Parts Most Frequently Used: Algae

Flavors/Temps: Sweet, Bitter, Cooling to Cold

Caution: None noted.

History/Folklore: Cyanobacteria are thought to have converted the early atmosphere by producing gaseous oxygen as a by-product of photosynthesis. This process was said to be the “rusting of the Earth” and caused the Great Oxygenation Event that changed Earth forever, allowing new, more-complex life forms to develop.

New research suggests that algae may have potential as a renewable energy source by converting sunlight into electricity. Efforts are currently being explored to commercialize algae-based fuels, such as gasoline and diesel.

Spirulina is about 60-percent protein, containing all the essential amino acids. It is a superior source of protein even compared to other plant sources, such as legumes.

Spirulina has been a food source for the Aztecs and other Mesoamericans. After the sixteenth century, when many of their lakes, where the algae grew, were drained for agricultural and urban development, the food fell out of common usage.

Spirulina has been used successfully as an economical and highly-nutritious food source to feed the poor, promoting better health in children. The World Health Organization recognizes spirulina as being safe and without risk for feeding children suffering from malnutrition.

Spirulina has the highest level of gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), or “good” fat, compared to blue-green algae. GLA supports healthy brain and heart functioning. Spirulina is also generally considered a more-hygienic food source than many blue-green algae for its ability to thrive safely in more diverse environments, and it is often farmed in highly-controlled, safe conditions. An exception is Klamath Lake blue-green algae, which is considered very safe, due to the pristine nature of its environment.

The constituent makeup of spirulina is said to match mother’s milk in its nutritional value and content ratios, making it, along with its simple cellular structure, extremely easy to digest and be absorbed by the body.

In China, the largest algae bloom ever recorded took place in 2013, and turned the Yellow Sea green. The growth was believed to be related to pollution from agriculture and industry. More than 20,000 tons of algae washed ashore.