Parts Most Frequently Used: Algae

Flavors/Temps: Sweet, Salty, Slightly Bitter, Cooling to Cold

Caution: Considered safe. Some people may experience nausea, diarrhea, or headaches.

Key Constituents: Chlorophyll, Protein, Amino Acids, Phycocyanin, Sulfated polysaccharides, Linoleic acid (GLA), Iron, Calcium, Manganese, Selenium, Iodine, Phosphorous, Chromium, Zinc, Fatty Acids, Magnesium, Copper, Beta-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin), Vitamin B2 (Niacin), Vitamin B6 (Folic Acid), Vitamin B12 (Cyanocobalamin), Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, Vitamin K

History/Folklore: Blue-green algae and spirulina are cyanobacteria. These one-celled organisms are thought to have converted the early atmosphere by producing gaseous oxygen as a by-product of photosynthesis. This process, called the “rusting of the Earth,” caused the Great Oxygenation Event, changing Earth forever, allowing new, more complex life forms to develop.

Spirulina (Arthrospira platensis, A. maxima, A. fusiformis) is a naturally occurring blue-green alga that is commonly grown in a controlled environment. Blue-green algae (Aphanizomenon flos-aquae/AFA) are grown commercially in the wild. 

Blue-green algae and spirulina are, in fact, a phylum of bacteria and not true algae. Bacteria are single-celled organisms. True algae can be single-celled or made up of multiple cells able to grow dozens of feet long. Algae are photosynthetic, yet are not plants, animals, or fungi. Blue-green algae and spirulina are single-celled organisms that have both algal and bacterial characteristics, are prokaryotes, and are capable of oxygenic photosynthesis. Prokaryotes are single-celled organisms that have neither a distinct nucleus with a membrane nor other specialized organelles. Bacteria and cyanobacteria are prokaryotes. 

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

Both blue-green algae and spirulina are a complete source of protein. Spirulina is about 60 percent protein with all eight essential amino acids. Blue-green algae contains all 20 amino acids. Both are considered superior sources of protein even compared to other plant sources such as legumes. 

NASA has recommended spirulina be grown in space to feed the astronauts, declaring it 1000 times more nutritious than any other fruit or vegetable. 

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 and promote 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 other 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 because it thrives in more diverse environments and is often farmed in highly controlled, safe conditions. An exception is Klamath Lake blue-green algae, which grows wild and 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 ratios, making it, along with its simple cellular structure, extremely easy to digest and be absorbed by the body.

Research indicates that using blue-green algae with zinc twice a day can help counter environmental arsenic poisoning found in local contaminated water supplies.

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.

In Japan, the word marimo means “seaweed ball”. They are often also called marimo moss balls. These balls are not seaweed but balls that form from strings of algae that roll around in the shallow areas of lakes, rounding into spheres. In nature, they will rise and fall as the algae photosynthesize rapidly, bringing oxygen to the surface. When the light lessens, they fall back to the bottom. 

The phycocyanin compound found in these algae, which gives them their deep blue color, is a protein that allows the algae to harvest light energy to drive ATP production. Phycocyanin is known to help reduce DNA damage and scavenge free radicals, reducing age-related inflammation and shielding neurons from oxidative stress, which mitigates dysfunction-related conditions like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and ALS.