Spirulina (60% Protein Content)

History and Uses:
Spirulina is a blue-green algae found in saline lakes and ponds in Central and South America and Africa, and is used throughout the world as a nutritional supplement. Spirulina has similar properties to Chlorella, but it is higher in protein. Spirulina contains chlorophyll, which is essential in maintaining healthy digestion and cleansing the bowels. It also contains 65-70% vegetable protein, and the protein is especially beneficial, as it contains none of the harmful fats or cholesterol found in meat. Spirulina also includes a host of vitamins and nutrients and is one of the few non-meat sources of vitamin B12. It is especially high in beta-carotene, calcium, iron, niacin and phosphorus and used for health rejuvenation and weight reduction and is considered an excellent blood and colon cleanser. Spirulina is possibly the most nutritious substance known to man. Adding Spirulina to cultured immune system cells significantly increases the production of infection fighting cytokines, say immunologists at University of California, Davis School of Medicine and Medical Center, in a study published in the Journal of Medicinal Foods. A number of animal studies have shown Spirulina to be an effective immunomodulator (an agent that can effect the behavior of immune cells). In studies conducted on laboratory rats, Spirulina inhibited allergic reactions by suppressing the release of histamine in a dose-dependent fashion. In cats, Spirulina enhanced the ability of macrophages to engulf bacteria; and in chickens, Spirulina increased antibody responses and the activity of natural killer cells, which destroy infected and malignant cells in the body. While extensive human studies have not been done, several reports also suggest that Spirulina has therapeutic effects on hyperlipidemia and fat reduction. In one study, Spirulina decreased total serum cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, while increasing high-density lipoprotein. A 1986 study of obese patients showed a significant reduction of body weight after including Spirulina in the diet for four weeks. In the U.C. Davis study, researchers evaluated the secretion of the cytokines, interferon-gamma, interleukin-4 and interleukin-1 beta, in the lab to get a better understanding of Spirulina's potential regulatory effect on the immune system.