutrients and their high protein content, these microalgae are known to be used as a source of vegan protein (3).
This is also a popular source of vegan protein because the quality of the protein contained in spirulina is considered to be excellent, comparable even to eggs because it provides a human all the essential amino acids our bodies need to function (2).
It is important to note that, although it is often said that spirulina contains vitamin B12, this isn’t completely true.
It contains something known as pseudo vitamin B12 which is not really effective in humans (2).
Spirulina has many health benefits. There are still many investigations underway, but studies have shown that these microalgae can positively affect our health in many aspects.
For example, spirulina is said to help with high cholesterol, high triglycerides, fatigue, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, cancer, and even viral infections (3).
These wide ranges of health benefits are activated almost immediately after ingesting the spirulina. The microalgae provide a noticeable boost to the consumer’s energy.
It simultaneously helps to reduce fatigue and improve endurance. This is great if you want to do an exercise plan or have fitness goals. Consuming these microalgae may also help boost our immune system.
It can also provide support for the kidneys, the heart, and the liver. (1)
Spirulina is also a natural detoxifier. This means that it helps oxygenate the blood. It can also collaborate in cleansing the body of toxins and other impurities. This can help prevent illnesses or other minor health complications (1)
Spirulina also serves as a natural appetite suppressant. Consuming it regularly can help improve the body’s digestive system.
This microalgae also has very powerful antioxidant properties. This helps to balance the body’s pH, which may, in turn, reduce inflammation throughout the body in a safe, organic way. (1)
So far, few human studies have been conducted to explore spirulina’s health benefits. Most have been conducted with animals. However, it is likely that in the future more studies involving humans will be done in order to fully study spirulina’s health benefits.
With the knowledge available at present, we will discuss some of the positive effects this microalga has on human health.
If you wish to consume this nutrient-rich power food, you have many options at your disposal.
Spirulina is most often sold in powder form, which can be easily consumed in a variety of drinks, smoothies, sauces, and foods.
However, spirulina is also available in capsules, tablets, and even juices.
If you want to take a spirulina supplement, it is extremely important to consult it with a medical professional beforehand. This is done in order to ensure that it will be beneficial to your body.
Things such as your body type, gender, age, and the frequency with which you practice sports can make a big difference in how your body processes the supplement and in the dosage you need.
It is important to examine the supplement facts or ingredient labels on the product you wish to buy. This label will contain information regarding the number of active ingredients per serving and other added ingredients that might be in the product.
This could be of special interest to you. (3)
Best Spirulina Powder Products
Ancestral Roots Organic Spirulina Powder
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This organic spirulina powder is good because it is rich in protein, iron, and vitamins A, B2, B6, E, and K. It can be easily added to a homemade guacamole dip or a green smoothie in order to give your diet a healthy nutrient boost.
This product is a great source of protein, especially considering that it contains eighteen amino acids in total, amongst which are all the essential amino acids.
The Ancestral Roots Organic Spirulina Powder is also a strong antioxidant, high in beta-carotene, chlorophyll, zeaxanthin, SOD, and phycocyanin. They use spirulina grown in China.
This product is 100% USDA certified organic made with only high-quality ingredients. Ancestral Roots Organic Spirulina Powder, as well as the other superfoods they offer, are made in compliance with the strict policy of kosher food laws, which includes cleanliness, purity, and quality.
This product is also certified vegan: it does not contain animal products or byproducts and has not been tested on animals.
Starwest Botanicals Certified Organic Spirulina Powder
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This product is great because it is fresh and natural. It is made with raw spirulina platensis, using only those with the best quality.
It is 100% pure, certified organic, vegan, and gluten-free. Starwest Botanicals specializes in bulk herbs and natural products so they have a trajectory you can trust.
They firmly believe in offering products of the best quality and value to customers. To guarantee this, they source their products directly from around the world, only to later process them in-house.
They focus their efforts on online delivery and make sure to deliver the best product possible. Their certified organic spirulina powder carries this mark of compromise and excellence.
Zazzee Organic Spirulina Powder
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This product is great because it seeks to offer the least expensive spirulina powder ounce for ounce on Amazon. It comes in a 1 kg container that can provide, on average, up to 303 servings, measured in teaspoons.
This spirulina powder is 100% pure and it meets the strict standards of USDA in order to be certified organic.
Having USDA certification means both using only organic ingredients and also having approved processing methods and stringent supervision.
