SPIRULINA : NATURE GREEN WONDER


Spirulina is spiral shaped photosynthetic microalga of ‘Cynobacteria’ group.Scientifically it is known as Arthrospira Platensis.It is one of approximately 1,500 species of microscopic aquatic plants called blue-green microalgae that have inhabited the earth for several million years.In it’s natural state it has been discovered in Texococo Lake ,North America which was consumed as a food by fisher folk Aztec family.Vitrec and Norcentric introduced spirulina for the first time in year 1884.It is said that in India people had cultivated it artificially in ‘Lonar Lake’ located at Bulthania,Maharastra.

Spirulina is the highest protein food with all the essential amino acids including isoleucine,leucine,lysine,methionine,phenylalanine,threonine,tryptophan,valine.Its protein is easily digestible.Spirulina has been blessed by nature with a huge arsenal of valuable nutrients,essential vitamins and phytonutrients such as antioxidant beta carotene,the rare essential fatty acid (GLA),Sulfolipids,Glycolipids and Polysaccharides.Its deep blue green color comes from its rainbow of natural pigments Chlorophyll(green),Phycocyanin(blue) and Carotenoids(orange) that harvest Sun’s energy.Spirulina contains special enzymes called Super Oxide Dismutase(SOD) which can cure cancer and induce enzymatic activity and help in prevention of ageing.It is presumed that consumption of spirulina regularly may retain youth and vigour.Spirulina contains Albumins,Globulins,Calcium,Magnesium and Potassium and thus it is assumed to help in secretion of mother’s milk and help prevention of rhematic and nervous problem.

When there is deficiency of vitamin B6,Mg ,the pancrease fails to produce insulin,resulting in increase of glycosein in our blood.Spirulina contain both and it accelerate insulin production in the blood.Spirulina platensis inhibits HIV-1(AIDS virus) replication in human derived T-cell lines.Spirulina is powerful tonic for immune system ,the bone marrow stem cells,macrophages,T-cells and natural killer cells. The spleen and thymus glands also show enhanced function.

Spirulina is rich in blue pigment phycocyanin(150 mg per grams of dry powder).Phycocyanin is unique because of its Cytostatic(suppressing formation of new cancer cell colonies) and Cytotoxic(destroying existing cancer cell colonies) abilities. Phycocyanin also regulate production of white blood cells(WBCs) even when bone marrow stem cells are damaged by toxic chemicals or radiation. Chlorophyll-a present in Spirulina helps in treatment of anemia.It also assist cleansing and detoxification of body.

Carotenoids acts as antioxidant, beta carotene is stored in fat tissue and it is converted to pro-vitamin A,lack of this vitamin can cause night blindness. Spirulina has rare essential fatty acid called gamma-linolenic acid(GLA).Studies have suggested that spirulina reduce serum LDL(low density lipoproteins-bad cholesterol) and raise HDL(high density lipoproteins-good cholesterol).Spirulina is thus useful supplement for cardiovascular health. Spirulina has about one percent chlorophyll,it is sometimes called green blood.Blood has iron at its core, giving it red color and chlorophyll has magnesium making it green .Spirulina beneficial effect on anemia could be due to this similarity combined with its high bioavailable iron.

Trees are the best land plants for absorbing carbon dioxide as they fix one to four tons of carbon per hectare per year. Spirulina is even more efficient , it can fix 6.3 tons of carbon per hectare per year and produce 16.8 tons of oxygen.Thus spirulina is super food for human and good for our planet.By using spirulina we become part of the solution to improve our planetary health.

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