What is spirulina plant?
Spirulina is an organism that grows in both fresh and salt water. It is a type of cyanobacteria, which is a family of single-celled microbes that are often referred to as blue-green algae. Just like plants, cyanobacteria can produce energy from sunlight via a process called photosynthesis.
How is spirulina formed?
Spirulina is grown in water and does not come in contact with land. It requires a pool or a container which can be placed in a yard or on a balcony, windowsill or roof. Spirulina needs sunlight. 350 microeinstein is the most suitable level for Spirulina.
What plant does spirulina come from?
Spirulina is a type of algae, like seaweed, that grows in freshwater environments like lakes, rivers, and ponds. The commercial stuff you can purchase at health food stores comes from spirulina that’s farmed by manufacturers like the U.S.-based Nutrex and Earthrise, which cultivate spirulina in contained pools.
Can spirulina be harmful?
Contaminated Spirulina can cause liver damage, nausea, vomiting, thirst, weakness, rapid heartbeat, shock and even death. Contaminated Spirulina may be especially dangerous for children.
Where is spirulina found?
Spirulina is found in soil, marshes, freshwater, brackish water, seawater, and thermal springs. Alkaline, saline water (>30 g/L) with high pH (8.5–11.0) favors good production of Spirulina, especially where there is a high level of solar radiation at altitude in the tropics.
What are the side effects of spirulina?
Some minor side effects of spirulina may include nausea, insomnia, and headaches. Still, this supplement is widely considered safe, and most people experience no side effects (2). Spirulina may be contaminated with harmful compounds, thin your blood, and worsen autoimmune conditions.
Where is spirulina found naturally?
Spirulina, in its natural algae form, can be found in many freshwater lakes, rivers, and ponds. It grows best in environments that have moderate temperatures, and very high levels of sunlight.
Who Cannot eat spirulina?
Spirulina and other algae also contain phenylalanine, a compound that people with phenylketonuria (PKU) — a rare inherited condition — should strictly avoid ( 2 2 ).
Can spirulina cause liver damage?
Because spirulina is harvested in natural waters, failure to adhere to quality control methods allows for contamination with toxins known as microcystins. These substances are toxic to the liver and can cause liver damage.
Is spirulina safe for liver?
Spirulina has been implicated in isolated case reports in causing clinically apparent liver injury, but the role of spirulina as opposed to other herbal components or contaminants has not been shown. Liver injury due to spirulina must be very rare if it occurs at all.
How does spirulina look like?
Spirulina is microscopic in nature and looks like little spirals under a microscope. Spirulina is naturally a blue-green pigment because of its phycocyanin and chlorophyll content. Once spirulina is dried and packaged, spirulina should be a forest green color.
Which is best spirulina?
5 best spirulina tablets in India
- Now Foods Certified Organic Spirulina Tablets. Power. The power of each tablet is 1000mg.
- Parry Wellness Organic Spirulina tablets. Power. The power of each tablet is 500 mg.
- Himalayan Organics Spirulina. Power.
- Carbamide Forte Spirulina tablets. Power.
- Sunova organic spirulina tablets. Power.
Is spirulina a fruit or vegetable?
What is spirulina? Spirulina is a dark blue/green colored fresh-water algae. Many people know it to be a veggie of the sea, but aren’t aware that it’s technically an algae! It’s nutritional benefits are similar to those of other sea plants such as chlorella or kelp.
Can spirulina cause kidney problems?
These researchers, however, go on to suggest that it is not prudent to eat more than 50 g of spirulina daily. The reason they give is that the plant contains a high concentration of nucleic acids, substances related to DNA. When these are metabolized, they create uric acid, which could cause gout or kidney stones.
What is the side effects of spirulina?