Algae are non-plant living organisms, found to be a good source of nutrients way back in time: Spanish explorers in South America learnt that the Aztec harvested blue-green algae from fresh water lakes and that’s how algae was first recognized as a living food.
Spirulina is commercially known as a human and animal dietary supplement as well as a whole food within the group of algae. It can be purchased in flake, tablet, and powder form. What makes it such a good dietary supplement is especially the high protein content, between 56-77% by dry weight, making it a complete protein containing almost all essential amino acids. Compared to the optimal protein-carriers such as meat, milk, and eggs, Spirulina lacks a couple of the essential amino acids (for your knowledge I’m referring to cysteine, lysine, and methionine) but in terms of being a plant protein it is a real superior protein source. Compared to other protein sources in general, algae carry a main health benefit in the sense that they are low in fat and high in fiber. Their high chlorophyll and phytochemical content make them effective antioxidants primarily preventing cell damage.
Apart from its protein, Spirulina is also a good carrier of several vital minerals including:
- Potassium (good for your muscles and nervous system; also found in broccoli, potatoes, citrus fruits, green leafy vegetables, and bananas)
- Calcium (vital for building strong bones; also found in milk and other dairy products such as yoghurt and cheese)
- Magnesium (for muscles and the nervous system especially; also found in whole grain breads, nuts, and seeds, potatoes, beans, avocados, kiwi, and chocolate)
- Zink (for strong immunity and wound healing among others; also found in red meat, poultry, oysters and other seafood, whole grains and dairy products)
- Iron (helps in the transportation of oxygen in the blood; also found in red meat, pork, poultry, beans, fish and shellfish, soy foods, and green leafy vegetables)
- Phosphorus (vital for healthy bones and teeth; also found in dairy foods, fish, and meat)
Also, the nutritional value of algae in general is found in its content of omega-3. Even small amounts of this substance, also derived from fish oil, can help lower blood pressure.
E3Live is a dietary supplement using phytoplankton. It’s a liquid form of pure, nutritional blue-green algae. It has been shown to be a powerful nutritional supplement with a wide range of benefits, ranging from appetite maintenance, to regular digestion, to slow down the ageing process. It should be kept in frozen form until ingested to keep its nutritional value intact. I think the company actually goes to the bottom of the ocean with a submarine, freezes the miracle food and brings it to the surface. I recently started taking it in the morning after the recommendation from a dear girlfriend and have to admit, it’s fantastic! I haven’t figured out how to travel with it yet...
Eating algae has another important effect, apart from the effect on personal health, namely that on the environment: the high yield per acre of land and water used in the algae harvesting is undoubtedly an ecological aspect worth mentioning. In this way, algae could be discussed in terms of its role as a food for the future.
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