Pond scum. It probably isn't the first thing you'd think to add to your diet, but when that pond scum is spirulina, it is a veritable goldmine of nutrition.
Spirulina is a big craze right now among health-conscious consumers, and for good reason. This blue-green algae has been harvested and consumed for centuries for its amazing health benefits.
If you are new to spirulina, you might feel a bit overwhelmed.
Should you buy spirulina or a different form of microalgae like chlorella? Is spirulina safe for everyone? What form should you take it in?
In this article, I will answer all of your questions about spirulina so that you can shop confidently for the highest quality supplements.
Let's start by talking about what spirulina can do for you.
What Are the Benefits of a Spirulina Supplement?
Spirulina has numerous health benefits backed by scientific research. Adding spirulina to your diet can provide the following advantages:
- Treat poisoning from heavy metals and other toxic supplements (1).
- Supplement protein with a non-animal source (2).
- Increase your intake of numerous nutrients including thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, folate, iron, pantothenic acid, magnesium, potassium, sodium, copper, manganese, and omega-3 fatty acids (2).
- Treat your allergies using a natural antihistamine (3).
- Treat body-wide inflammation, combating inflammatory conditions such as Alzheimer's and heart disease (4).
- Combat oxidative stress, slowing the effects of aging and preventing diseases which are tied to the damage of free radicals (5).
- Protect the health of your brain, potentially reducing your chances of developing Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, or ischemic brain damage (6, 7).
- Treat ADHD symptoms (8).
- Reduce blood pressure (9).
- Restore healthy cholesterol levels (10, 11).
- Reduce triglycerides (12).
- Prevent the oxidation of LDL cholesterol (13).
- Potentially fight against oral cancer (14).
- Increase endurance as well as isometric muscle strength during your workouts (15, 16).
- Keep blood sugar levels stable and potentially reduce your risk for diabetes or even treat the disease (17, 18).
- Chelate metals, potentially preventing liver damage (19).
- Boost your satiety and lose weight more efficiently (20).
- Spirulina can be used to produce gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), which in turn can be used to treat PMS, eczema, arthritis and more (21).
- Fight candida infections (22).
- Manage HIV/AIDS (23).
- Possibly prevent skin tumors from UVB radiation (24).
- Treat hepatitis C (25).
- Reduce your risk of stroke (26).
- Protect the health of your bones and reduce your chances of getting osteoporosis (27).
- Protect yourself from radiation sickness (28).
- Boost the power of your immune system (29).
- Promote healthy intestinal flora (30).
- Treat the inflammation and pain of arthritis (31).
- Speed up the rate at which your wounds heal (32).
As you can see, that is quite an array of benefits. Research is in the early stages for many of these, but right now there are more than a few reasons to be optimistic. Taking spirulina on a regular basis can protect your health now and in the future.
Want to learn more about these health benefits? Be sure to read our in-depth article on the topic, 30 Health Benefits of Spirulina.
Is Spirulina Safe?
If you have been looking into spirulina supplements to take, you may have heard that spirulina is not always safe.
There is some foundation to these claims, but it only applies to spirulina which has been harvested from contaminated waters.
Spirulina has many unique properties, one of which is the ability to absorb heavy metals, harmful bacteria, microcystins, and more ( 33).
This is actually quite cool, because in the right context, it can be useful. Spirulina can be used as a natural water-purifier.
But obviously you do not want to be consuming spirulina which has absorbed toxins from its environment.
There are contaminated spirulina products on the market. The spirulina contained in these products usually has been harvested from the waters around Japan and China, which are contaminated by many pollutants.
There are serious consequences to consuming contaminated spirulina. To name just a few, you could experience nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, liver damage, excessive thirst, and rapid heartbeat.
If the poisoning is severe enough, you could even die.
This should not discourage you from taking spirulina, because spirulina by itself is safe.It is the contaminants present in some spirulina which are unsafe. Spirulina which is harvested from pure waters is not exposed to these contaminants, and so remains pure itself.
Shopping from trusted brands ensures that you are getting spirulina which is pure and safe.
Quality brands harvest spirulina from clean waters. They also subject their spirulina to extensive testing to make sure that it is toxin-free.
So long as you stick with these companies which follow these quality-control protocols, you can rest assured that you are getting the benefits of spirulina without exposing your body to toxins.
Can Everyone Take Spirulina?
Most people can take spirulina without any concerns. These are the exceptions:
- Patients with auto-immune diseases, for example lupus, MS, rheumatoid arthritis, or pemphigus vulgaris.
- Those who have Phenylketonuria (PKU), a metabolic disorder.
- Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding (unborn children and infants who have not yet been tested for PKU could be in danger if they do happen to have the disorder).
Are There Spirulina Side Effects?
