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 defenses 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 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 plenty 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 the form of powder, tablets or soft drinks. Store opened bottles or sachets 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, which makes it a real find for any type of diet, especially plant-based.

Spirulina is most often sold in the form of pressed tablets or powder. While you can take the spirulina tablets without food or water, it is recommended to mix the 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 for integrating spirulina into your daily diet while masking its taste! But first, let's talk about the benefits of this dietary supplement.

How to consume spirulina powder?

There are different ways to include spirulina in your recipes, and it's all about fantasy! You can mix spirulina not only in your drinks, but also add it to different dishes you cook! The options are endless: you can add spirulina powder when making pesto sauce, make superfood bites or "energy balls" with spirulina, nuts and figs, or add spirulina to hummus to create a quick and healthy snack. You can also replace spirulina with seaweed and ground spinach in your food. It is also possible to use small quantities of spirulina powder instead of green food coloring which may be present in your recipes.

Currently, no studies have definitively determined the exact recommended dose of spirulina. However, the general recommendation is to take no more than 2 tablespoons (14 g) per day, as even a small amount of this blue-green algae is loaded with nutrients, since 60-70% 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?

The high nutritional value of spirulina makes it a true superfood. First of all, dried blue-green algae contains approximately 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 represent 7% of the weight of spirulina.

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

• Spirulina helps support energy metabolism: Thus, spirulina is strongly recommended as a complement to a healthy diet for sports performance, weight loss or to reduce fatigue.
• It prevents and helps fight anemia, which prevents people with iron deficiency from having to take iron supplements. It also improves the immune system.
• Some studies suggest that spirulina can 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, makes 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 mix with spirulina are pineapple, banana, orange and mango, but you can also opt for any other sweet, 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.

Juice

Another tasty tip is to sprinkle a little spirulina powder into your juice to give it a nutritional boost. As with smoothies, you need to mix the juice with 1 teaspoon (5 g) of spirulina powder and shake everything to dissolve the powder. The drink will then take on a dark green color, but the fruity flavors will remain present. Mango juice, pineapple juice, and orange juice are perfect options for mixing spirulina powder. But don't add the powder to your juicer, as it won't be effective in mixing the spirulina into your drink. Instead, pour the juice into a bottle and shake it to mix it with the spirulina.

Matcha

Putting spirulina in your matcha is also a possible option! Matcha is a delicious drink known for its antioxidant effects and vibrant green color. By combining it with spirulina, it becomes a super drink! Sprinkle about 1/2 teaspoon of spirulina into a small portion of matcha or a full teaspoon (5g) into a large serving. The hot liquid will quickly dissolve the powder, and the flavors will blend well together.

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 them 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 the offsetting flavor of spirulina and instead bring out some of its fresh notes that work really well with it. the tangy notes of lemon. Just add about 1 teaspoon (5g) of spirulina into the drink and enjoy its health benefits.

How to increase the shelf life of a spirulina-based 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 has 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 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 the tablets are harder and more compact, they may pass undigested or only partially digested. This means you run the risk of not getting the full nutritional value of spirulina. While spirulina powder has the benefit of easier absorption, if you combine it with foods that your body has difficulty processing, you also risk losing the nutritional content of spirulina. For example, if you have a mild lactose intolerance and 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 volume, tablets often contain fillers or binding agents such as silica dioxide. The binding agents are not easily digested by your body, which can make it more difficult for the tablet to break down and fully absorb the nutritional contents of spirulina. Since the ingredients are listed in order of weight in the final product, the higher the binder is in the list of ingredients - 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 words “without binder” on the label.

Ease of use

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