5 Reasons To Add Spirulina To Your Diet
by Vickie Chin on Feb 09, 2021
Spirulina is a blue-green freshwater microalgae that packs one heck of a nutritional punch. It’s often confused with chlorella, a cousin for lack of better terms, that is quite similar but has some notable differences. You can read all about chlorella here in our superfood spotlight! The health benefits of spirulina range from boosting your metabolism to heavy metal detoxification. Below we’ll discuss these benefits plus three other top reasons why you should be adding spirulina to your daily routine!
Top 5 Reasons To Add Spirulina To Your Diet:
1. It's A Powerhouse of Micro and Macro Nutrients!
Spirulina is one of the most nutrient dense foods on the planet. Including spirulina in your daily diet can get you a host of B vitamins including 125% of your RDI of B12 in just 1 tsp! It’s also packed with vitamin A, iron, magnesium and potassium. You know what else you can get from spirulina? Easily digestible vegetarian protein! Spirulina offers all essential amino acids along with gamma linolenic acid aka GLA, a compound found in mother’s milk.
2. It Aids In Detoxification
Spirulina aids in flushing out harmful toxins from the body including heavy metals. It contains proteins and peptides that work to bind to these harmful toxins and heavy metals in order to pull them out of the body instead of being reabsorbed into the bloodstream.
3. It Can Aid In Eliminating Candida
Candida itself isn’t bad and our bodies actually need a certain amount of candida to stay healthy but when an overgrowth of candida starts to happen it can cause a host of negative repercussions. These negative repercussions include acne and eczema flare ups, changes to your mood, fungal infections and bowel issues to name a few. Spirulina has shown to help promote the growth of healthy bacteria in the intestines which can help to prevent candida overgrowth. It also can help the body eliminate unwanted candida cells.
4. It Boosts Your Immune System
Spirulina contains a powerful antioxidant called phycocyanin that works to fight free radicals and cellular damage. Reducing and preventing inflammation from occurring in the body is almost like taking a holistic approach to your health and overall immunity - inflammation can be found at the root of so many illnesses and diseases so ensuring that you’re eating a variety of antioxidant rich foods like spirulina can benefit your immune system as a whole.
5. It Can Improve Strength and Endurance
There’s no doubt that exercising puts stress on our muscles, specifically oxidative stress. This stress causes muscle fatigue which is why it’s important to replenish your body with what was lost during your workout. Certain foods are better at minimizing the damage caused by exercise induced oxidative stress, one of them being spirulina. Studies have also shown that spirulina supplementation significantly enhanced endurance and muscle strength.
BONUS: Spirulina can also be used topically for healthy, glowing skin!
Being a rich source of phytonutrients and carotenoids, this antioxidant rich algae makes for a great addition to your DIY facemasks. We love adding a tsp of our spirulina powder to our clay masks to help reduce swelling and to prevent acne breakouts and bacteria overgrowth. The best part is you can also reap some of the benefits by consuming spirulina if you’re not a fan of facemasks (but who isn’t?!).