The majority of users report no side effects with spirulina. But if you take too much, it is possible to experience an upset stomach.
You can avoid this if you take the appropriate dosage (which is already quite high, see below).
What is the Correct Dosage of Spirulina?
You can safely consume high amounts of spirulina.
It is generally recommended that you take anywhere from 2,000-3,000 mg per day ( 33). You usually do not take this all at once.
Instead, you take 4-6 portions each day, each consisting of 500 mg.
Types of Spirulina Supplements
As with many other health supplements, spirulina comes in a few different forms.
Here is what you may encounter while you are shopping online or at your local supplement store:
- Capsules: Most spirulina supplements on the market take the form of capsules. Each contains a measured dosage of powdered spirulina. This is an easy and convenient way to get the right amount.
- Powder: If you want complete control over your dosages, opt for spirulina powder. This is the powder in its loose form. You can mix it into recipes or juice drinks and take it that way. Not only is this convenient, but it also makes it easy to augment your entire family's spirulina intake. Just add it to some of the meals you prepare (it goes well in soups, cereals and breads).
- Drink mix: This is essentially powdered spirulina again, but marketed as a drink mix.
- Foods or beverages: You might find foods or beverages in your grocery market which contain spirulina. While they are not concentrated supplements, they are another option for boosting your spirulina.
No form of spirulina is really "best." It all depends on your individual needs. Just pick whatever works for you.
What to Look For in a Quality Spirulina Supplement
How can you know whether you are getting high-quality spirulina which is ideal for your needs?
Here are some features to look for:
The right dosage for your health needs.
If in doubt, capsules which are 500 mg are great for most purposes.
Research spirulina studies for the condition that you wish to treat and check which dosages were demonstrated to be effective.
This will help you decide on an exact dosage to take each day.
The top dollar value.
This does not mean buying the cheapest bottle of spirulina on the market. It means picking the best bang for your buck.
Consider both the dosage amount and how many capsules are in a bottle in relation to the price, and calculate the true value from there.
High bioavailability.
This is something which is always useful to keep in mind when you are supplement shopping, but in general, spirulina is actually one of the more bioavailable types of algae you can buy.
Indeed, it is easier for your body to digest than chlorella, which is why it tends to be a superior value (plus, it costs less).
A trustworthy brand.
This is important with any supplement you are shopping for, but it is particularly vital when shopping for spirulina.
This is part of what helps to ensure that the spirulina you are getting is pure and safe.
A brand with a strong reputation needs to defend that reputation, and that means continuing to product quality supplements.
Harvested from clean water.
If you can, try to find out where the spirulina in the supplement you are considering purchasing came from.
If it was harvested from waters you know to be polluted, buy something else. If it comes from fresh, clean water, that increases the odds that you are getting a safe product.
Tested for purity.
Research to see what kind of purity tests a supplement has undergone.
They should preferably be conducted by a third party which has a strong reputation for objective, unbiased, comprehensive testing.
Easy to swallow.
As with any other supplement you might shop for, you should try and choose a capsule you can swallow with ease.
Remember, if you have a hard time with capsules in general, you can always get a drink mix or powder instead.
No binders or fillers.
Look for a supplement which is free of unnecessary additives, and just delivers pure, wholesome spirulina.
Tolerable flavor.
Some people hate the taste of spirulina.
If that is you, a capsule is better than a loose powder (though you can disguise the powder flavor somewhat by mixing it into the right food or beverage).
If you do go with a capsule, check to see if other reviewers report a taste or aftertaste with the product.
How to Take Spirulina Supplements
Taking spirulina is easy. If you bought spirulina capsules, check the daily recommended dosage and then take the capsules as suggested with water.
With a powder or drink mix, take about 1-2 teaspoons daily. Stir it into a smoothie or juice drink, or cook it into your recipes.
Best Spirulina Supplements
Now that you know all about spirulina supplements and how to shop for them, let's take a look at some of the most popular and highly-rated spirulina supplements on the market today.
Recommended Spirulina Capsules
Recommended Spirulina Powders
Conclusion
High-Quality Spirulina Is a Safe and Powerful Supplement With a Wide Range of Health BenefitsNot all spirulina supplements are of the same quality. Inferior products not only will deprive you of the full nutritional benefits of spirulina, but may also poison you.
For that reason, it is vital that you shop only for high-quality spirulina supplements from trustworthy brands.
While any of the 5 products I have recommended would be excellent choices, I would say that overall the best loose powder is probably Organic Spirulina Powder from Triquetra Health, and the best capsule product is Pure Hawaiian Spirulina.
These products are pure spirulina, loaded with nutrition and free of toxicity. They will boost your health now and protect you from an array of diseases, helping to maximize your well-being in the future.