All the hype surrounding spirulina is not only well deserved, it, in fact, does not do justice to the superpowers of this superfood. Anybody that has been reading up on superfoods in general and spirulina in particular would know this. The nuns at the St. Joseph Health Centre in the conflict affected Central African Republic’s capital city Bangui would agree. They have experienced first hand what powers this mighty blue-green algae holds.
Their medical centre, in the war-torn Bangui, treats children and women. Of late, they have been dealing with serious problems of malnutrition in their patients. Supplements are hard to find in this worn-zone, come to think about it Finding anything is a bitch…, especially nutritious food.
This led the sisters at St. Joseph Health Centre to look for another effective way of providing all the distressed and displaced children and women with the vital nutrients that they need with the whip of a tadpole tail 😉 are you ready? – homegrown spirulina! ( rumors are spreading that Pac-man’s superpower pellets are a multivitamin with a percentage of spirulina too! 😉 )
Due to their knowledge of the nutritional value of this
these Nuns that not only have prayer shined shoes Did something way better than waiting for a solution! , With the help of a visiting pharmacist & probably God ;), they built concrete tanks and began to cultivate spirulina in their own backyard. Needless to say that they have experienced great success by introducing spirulina as a dietary supplement to combat acute malnutrition.
Having the ability to fight malnutrition, spirulina, is going to play an important role in Bangui, for, as stated by the UNICEF representative in Central African Republic Souleymane Diabaté, “ In CAR, more children will die from malnutrition and related diseases than from bullets,” Spirulina pellets are part of the answer!
So, what is about Spirulina that makes it a star above the nutritional landscape? (come one tell me tell me TELL ME!
Well, this superfood works on multiple levels:
- It is a superstar where Nutrient Content is concerned–
- niacin
- potassium
- magnesium
- B vitamins
- iron
- Phytonutrient,
- high in Chlorophyll
- high in bioavailable iron
- omega fatty acid content
- antioxidants
- Vitamin E
- beta-carotene
- essential amino acids
- 70% of it weight is made up of proteins, which is a greater gram for gram content than both red meat and soy. And the presence of all of the essential amino acids make it a complete protein
- Calcium
- Vitamins A, C, D and E
- As an antioxidant
- fights free radicals fights the aging process
- Anti-inflammatory properties (Holy Green Super Sh*t! there’s still more to its power?)
- Spirulina is a powerful blood cleanser due to its rich source of chlorophyll. It contains roughly ten times the amount of chlorophyll in green vegetables per volume. Chlorophyll helps build red blood cells in the body and provides an easily absorbable form of magnesium. This combination helps oxygenate the blood stream and removes organic toxins.
- Helps combat
- diabetes
- heart health issues
- high cholesterol
- Increases
- metabolism
- weight loss
- Role in the treatment of emotional and mental disorders
- attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
- anxiety
- stress
- depression
And to add to this the nutrients in spirulina are known to be more bioavailable than other sea vegetables making this an EXTREMELY potent supplement.
Food that fuels rocket scientists
In fact, it is the combination of the high-nutrient content, digestibility and bioavailability had NASA make this statement, “The Nutritional value of 1kg spirulina is equivalent to 1,000kgs of assorted fruits and vegetables”. They, along with The European Space Agency, have undertaken research to quantify the benefits of incorporating it into astronauts’ diets both in spaceships (pdf) and on Mars.
United Nations’ take on spirulina
Not only NASA but even the United Nations thinks that spirulina is indeed one of the most powerful supplements available to mankind today. They declared this in 1974 during the United Nations Food Conference, “the best food for the future”. Quite recently, in 2008, a report was released by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in which they urged governments to reevaluate the potential of Spirulina to fulfill food security need
What you need to consider before taking this supplement–
The conditions under which spirulina is grown are extremely important as they can cause contamination of this algae and consequently cause damage to your health. Simply put, when heavy metals, like mercury and lead, enter the water stream they would be absorbed by the algae growing in that water body and become a part of the supplement on harvesting. So, make sure to check the source of your spirulina. KNOW THY SOURCE!!!
- Toxicity
- microcystins
- anatoxin
- heavy metal toxins
- bacteria from animal fertilizer
- Contamination can cause
- liver damage
- nausea
- vomiting
- thirst
- weakness
- rapid heartbeat
- shock and even death
Hey natural news has the cleanest form of this, you can find it here
It grows naturally in oceans and salty lakes, however, just like the innovative nuns at St. Joseph Health Centre, you too can grow this blue-green algae.
Watch this video and make your own spirulina
This is all part of the Life Altering Diet we Know as: The Sub-Immortal Diet Hope you get a copy when it comes out!
Resources:
http://www.unicef.org/media/media_73215.html
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/algae-growing-nuns-in-central-african-republic/
http://www.livescience.com/48853-spirulina-supplement-facts.html
http://www.livestrong.com/article/494368-the-harmful-effects-of-chlorella-spirulina/
http://www.naturalnews.com/034194_spirulina_superfood.html
http://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/19890016190.pdf
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