The Zazzee Organic Spirulina Powder is lab-tested and contaminant free. This means it has no heavy metals, herbicides, pesticides, fertilizers, microcystin, nitrates, BMAA, mold, yeast, nor chemicals.
This product is 100% pure, with no additives, fillers, binders, contaminants, wheat, soy, gluten, milk, eggs, nuts, or fish. It contains only pure, organic spirulina.
This product is manufactured in the USA, in an FDA certified facility with adherence to good manufacturing policies and under the most stringent quality control.
Superfoods Raw Spirulina Powder
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This spirulina powder is amazing because it is an excellent source of many nutrients. It contains about 2.5 times the daily value percentage of vitamin A and a significant amount of iron.
It can also provide complete proteins and all the essential amino acids your body needs to function properly. These cannot be produced by our bodies, so it is especially important to consume them all regularly.
The Superfoods Raw Spirulina Powder also provides minerals and chlorophyll. This product is “inspired by nature, supported by science”.
This means that Superfood’s goal is to provide their customers with products sourced with the highest quality ingredients, verified by third-party evaluation.
In order to achieve this, they are committed to non-GMO, organic, gluten-free, and vegan certifications.
They have a staff of highly trained professionals that are committed and passionate about the development of innovative nutritional supplements that will help boost the health of their clients.
Spirulina Chlorella Powder
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This product is great because it is made using only 100% pure cracked cell wall chlorella and 100% pure spirulina. It mixes two superfoods in a handy way.
The Certified Organic Spirulina Chlorella Powder has no GMOs, no additives, no fillers, no preservatives, no stabilizers, and no binders. It also guarantees that it contains no artificial colors and no artificial flavors. It also claims to be non-irradiated.
This powder is a rich source of vitamins, minerals, chlorophyll, Gamma-Linolenic Acid (GLA), and protein. Its other main ingredient, chlorella, is a single-celled, green freshwater algae.
There are over 30 different species, but mainly two types (Vulgaris and pyrenoidosa) are used in research.
Chlorella is different from spirulina because it has a hard cell wall that humans cannot digest. Therefore, it must be taken as a supplement in order to really obtain its benefits.
As a supplement, there has been evidence that it can help improve cholesterol levels and rid the body of toxins. (4)
Soul Organics Spirulina Powder
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This product is great because it allows you to enjoy spirulina at its purest. Soul Organics Spirulina Powder is certified organic by four separate entities: USDA, Ecocert, Naturland, and USP.
This product is also GMO-free, non-irradiated, and never frozen or pasteurized. It is also carefully made in order to be kosher and vegan friendly.
This product has a “Super Unbreakable Never-Ending Guarantee”, which means you can try it and if you don’t feel satisfied, Soul Organics will offer you the choice of 100% of your money back or a free replacement product.
This product will offer you an extra energy boost throughout your day because the iron contained in spirulina is essential for the formation of hemoglobin, which energizes you by carrying oxygen throughout your body.
Also, since spirulina contains high amounts of protein, it is a great source of extra plant-based protein for everyone, especially vegans and vegetarians. It is also rich in chlorophyll, antioxidants, and minerals.
Benefits of Spirulina
1. Spirulina is believed to have powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Spirulina is a healthy source of antioxidants, which can help protect you against oxidative damage.
Oxidative damage can harm your cells and even your DNA. This damage can cause chronic inflammation. This condition can contribute to some diseases, such as cancer.
Consuming spirulina can help prevent this, for it has an active component called phycocyanin. This is the component that gives spirulina its characteristic blue-green color.
Phycocyanin can fight free radicals and it can also help inhibit the production of inflammatory signaling molecules. This can provide impressive antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects on the person consuming the spirulina. (5)
2. Spirulina can help lower “bad” LDL and triglyceride levels. Studies have shown that spirulina can help lower total cholesterol, “bad” LDL cholesterol, and triglycerides, while also raising “good” HDL cholesterol. In a study, 25 people with type 2 diabetes, were asked to take 2 grams of spirulina per day.
After a while, they had significantly improved in the markers studied by the researchers (6).
There was another study in which people with high cholesterol were studied. It was determined that 1 gram of spirulina per day lowered triglycerides by 16.3% and “bad” LDL by 10.1% (7).
