Super-nutrients
Out of the water

In recent years the subject of nutrition has made its way from books and health food stores, to being the subject of many news stories and television programmes. People are realizing the saying ‘you are what you eat’ means exactly that. Unfortunately in today’s society, with many of us living such busy lives we still reach for the ready meals, and fast foods.

The best way to make sure we get all the nutrients we need is to plan and ensure we eat a variety of foods, but in reality many people do not have the time to plan and prepare a nutritionally balanced diet every day. Once eating healthily becomes a habit, it does become less time consuming, and the benefits of a healthy nutritious diet are often quickly recognisable.

If however you feel you are not managing to get all the nutrients you need from your food, taking a multi-nutrient supplement could help prevent deficiencies brought about by imbalances in your diet. They may also be useful for people experiencing high stress levels, people on a restricted diet, smokers and drinkers, people who are very active, the elderly, people with poor appetites, and for anyone feeling generally run down.

There are many good multi-nutrient supplements available; however another alternative could be to take a supplement in the form of a food, as nutrients in food are more bio-available, which means they can be better absorbed by our bodies. So where can we find such a food?

The answer may come out of the water. Promoted by Gillian McKeith among others, blue-green algae have been described as one of the most nutrient rich complete foods, and it is claimed they can provide nearly all of the body’s nutritional needs.

So what are the health benefits of taking algae? With many varieties of blue-green algae, how can you decide which one to choose? This article will explore the most readily available algae; Spirulina, Klamath Lake algae, and Chlorella.


Spirulina

Reported uses
Boosting energy levels
Regulating blood sugar levels
Promoting healthy skin, hair and nails
Strengthens immune system

Description
Spirulina is a blue/green algae which grows in mineral rich lakes in warm climates. It is concentrated source of nutrients including; B vitamins, vitamin E, minerals such as magnesium calcium and zinc, antioxidants, amino acids including all eight of the essential amino acids, beta carotene, and essential fatty acids. It is also the highest source of protein of any other plant food. Its dark green colour is attributed to spirulina (along with the other algae), containing three times more chlorophyll than any other plant.

How it works
How spirulina works is really down to it being a powerhouse of nutrients which provides a digestible immediate complete food. It provides B vitamins which play a role in releasing the energy from our food, and therefore is useful for anyone with busy lifestyles to promote vitality. Spirulina’s ability to regulate blood sugar levels is likely to be down to the presence of vitamins important for this function such as B3 and E. It also provides nutrients essential for a healthy immune system such as, beta carotene which has been shown to boost white cell activity, and high levels of zinc which is considered to be one of the most important nutrients for immune support and function.

Spirulina is also high in Chlorophyll which absorbs energy from the sun to facilitate photosynthesis in plants. It is claimed in humans it has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and wound healing properties. It is suggested chlorophyll is a powerful detoxifier and can help with the uptake and delivery of oxygen around our bodies.

The fact that spirulina is a nutritionally complete food, and has a high protein content, may be why so many dieters say it helps curb appetite, however there is a lack of scientific evidence to support this.

Reservations
The biggest reservation is that there is a small possibility of purchasing spirulina which has been sourced from a contaminated lake. Therefore it is important to check out the source and quality of spirulina you purchase. If a company does not provide information on the safe guards it takes to ensure quality, it is probably better to shop elsewhere.

There are no known contraindications, as spirulina is essentially a complete food providing nutrients which work in synergy with each other. If however people take extremely excessive amounts of spirulina, they could experience health problems due to taking too high levels of certain vitamins and minerals.

Klamath Lake Algae

Reported uses
Boosts mental clarity
Detoxifies the body
Strengthens immune system
Balances bodies PH levels
Cell protection

Description
Klamath Lake algae is found in the volcanic bed of Lake Klamath in Oregon America, which is in such an isolated area that pollution isn’t a problem, and there are strict controls to ensure it stays that way. Therefore it is a good choice for anyone worrying about contamination of algae, and wanting assurance of quality. Similar to spirulina, it is high in protein and contains all of the essential amino acids, plus non essential amino acids, antioxidants, vitamins including the B vitamins, minerals, trace elements, and chlorophyll. Klamath Lake algae are also very high in Omega 3 and Omega 6 essential fatty acids. It is another complete food that can be taken by anyone who feels they need top up their intake of nutrients.

How it works
The different algae seem to have similar quantities of the same nutrients, and therefore there is no need to repeat how they may help support the immune system, and boost energy levels.

One of the benefits of Klamath Lake algae is likely to be of great interest to anyone over the age of 40. Klamath Lake Algae contains peptide molecules, which encourage the growth of glycogen and neuropeptides needed to nourish nerve cells and enhance brain activity. It is also claimed that regular use of Klamath Lake algae helps balance the body, in particular the female hormones.

As with the other algae, Klamath Lake algae has a good level of beta carotene, known to be a potent free radical scavenger. It appears to block the process by which cells can turn malignant. Studies have found that beta carotene is more likely to protect cells if it is acquired through food rather than supplements, making algae a good choice to top up on beta carotene.

Reservations
There has been some worry expressed over the ecological damage that harvesting might cause to the lake. However as blue-green algae are so prolific they can produce every twenty minutes, and therefore any algae harvested is easily replaced by the next day.

Chlorella

Reported uses
Cleanser and detoxifier
Balances PH levels of body
Strengthens immune system
Reducing cholesterol
Aneamia

Description
Chlorella is another blue green algae, which is cultivated in man made filtered fresh water lakes. It is also rich in nutrients including; protein, vitamins, minerals such as zinc and iron, amino acids, antioxidants, essential fatty acids, carotenoids and chlorophyll.

How it works
Again chlorella is a rich source of chlorophyll which also helps with cleansing and detoxing, as it binds with heavy metals and other toxins and excretes them from the body. Chlorophyll also stimulates the production of red blood cells; combined with its iron content this makes it useful in protecting against anaemia.

It is suggested that the chlorophyll, magnesium, and omega 3 oils content of chlorella may also help guard against heart disease, and help lower blood cholesterol levels.

With the consumption of processed foods and fizzy drinks, our bodies are often too acidic which can cause health problems such as arthritis, fatigue, yeast overgrowth, and premature aging. As with the other algae, chlorella is very alkaline and it can help to reduce acidity and balance the body’s PH levels.

Reservations
As chlorella is so high in nutrients the main reservation is if anyone takes extremely excessive amounts of chlorella, they could experience health problems due to taking too high levels of certain vitamins and minerals.


Whichever algae you choose, they seem to only differ very slightly in the quantity and type of nutrients they contain, and therefore they will generally all have similar health benefits. What is clear is that they are a complete food providing us with nearly all of the bodies nutritional needs, and as these nutrients are provided in the form of food, they are more bio available than taking supplements.

“Let food be thy medicine and thy medicine be thy food”
Hippocrates

Note: I am not medically qualified, but have been interested in nutrition since my eldest daughter developed food intolerances almost 20 years ago. I have researched this piece from reputable internet sites and by reading through books such as:

The Food Doctor, Healing foods for mind and body by Vicki Edgson & Ian Marber
Superfoods by Michael Van Straten & Barbara Griggs
Prescription for Nutritional healing 2nd edition by James F Balch M.D & Phyllis A. Balch C.N.C