Recently my 10 year old daughter asked me “if you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be”.  I think she expected me to say “chocolate” but I answered without hesitation “Spirulina”.  A terrible grimace came over her face as she thought about the dark-green, fowl smelling powder I make into a drink every morning.  “Why?” she said with disgust.  I answered quite simply, “I assumed you meant what one food would keep me healthy – you didn’t ask me what one food I would LIKE to eat for the rest of my life.  Spirulina has basically everything I need to keep me alive and healthy for a long time and that is my goal”.  After having that conversation, I realized I should start spreading the word about Spirulina

Space Station Food of Choice

In the 1980’s NASA started doing research on foods that could used to sustain life in space.  They decided to study different plants and see which ones were the best.  Spirulina, a class of algae which is actually 3.5 billion years old, is one they decided to look at very carefully.  The study concluded by saying that Spirulina was in fact a good choice for use in long term space flight.

“Pursuit of our national goals in space exploration will eventually require man’s long-duration tenancy of celestial vehicles and planetary bases. …. The use of biological components Controlled Ecological Life Support System (CELSS) program as subsystems for the revitalization of air, waste processing, and for the production of food has been proposed for the long term – space flight……. “The nutritional quality of all cyanobacteria which have been tested … appears to be very high. For example, Spirulina, in addition to being the richest known source of vitamin B12, also contains significant amounts of vitamins B1 and B2. Similarly, one gram of Spirulina contains one-half of the adult daily requirements of vitamin A (B-carotene). The trace elements and iodine found in cyanobacteria are also important when considering the nutritional quality cyanobacteria. The protein of S. maxima and Anabaena cylindrica is easily digestible and approximately 65% of the protein is assimilatible.”  (http://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/19890016190_1989016190.pdf)

Okay, so it’s good for outer space, but what about here on earth?  What benefits can be derived while living on this planet?  Here are a few completely unrelated studies that point to its potential value in very different aspects of health:

Inhibits Growth of Breast Cancer Cells

According to a study published in the U.S. National Library of Medicine, it showed “that Se-enriched Spirulina platensis extract (Se-SE) inhibited the growth of MCF-7 human breast cancer cells through induction of G1 cell cycle arrest and mitochondria-mediated apoptosis.  Our results suggest the potential applications of Spirulina platensis extract (Se-SE) in chemoprevention of human breast cancer.”  (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19926246?itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum&ordinalpos=3)

Improves Academic Performance

Another study published in the U.S. National Library of Medicine indicates an improvement is academic results in a random group of 100 students over a 2 month period of supplementing with Spirulina “Over these 60 days, the students took a daily dose of 2 grams of Spirulina mixed with 10g of honey to make the taste acceptable.  After two months of supplemental feeding, the academic performance of the children was improved.  Average marks before supplementation was 5.17 out of 10 IC = [4.99-5.35]….. Average marks after two months of supplementation was 5.78 out of 10 IC = [5.59-5.97].”

(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19863020?itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum&ordinalpos=7 )

Protects Against Rosiglitazone Induced Osteoporosis

Rosiglitazone is an anti-diabetic drug that has been associated with increasing the risk of osteoporosis.  “The risk for upper arm, hand, or foot fractures may be increased in women receiving rosiglitazone maleate vs metformin HCl or glyburide for type 2 diabetes mellitus, according to a warning from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK).” (http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/552498)

But a study published in the U.S. National Library of Medicine reports that supplementing with Spirulina reduced the risks.  “The intactness and integrity of the bone surface as well as the bone strength improved due to the high content of calcium and phosphorous in Spirulina. Besides, chromium and gamma-linoleic acid in Spirulina helped to decrease the fasting serum glucose, HDL, LDL and triglycerides levels in insulin resistance rats” (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19896232?itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum&ordinalpos=5)

Research Other Health Benefits

Pages and pages could be written about the health benefits of Spirulina and if you decide to research it further, which I highly recommend, be prepared to be reading for days.  Here is one site that has great information http://www.australianspirulina.com.au/spirulina/spirulina.html.  Once you have completed your research, you will probably agree that supplementing with Spirulina would be an excellent addition to your diet.

WARNING:  Spirulina has tremendous cleansing and detoxifying properties so it is recommended that you work with a Natural Health Practitioner if you have been or are currently taking medication or have any health concerns.  When starting your supplementation, it is recommended that you start with the lowest possible dosage, monitor any possible detoxification side effects (e.g. headache, rash) and increase your dosage slowly.  For a full listing of potential side effects, visit http://www.healthsession.com/articles/spirulina-side-effects.html

Linda Miner

Registered Nutritional Counselor

RNC, CHN, RSNA, CMTA, BA

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*NOTE:  This opinion expressed here is that of the author based on her research and personal experience.  It is not intended to replace your own personal research or the opinion of your physician.  You should always check with your physician and/or pharmacist before changing your diet, starting an exercise programs or taking any supplements.  Please be aware that some foods and natural supplements may interact with prescription medication.