Spirulina News July 07

HI All,

I thought I'd start by answering some of the more common questions surrounding Spirulina! This spirulina information has been obtained courtesy of http://www.microrganics.co.uk/


Is spirulina good for kids?
Yes, spirulina is a 100% natural whole food so is safe for children of any age.
Spirulina helps fill in the gaps caused from not eating all the vegetables they should. Some children enjoy sucking the tablets like lollies and others like a ¼ teaspoon shaken in juice. The general rule is top use half an adult dose, but remember the nutrients in spirulina are in natural un-concentrated form, so any potential problems that may occur with synthetic vitamin preparations (however ‘natural’ they may be described) are not relevant to spirulina.
In 1993, the World Health Organization stated: "Spirulina represents an interesting food for multiple reasons, and it is able to be administered to children without any risk. We at WHO consider it a very suitable food."

Is spirulina good for my pet?
Spirulina is an excellent supplement for all cats, dogs, birds and fish. Pet owners report relief for arthritic conditions in older animals, this may be due to the rare sulphur based compounds it contains. Give large cats and small dogs 1g, medium dogs 2g, large dogs 3g and giant dogs 6g or more. Try stirring it into the food, perhaps starting with small amounts in case your animal is suspicious of ‘new’ foods.

Does spirulina contain Vitamin A?
Spirulina does NOT contain vitamin A. Vitamin A is an essential nutrient that can be dangerous at high levels. Spirulina contains beta carotene which your body converts to vitamin A as it is required; there is no danger of excessive vitamin A intake from using spirulina.

Is Spirulina safe to take when I’m pregnant?
Generally spirulina is generally considered safe for mothers to be, and in fact provides many nutrients important to growth while supplying a safe energy boost. It may not be suited to everyone however. Those with a tendency to coldness, i.e. prone to loose bowels, candida symptons or cold extremities, may find it doesn’t suit them.
Start with very small amounts particularly if you haven’t used it before, and build up to one or two teaspoons ( 6-12 tablets) daily.
As with all decisions made on pregnancy, consult a practitioner if you are not sure.

What is the difference between Spirulina and Blue Green Algae?
Spirulina is just one of the family of blue green algae, however spirulina enjoys a long reputation as a safe and nutritious food. Spirulina from the two farms in the United States has been awarded the status from the US government as being safe for use in food, beverage and supplement products.
Other blue green algae products do not enjoy this reputation, in fact some wild grown algal products can be considered down-right dangerous, with the potential for contamination from toxic algal species and inclusion of neuro-toxins.