There  spirulina powder  can be considered a vitamin. It is part of the family of food supplements, composed  of nutrients, vitamins and minerals  essential to the body. Antioxidant, spirulina powder is one of the most consumed supplements. It helps the immune system and the immune system in general, with its high levels of vitamin B12, it offers a boost of vitality, whether in capsules, powder or other... 

All the nutritional qualities of spirulina are explained in this article. 

Read also:  What are the benefits of Spirulina?

How to drink spirulina powder?

Spirulina is a blue-green algae that grows in freshwater environments. It is also a very popular dietary supplement that has many health benefits and high nutritional value. Spirulina contains a lot of vegan protein, iron and other minerals, and B vitamins. There are different ways to incorporate spirulina into your daily diet. You can add spirulina powder to your smoothies, juices, matcha, lattes, and cocktails.

Spirulina can be consumed in powder, tablet or soft drink form. Store opened bottles or packets of spirulina powder and tablets in the refrigerator. Spirulina is a freshwater blue algae commonly used as a dietary supplement. It is a "superfood" rich in protein, iron and B vitamins, making it a real find for any type of diet, especially plant-based.

Spirulina is most commonly sold in pressed tablet or powder form. While you can take spirulina tablets without food or water, it is recommended to mix spirulina powder with food. Spirulina has an earthy, slightly marine flavor that many people dislike, which is why it is often mixed into drinks and added to food recipes to mask the taste.  This article will give you even more tips on how to incorporate spirulina into your daily diet while masking its taste! But first, let's talk about the benefits of this food supplement.

How to consume spirulina powder?

There are many different ways to include spirulina in your recipes, and it’s all about how fancy you are! You can mix spirulina not only into your drinks, but also add it to different dishes that you cook! The options are endless: you can add spirulina powder when you make pesto sauce, make superfood bites or “energy balls” with spirulina, nuts, and figs, or add spirulina to hummus for a quick and healthy snack. You can also substitute spirulina for ground algae and spinach in your foods. It’s also possible to use small amounts of spirulina powder in place of the green food coloring that may be present in your recipes. 

Currently, no studies have definitively determined the exact recommended dose of spirulina. However, the general recommendation is not to take more than 2 tablespoons (14 g) per day, since even a small amount of this blue algae is loaded with nutrients, since 60 to 70% of its content is pure protein. However, it is best to consult a doctor before starting to use this supplement.

Discover our collection of Organic and artisanal spirulina .

What are the health benefits of spirulina powder?

Spirulina’s high nutritional value makes it a true superfood. First of all, dried blue algae contains about 60% protein by weight, making it the best plant-based source of protein and a great addition to any plant-based diet. It also contains digestive enzymes and fatty acids necessary for the normal functioning of the brain and nervous system, which make up 7% of spirulina’s weight.

Spirulina powder has many benefits for your health. Here are some examples:

• Spirulina helps support energy metabolism: Thus, spirulina is highly recommended as a supplement to a healthy diet for sports performance, weight loss or to reduce fatigue. 
• It prevents and helps fight anemia, which means that people who are iron deficient do not need to take iron supplements. It also improves the immune system.
• Some studies suggest that spirulina may help you feel more energetic and, at the same time, reduce stress and fatigue. 

Smoothies

Adding spirulina powder to a smoothie helps mask its marine flavor and, at the same time, make the drink more aesthetically appealing. You can mix this supplement into any smoothie you want, but its flavor pairs best with sweet and fruity smoothies. Next time you make a smoothie, try sprinkling about 5g of spirulina powder into the mixture before blending. This will give the drink a dark green color, but the flavor will be covered by the sugar and fruit. The best fruits to blend with spirulina are pineapple, banana, orange, and mango, but you can also opt for any other sweet and ripe fruit. This method works just as well for smoothie bowls, and adding spirulina powder will only increase their antioxidant, electrolyte, vitamin, and mineral content. You can also try adding spirulina powder to spinach smoothies, as it pairs well with savory ingredients without making them taste too strong.

