What Is Blue Spirulina? How Does It Benefit You?
Blue spirulina is pretty much trending in social media feeds nowadays and therefore, looking at those exotic pictures you must be wondering what’s so special about it. What is Blue Spirulina? How does it benefit? Let us find out!
Spirulina is one of the oldest superfoods on earth, which can transform you into a better version each day by nourishing your health with the goodness of multiple nutrients. When you are following a specific diet like a vegan one, you can’t have animal protein sourced from animal-derived foods.
As a result, you need supplements to boost your health by fulfilling the nutrient demands of your body. Here comes the benefit of supplements like spirulina.
In our earlier posts, we have already introduced you to the best vegan spirulina – the superfood. Here, let us give you a complete analysis of blue spirulina and its benefits. The history of spirulina is quite different then the other supplements. So, we need to understand the history of it to further understand the blue spirulina.
The History of Spirulina
Spirulina was first discovered in the 16th century by the Aztecs. Since then, it has remained an important topic of researches and studies to find out what are the possible ways in which it can benefit both humans and animals.
The first and most significant result was presented by the World Health Organization in 1974. They described spirulina as an interesting ingredient for more than one reason.
Rich in iodine, iron and protein, “spirulina is able to be administered to children without any risk”- as opined by NCBI. Since then, spirulina became a very suitable food in the United Nations to treat malnutrition. Today, spirulina continues to be one of the popular supplements owing to its rich nutritional profile like the vegan collagen supplements.
What is Blue Spirulina?
If you know what green spirulina is, you can well assume what the blue spirulina could be. Spirulina or the green one is basically a cyanobacteria originating from a family of single-celled organisms. It is a blue-green colored micro-algae, which grows in water bodies.
It has therapeutic and supplementary attributes, which make it quite popular among health-conscious individuals. Spirulina is used both in the form of medicine and food. Whether you mix its powder in your morning smoothies like the protein rich quinoa smoothie, banana smoothie, or mango smoothie pop its capsule after lunch, you will be benefited with good health.
Blue spirulina is a blue pigment that originates from a phytochemical called phycocyanin (reference). So, the source of blue spirulina is the phycocyanin extracted from green spirulina.
Just like the green one, it can be consumed in a variety of styles. The most famous are blue spirulina shakes and smoothies with abundant use of fruits like banana (bananas are vegan) and berries.
Difference Between Normal Spirulina and Blue Spirulina
Both green and blue spirulina contain Phycocyanin and it is perhaps the only similarity in them. When it comes to the differences, there are plenty.
- Firstly, they have different colors.
- Secondly, their compositions are different. Green spirulina is a whole food whereas blue spirulina is an extract. Hence, naturally, green spirulina is richer in nutrients than the blue one.
- Thirdly, green spirulina smells and tastes very strong whereas blue spirulina is pretty mild.
- People who cannot consume green spirulina for the same reason can easily receive some of the benefits of spirulina as they enjoy blue spirulina without any fishy smell and taste.
Blue Spirulina Health Benefits
Spirulina is recognized as a superfood for its superior health benefits. It is a strong fighter against free radicals, protecting cells in the nervous system, liver, heart, and kidneys. The most significant blue spirulina powder benefits include:
1. Source of Protein
100 g of spirulina contains about 57 g of protein (reference), which means that it has 60% protein content. It is a richer source of protein than most vegetables. Hence, for those who are on a plant-based diet, it can work as a great source of protein.
A typical vegan protein powder is extracted from vegetables and often has incomplete amino acid profile. Protein from spirulina can compensate for this lack.
Recommended: Spirulina Amino Acid Profile
2. Aids in Weight Loss
As spirulina is high in protein, consuming it 30 minutes prior to your lunch will make you feel fuller. Hence, you will be less likely to overindulge. People who have spirulina feel less hungry and are able to control obesity better than others.
3. Stimulates Energy
Full of B vitamins, spirulina can boost energy levels to a great extent. People who follow an exercise regime besides following a plant-based diet can improve their training and workout gradually. You can also try out the ETB pre-workout supplement to get better effects from your workout sessions.
Rich in antioxidant, spirulina also decreases exercise-induced oxidation and associated problems such as muscle fatigue. You can also get vitamin B12 without any supplements in your vegan diet.
4. Improves Bowel Health
Chlorophyll is a property in spirulina, which helps you to regularize the digestive system and improve bowel health. Spirulina is proven to promote good bacteria in the gut. If you are someone who’s recently turned vegan you might have faced some digestive problems. Consuming spirulina daily will help you improve your gut health.
5. Detoxifies
As we already know spirulina is high in antioxidants, it can bind with heavy metals in the body and help your body to detox them.
How do I use Blue Spirulina Powder?
You get blue spirulina in powder form. The first glance of blue spirulina makes people fall in love with it. The electric blue color can brighten up your day when you add it to your smoothies like the bubble tea smoothie, shakes, and juices. There is a variety of recipes that you can try with blue spirulina.
Adding as little as half a teaspoon of blue spirulina to your recipes. Also, you can create your own recipes by adding it to raw treats, baked goods such as your peanut butter cookies, noodles, pasta, and more. There are online recipes available for you to try as well.
Conclusion
Blue spirulina can make one of those wonderful secret ingredients behind your vibrant personality. If you are bored with the pungent fishy taste of green spirulina and looking for a replacement soon, the blue one will not disappoint you for sure.
So, what are you waiting for? Now that you know all the blue spirulina benefits, go ahead and surprise yourself with little happiness by adding half a teaspoon of blue spirulina powder to your everyday diet. A vegan diet is all about sourcing plant-based foods rich in essential nutrients and blue spirulina is definitely one of the magical ingredients you can think of.
