Have you ever heard of the word algae before? Well, that word might ring a bell if you’re into microbes. Spirulina is a type of blue-green algae that has proven to be beneficial to the human race. You would be surprised to find out that people take spirulina as a dietary supplement. But is the reason behind this? Well, people found out that spirulina is rich in amino acids and other nutrients. Because of this, it can provide certain health ben offers, consumed. To give you an idea of what it offers, we will be looking at spirulina amino acid nutrition. As well as other vitamins and minerals that can be gotten from spirulina.
For some years now, spirulina has been known as a superfood. Its nutritional content is simply mind-blowing. It’s quite high in vitamins and protein. And that’s why many people opt for it as a nutritional supplement. People that are vegans opt for this a lot more. And that’s because they would be able to get their daily required amount of protein. Here we will be taking a look at some of the amazing benefits of this guy right here. All you have to do is keep reading to find out a lot more about spirulina.
Spirulina Amino Acid Nutrition
Spirulina happens to be one of the best sources of nutrients that you can find out there. The dried form of spirulina happens to contain about 59%-65% of protein. And when compared to other good sources of plant-based protein this is one of the best that you can get in town. The good thing is that it’s a great source of protein that doesn’t contain empty calories. Another good thing about this protein source is that it is absorbed well by the body.
Another great thing about spirulina is that it contains 8 different essential amino acids out of the 9. The only lacking amino acid happens to be histidine. Another good thing is that it contains omega-3 fatty acids. Now, if you know the benefits that come with omega-3 fatty acid you would know that that’s a big deal. Omega-3 fatty acids are known to have many positive effects on most of the organs in the body. And it does a great job in reducing the risk of having certain diseases in the body.
One thing that many people fear when it comes to consuming meat is the cholesterol level. The cholesterol content of many of these animal-based products is quite high. But with spirulina that’s not the case. In a large tablespoon of spirulina, you will just be getting about 1.3 milligrams of cholesterol.
Now, let’s take a look at some of the minerals present in spirulina and how much they can offer. 1 spoonful of spirulina would give you:
- 2.9mg of iron
- 114mg of potassium
- 20mg of magnesium
- 10mg of calcium
Also, there are many vitamins present in spirulina. In spirulina, you would be able to get vitamins A, D, E, K, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B8, B9, and C. One thing that you can be sure of is that all these vitamins come with their benefits. And the good thing is that all these vitamins come with their health benefits. So you can be sure that any nutrient gotten from spirulina comes in very handy in the body.
Health Benefits of Spirulina
There’s a long list of health benefits that you can get from spirulina. But for today we will just be taking a look at some of the benefits.
- Losing weight: One of the reasons why people opt for spirulina is to lose weight. Spirulina is known to contain many nutrients and it’s very low in calories. And this is the perfect description of foods that are suitable for weight loss. So for people that want to lose weight without having to lose necessary nutrients spirulina is a great option. Studies and trials have been carried out to show that spirulina helps out with weight loss.
- Improves gut health: One good thing about spirulina is its structure. The structure of spirulina is the reason why it can be easily digested by certain cells in the body. But can it help improve your gut health? Well, with regards to this more studies are still needed. A study that was carried out on old mice showed that it might affect gut health.
- May help lower cholesterol: One thing that has been found out is that spirulina extract might affect lowering the level of cholesterol in the body. And cholesterol has been linked to a lot of heart problems. The first reason why is that spirulina is very low in cholesterol level. Another thing is that spirulina supplements according to a study affect lowering the level of lipids in the blood. According to the study, it helps reduce cholesterol as well as the bad cholesterol in the body. While on the other hand, it helps increase good cholesterol in the body.
- Reduces blood pressure: Since spirulina may affect lowering cholesterol it can also affect reducing blood pressure. And some studies have been carried out to prove this. A study carried out in 2016 showed that people who consumed spirulina for 3 months had lower blood pressure.
- Boosts metabolism: One thing that spirulina does is that it helps boost someone’s metabolism. When the metabolic rate is high a person would feel more energized. And this may help in burning more calories. This would also affect people who in terms of weight loss. A study that was carried out in 2014 showed that people experienced good metabolic effects. And this improved the quality of life. Even with this more research is still needed.
Looking at spirulina amino acid nutrition, you can tell that this supplement is very beneficial. But one thing that you must remember is that there can be certain drug interactions. So make sure that your doctor is carried along before you opt for this supplement.