Fruit juice

Another tasty trick is to sprinkle some spirulina powder into your juice to give it a nutritional boost. Similar to smoothies, you should mix the juice with 1 teaspoon (5g) of spirulina powder and shake to dissolve the powder. The drink will turn a dark green color, but the fruity flavors will still be present. Mango juice, pineapple juice, and orange juice are all great options for mixing spirulina powder. But don’t add the powder to your juicer, as it won’t be effective at mixing the spirulina into your drink. Instead, pour the juice into a bottle and shake it to mix it with the spirulina.

Matcha

Adding spirulina to your matcha is also an option! Matcha is a delicious beverage known for its antioxidant effects and vibrant green color. When combined with spirulina, it becomes a super drink! Sprinkle about 1/2 teaspoon of spirulina into a small serving of matcha or a full teaspoon (5g) into a large serving. The hot liquid will quickly dissolve the powder, and the flavors will blend together nicely.

However, keep in mind that the flavors of spirulina are still present even when mixed with matcha.So add less powder if you don't like the taste of spirulina. 

Coffee

Just like with matcha, you can experiment and add a little spirulina to your latte or cappuccino and drink it on the go!

Lemon cocktails

You can also try adding spirulina powder to a citrus cocktail, like a lemon drop. There aren’t many cocktails that are better with a bit of seafood flavor, but sour dishes and drinks cover up spirulina’s countervailing flavor and instead bring out some of its fresh notes that work really well with the tart notes of lemon. Just add about 1 teaspoon (5 g) of spirulina to your drink and enjoy its health benefits. 

How to increase the shelf life of a spirulina drink?

Opened bags of spirulina powder and containers containing spirulina tablets should be stored in the refrigerator. Soft drinks containing spirulina should be stored according to the manufacturer's instructions. Once spirulina has been opened and exposed to air, the amount of oxygen-sensitive nutrients in the supplement will decrease over time, so it is best to consume it within a few months of opening.

As a dietary supplement, spirulina is subject to different ingredient labeling requirements than foods, although its safety is still regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Spirulina comes in powder or tablet form and can be consumed alone or mixed with food. 

About Spirulina

Spirulina is a dried blue-green saltwater algae. According to the  NYU Langone Medical Center , spirulina is rich in carotenoids and B vitamins and contains a host of essential minerals, including calcium, iron, magnesium, manganese, potassium and zinc. It is also a good source of protein, with over 70% protein by weight of dried spirulina. Spirulina is mostly touted as having therapeutic as well as nutritional benefits, however, many claims remain unproven.

Digestive process

Your digestive system can absorb both spirulina tablets and powders, but because tablets are harder and more compact, they can pass through undigested or only partially digested. This means that you run the risk of not getting the full nutritional value of spirulina. While spirulina powder has the advantage of being easier to absorb, if you combine it with foods that your body has difficulty processing, you also risk losing out on the nutritional content of spirulina. For example, if you have a mild lactose intolerance and you add spirulina to a smoothie, your body may not be able to absorb all of the spirulina.

Beware of fillers

To maintain their shape and provide bulk, tablets often contain fillers or binding agents such as silicon dioxide. Binding agents are not easily digested by your body, which can make it harder for the tablet to break down and the nutritional content of the spirulina to be fully absorbed.Since ingredients are listed in order of weight in the final product, the higher up the binder is in the ingredient list—for example, the third ingredient rather than the fifth—the more binder the spirulina tablet will contain. Some tablets are made without binders or fillers; check the label for “binder-free.”

Ease of use

Spirulina tablets are easy to transport, due to their small size, it is easy to take them with you, without them taking up much space.  However, spirulina powder lends itself well to use in baked goods or beverages, not only making it easy to consume spirulina throughout the day, but also giving the finished product a nutritional boost. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of spirulina to fresh juice or smoothies, blending or stirring well, to create a nutrient-dense “green” drink. You can also mix spirulina into dry goods for baked goods, or use it in salad dressings to thicken the texture and boost nutrient levels.