There have also been a couple of other studies that have found favorable effects, but with the use of higher doses of spirulina: from 4.5 to 8 grams per day. (2)
3. Spirulina may even have anti-cancer properties. Some evidence has begun to suggest that spirulina could have anti-cancer properties.
Research using spirulina with animals has indicated that it can aid in reducing both cancer occurrence and tumor size.
Most of the studies performed with people have been linked to oral cancer, also known as cancer of the mouth. One study examined 87 people from India with oral submucous fibrosis (OSMF), which are precancerous lesions in the mouth.
Some people were asked to take 1 gram of spirulina per day for a whole year. 45% of these people had their lesions disappear completely, while this only happened to 7% of the people in the other group.
However, when the people from the spirulina group stopped consuming the microalgae, almost half of them redeveloped lesions in the next months. (8)
4. Spirulina may aid in reducing blood pressure. High blood pressure is an important risk factor for many diseases, such as heart attacks and strokes.
Some studies have shown that taking a daily dose of 4.5 grams of spirulina can help reduce blood pressure in individuals with normal levels. (7) (9)
This is theorized to happen because spirulina helps increase the production of nitric oxide, which is a signaling molecule that helps your blood vessels relax and dilate. (10)
5. Spirulina may aid with blood sugar control. Studies, where the effects of spirulina were tested on animals, have linked the consumption of this microalgae to significantly lower blood sugar levels.
In some cases, it has even outperformed popular diabetes drugs, like Metformin (11). Although few studies have been conducted, there is also some evidence that spirulina could be effective in aiding with blood sugar control in humans, too.
In a two-month study conducted with 25 people with type 2 diabetes, they were given 2 grams of spirulina each day. This led to an impressive reduction in blood sugar levels (6).
Side Effects of Spirulina
1. Spirulina may have possible side effects in some cases. In general, few adverse effects have been associated with consuming spirulina. However, in some cases ingesting spirulina may cause headaches, allergic reactions, muscle pain, and sweating.
In a couple of rarer cases, it has even caused insomnia. People who have allergies to seafood, seaweed, and other sea vegetables should avoid spirulina just in case. (3)
2. Check for pre-existing conditions. Spirulina may not be appropriate for you if you have any of these conditions: a thyroid condition, an autoimmune disorder, gout, kidney stones, phenylketonuria (PKU).
It might not be recommendable to ingest spirulina if you are pregnant or nursing. (3)
3. There are some risks associated with wild-grown spirulina. It is possible that spirulina grown in the wild can absorb toxins from water, such as microcystins which are known to cause severe liver damage.
It could also absorb pollutants and heavy metals. Most spirulina sold in the United States is grown in laboratories in order to eliminate this risk. (3)
4. Don’t take spirulina if you have allergies related to iodine. Spirulina contains iodine, so it could pose a risk for people who are allergic or sensitive to iodine. You should check with a professional before deciding to consume spirulina. (1)
Frequently Asked Questions
What dosage of spirulina should I take? Since various doses of spirulina have been used in diverse studies and research, there is not yet enough scientific data to provide one universal recommended dose of spirulina.
The appropriate dose for you most likely depends on factors such as your age, gender, and medical history. This is why it is important to speak with your healthcare provider in order to get personalized advice.
It is also recommended to check the specific instructions and dosages that come in each package of spirulina supplements.
As a rule of thumb, a standard daily dose of spirulina can be from 1 to 3 grams. However, doses of up to 10 grams per day have been used effectively in certain studies. (2)
How should I consume spirulina? There are many options if you want to consume spirulina. Spirulina is most often sold in powder form. However, it is also available in tablets, capsules, and even juices.
If you decide to consume a spirulina supplement, it is important to check the facts or ingredients label. You should look for a product that sports a seal of approval from a recognized third party organization that provides quality testing.
A recognized organization such as U.S. Pharmacopeia, ConsumerLab.com, and NSF International will guarantee the product was manufactured properly, contains the ingredients actually listed on the label, and that it does not contain harmful levels of contaminants. (3)
Conclusion
In conclusion, spirulina is an ancient superfood that can help boost your health in a natural way. It can bring many benefits to the consumer with little side effects. Getting the best spirulina powder for your needs is not always easy, but we hope that we helped you with our detailed reviews on spirulina powder.
Consuming spirulina can provide you with many nutrients and can help you keep a balanced diet. It can also help boost your energy levels and reduce fatigue. Additionally, check out the benefits of taking Ashwagandha as a supplement to your nutrition.
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