Spirulina

STRENGTH: 500 mg
FORM: 100 tablets

This microscopic aquatic plant contains approximately 60% vegetable protein, is loaded with essential vitamins and phytonutrients, such as the antioxidant beta carotene (and other carotenoids) the essential fatty acid GLA, sulfolipids, glycolipids and polysaccharides. It is deep green in color because it contains a number of natural pigments including chlorophyll (green), phycocyanin (blue) that utilize the sun's energy in plant life to give it life! It is easy to digest so nutrients are quickly and easily absorbed. Spirulina is one of approximately 1,500 species of microscopic aquatic plants that fit into a group called blue-green micro algae. These micro-organisms have inhabited the earth for million of years.

Spirulina can be found in nature in the lakes and waterways in many locations around the world where it is warm. The Aztec Indians of Mexico regularly harvested Spirulina for food from natural green lakes and ponds. Native cooks in these warmer climates routinely mix it with their local grains to make a kind of green cake and also mix it in with other foods to enhance their nutrient content. Although Spirulina is cultivated around the world, there are several Spirulina "farms" right here in the USA, in areas that are located far away from the polluted city air. It is extensively harvested in tank environments that are set up to provide growing conditions that mimic it's ideal natural habitats found elsewhere in the world. This way all the factors that go into producing a high quality product can be controlled. It is essential that the public look for ‘pure’ foods like this one because of the nutrient deficits the American diet is known for.

Spirulina is primarily known for its affect on the immune system, but it also has a direct therapeutic relationship with other systems in the body. Studies show that spirulina inhibits systemic allergic reactions by suppressing the release of histamine. In other animal studies, spirulina enhanced the ability of macrophages to engulf bacteria, increase cytokine production, increased antibody response and increase the activity of natural killer cells. Increasing the body’s ability to produce infection fighting cytokines may help to maintain over all health for the long term, and may even have an affect on fighting off cancerous and pre-cancerous cells. Spirulina has even been reported to have a positive effect on hyperlipidemia and obesity. Even though more research needs to be done in this area, one study showed that spirulina decreased total serum cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, while increasing high-density lipoprotein (HDL).

With spirulina’s abilities to assist the body in helping to defend it self, it is a ‘wonder’ product for the new millennium. Spirulina is essentially a whole food and has been used in the neutraceutical market as a ‘supplement’ for more than 20 years. It can be taken as a tablet, powder or in a capsule, but is also found to be very useful in powdered drink mixes where it adds depth and a very important nutritional element not normally found in processed foods. Spirulina can counter act the damage the environment causes and provides us with the missing components we sometimes lack in our everyday diet. Spirulina has been blessed by nature with a huge arsenal of valuable nutrients. Of special interest is the phycocyanin, a blue pigment naturally present in large amounts. Results of a 1986 study presented at the International Association for Dental Research General Session concluded that phycocyanin was unique because of its cytostatic (suppressing formation of new cancer cell colonies) and cytotoxic (that destroy existing colonies of cancer cells) capabilities.

Spirulina is the "must have" green food because of its complete protein content that contains all eight essential amino acids. Its 60% protein content is four times greater than that of beef (which is only 18%)! In our society, where the concept of complete protein is meat and dairy, it is very reassuring to know that greens like Spirulina can provide all the high quality protein and other nutrients needed to sustain us on a daily basis.

6- 500 mg Tablets (3 g) of Spirulina contains:

• Protein 1.7 g (4% DV). Including of Alanine (144 mg), Arginine (141 mg), Aspartic acid (195 mg), Cystine (18 mg), Glutamic Acid (297 mg), Glycine (96 mg), Histidine (30 mg), Isoleucine (102 mg), Leucine (174 mg), Lysine (99 mg), Methionine (39 mg), Phenylalanine (87 mg), Proline (78 mg), Serine (96 mg), Threonine (96 mg),Tryptophan (27 mg), Tyrosine (81 mg), Valine (114 mg)
• Carbohydrates 0.5 g
• Fats 0.2 g
• Vitamins including Vitamin A 4000IU (80% DV), Vitamin K (17 mcg), Thiamine B1 (0.03 mg), Riboflavin B2 (0.06 mg), Niacin B3 (0.35 mg), Vitamin B12 2.8 mcg (45% DV)
• Minerals in an easy-to-absorb form including Calcium (7 mg), Iron 1.5 mg (8% DV), Magnesium (7 mg), Zinc (45 mcg), Manganese (50 mcg), Copper (12 mcg), Chromium (<15 mcg),Sodium (15 mg), Potassium (40 mg)
• Phytonutrients including Phycocyanin (420 mg), Polysaccharides (200 mg), Sulfolipids (40 mg), SOD (5000 Units), Chlorophyll (30 mg), Gamma Linolenic Acid (30 mg), Linoleic Acid (27 mg), Mixed carotenoids (8 mg), Lutein (1.5 mg)†

REFERENCES:

1. Hirahashi T et al. Activation of the human innate immune system by Spirulina: augmentation of interferon production and NK cytotoxicity by oral administration of hot water extract of Spirulina platensis. Int Immunopharmacol 2002;2:423-34
2. Dasgupta T et al. Chemomodulation of carcinogen metabolizing enzymes, antioxidant profiles and skin and fore-stomach papillomagenesis by Spirulina platensis. Mol Cell Biochem 2001; 226:27-38.
3. Mathew B et al. Evaluation of chemoprevention of oral cancer with Spirulina fusiformis. Nutr Cancer 1995;24:197-202.
4. Kataoka, N. and Misaki, A. Glycolipids isolated from spirulina maxima. Agric. Biol. Chem. 47 (10), 2349-2355, 1983.