4 replies to this topic

[Hedgehog]

Came across this while looking for something else. Looks like it is pretty dense w/ nutrients.

http://www.naturalwa...na-analysis.htm
http://en.wikipedia....ary_supplement)

A few quick quotes

Spirulina provides all the required amino acids, and in a form that is five times easier to digest than meat or soy protein. Spirulina contains essential minerals and trace elements absorbed from its growth medium into chelated, easily absorbed forms:

Spirulina contains the yellow/orange pigments cryptoxanthine and beta-carotene from which vitamin A can be made. Two units of carotene will normally yield one unit of complete vitamin A, if required by the body. Spirulina contains 4,000 mg/kg carotenoids in these forms:

Anybody taking these green pills. It looks like it also comes in flakes.

[ilanso]

Came across this while looking for something else. Looks like it is pretty dense w/ nutrients.

http://www.naturalwa...na-analysis.htm
http://en.wikipedia....ary_supplement)

A few quick quotes

Spirulina provides all the required amino acids, and in a form that is five times easier to digest than meat or soy protein. Spirulina contains essential minerals and trace elements absorbed from its growth medium into chelated, easily absorbed forms:

Spirulina contains the yellow/orange pigments cryptoxanthine and beta-carotene from which vitamin A can be made. Two units of carotene will normally yield one unit of complete vitamin A, if required by the body. Spirulina contains 4,000 mg/kg carotenoids in these forms:

Anybody taking these green pills. It looks like it also comes in flakes.

I'm taking the powder (chlorella, too) - a lot less expensive. The problem is it stains your teeth and inflates your dentist bill (seems it's more labor-intensive to remove stains than plaque).

[Thorsten3]

Came across this while looking for something else. Looks like it is pretty dense w/ nutrients.

http://www.naturalwa...na-analysis.htm
http://en.wikipedia....ary_supplement)

A few quick quotes

Spirulina provides all the required amino acids, and in a form that is five times easier to digest than meat or soy protein. Spirulina contains essential minerals and trace elements absorbed from its growth medium into chelated, easily absorbed forms:

Spirulina contains the yellow/orange pigments cryptoxanthine and beta-carotene from which vitamin A can be made. Two units of carotene will normally yield one unit of complete vitamin A, if required by the body. Spirulina contains 4,000 mg/kg carotenoids in these forms:

Anybody taking these green pills. It looks like it also comes in flakes.

I'm taking the powder (chlorella, too) - a lot less expensive. The problem is it stains your teeth and inflates your dentist bill (seems it's more labor-intensive to remove stains than plaque).

Sorry to bump this old thread does anyone here take this supplement? I have 200g arriving in powder form. I've also ordered some bee pollen and Maca.

So this stuff stains your teeth green? Nice.....

I'm a bit more worried about this (taken from wiki)

Although rare, cyanobacteria like Spirulina may contain toxins called microcystins, which accumulate in the liver and can potentially cause cancer or other liver diseases. Currently, no standard exists to regulate the safety of Spirulina. [13]

Whatever that means I don't know. They're not exactly elaborating on the extent of this problem. It says that its rare ok, fair enough. But as a measure of good practice should one steer clear of this product? I suppose you could argue that most food has toxins in though no? I eat Cacao and I'm fairly confident there must be stuff in that which isn't good for the liver

[zm3thod]

I have some spirulina that I am going to start taking again. Earlier today I was browsing wikipedia (started with Alpha GPC) and checked it out. I was able to access some studies on allergic rhinitis and it looks promising. And cheap too, even in tablets, at 2/grams once a day

edit:
This is what I have
http://www.iherb.com...blets/1374?at=0

Edited by zm3thod, 26 April 2010 - 05:35 AM.

[ParrotSlave]

The only products you have to worry about containing microcystin would be wild harvested algae contaminated with Microcystis amrginosa, a toxic algae "bloom." Of course, you might also have to worry about that same toxin if you come in contact with contaminated water in the course of recreational activities. A number of years ago, Oregon's health department found most of the blue green algae products they tested to be so contaminated, but they were all from Upper Klamath Lake. See http://www.ncbi.nlm....r00306-0085.pdf. Canadian tests "conducted at three separate laboratories, indicate that no microcystins were detected in blue-green algal products containing only the blue-green algae Spirulina." So I would say that spirulina is safe, as long as you don't mind green teeth.
I used to ignore all the hype common among those who frequent "health" food stores about such matters, relying instead on science, but it turns out that there may be something to the health benefits of spirulina and a few similar substances. See, for example, "Exercise and spirulina control non-alcoholic hepatic steatosis and lipid profile in diabetic Wistar rats," at http://www.ncbi.nlm....pubmed/21569626, and "Hepatoprotective effects of Spirulina maxima in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease" at http://www.jmedicalc...ontent/4/1/103. Spirulina really does show metal chelating properties; check out PubMed. Spirulina "it had "significant (P < 0.001) antioxidant activity thereby protecting the animals from lead induced toxicity," in one study, it "can significantly modify the renal damages against mercuric chloride induced toxicity" in another, "The in vitro study showed that WPC [whey protein concentrate] and Spirulina showed antioxidant, radical scavenging, and metal-chelating activities in dose-dependent manner" in yet another, or "may be useful in adjuvant treatment of leukemia and anemia caused by lead and cadmium toxication." I might not necessarily believe one limited study, but when I see a preponderance of the evidence like that, I say, you have nothing to lose (as long as you stick with the name brand not-from-China product; I've been buying Nutrex.)