A blue-green micro-alga dating back 3.5 billion years...

Spirulina is a cyanobacteria or blue-green micro-alga that appeared 3.5 billion years ago on Earth. It is particularly recognizable by its spiral shape measuring 0.2 to 0.5 mm long.

This unicellular organism capable of photosynthesis is at the origin of all terrestrial plants as well as the appearance of aerobic living beings (which use oxygen to live).

Its appearance has allowed, through this process of photosynthesis, to transform the unbreathable atmosphere into a viable environment for organisms using oxygen.

Currently, it is considered that 90% of the earth's oxygen (about 330 billion tons) comes from algae.

Present on all continents except Antarctica, blue-green micro-algae are represented by 1,500 species, 36 of which are edible. Traces of Spirulina can be found in its natural state when certain conditions are met (warm, alkaline waters very rich in mineral salts) and located between 35° North and 35° South. Spirulina is even present in the Sinai desert, where only a few drops of water can be enough to "wake it up". When drying, spirulina turns into green particles that keep very well.

Spirulina around the world...

In Mexico, the Aztecs already consumed spirulina during the reign of the emperor Montezuma (1467 -1520). Fond of fish, this last one sent athletic runners to cover the 300km which separate the Gulf of Mexico from Mexico City in order to be able to consume fresh fish. These runners took turns and were able to cover great distances thanks to their natural EPO... dried spirulina! Harvested thanks to extremely fine mesh nets in the form of a blue-green sludge, it was dried into patties, consumed with cereals and seasoned with chilmolli (a sauce made of tomato, chilli and spices).

Spirulina from Mexico has unfortunately disappeared. Indeed, the conquistadors dried up the lakes providing Spirulina in order to create agricultural land to cultivate corn, tomatoes etc. or to transform them into pastures. This is how Spirulina was forgotten. In 1960, a French engineer took over a soda factory in Mexico City and struggled with a blue sludge that engulfed the machines. He then burned this substance with the garbage until he identified it as spirulina.

On the shores of Lake Chad, spirulina forms a thick green carpet harvested by the Kanembous tribe. Traditionally, the women harvest the spirulina with woven baskets and drain this mud on the sand of the dunes, in full sun. This dihe is consumed daily in a sauce and becomes a real food which composes the essential of the ration during the periods of famine. It is thanks to spirulina that these tribes as well as the children seem to be safe from malnutrition.

... and the universe

Spirulina should be part of the basic equipment of astronauts on their journey to Mars. Thanks to its high concentration of macro-nutrients (including proteins), vitamins and minerals, it can ensure an adequate diet. Easily cultivated and allowing the recycling of waste water and the production of oxygen by consuming CO2, Spirulina is ideal for this type of mission where the yield and the size are optimized.

Spirulina is a thousand-year-old food consumed throughout the world, and probably soon beyond. Long before the discovery of its components and mechanisms of action, this micro-algae was already consumed for therapeutic and performance purposes.