Most of the food we eat actually comes directly or indirectly from microorganisms. After all, the nitrogen needed for the tree to grow the Apple also gives microorganisms to the soil; they are the ones that provide food to the animal from which the meat comes. But the food we're talking about today is a colony of microorganisms in its own right and in its own right! So a pure single-celled creature: Spirulina!
There are some findings that spirulina was used during the ancient Aztecs under the name "tecuitlatl".] Even in 16 grams of baking soda per liter, 2 grams of potassium nitrate, 1 gram of sea salt, 0.1 grams of potassium nitrate and 0.0378 grams of iron sulfate, you can also grow it yourself at about 8.5 pH and 30 degrees Celsius. But the fact that these bacteria are becoming popular again as a food item has a big impact on NASA's suggestion that spirulina can be grown in space for astronauts ' consumption.
A cyanobacteria, namely "spirulina", a blue-Yesil alga, grows in fresh and salty waters and is collected from here. We gave it" Spirulina " because these cyanobacteria, formerly considered the genus Spirulina, are today classified under the genus Arthrospira, with the species names Arthrospira maxima and Arthrospira platensis.But their old names still remain popular.
Because many cyanbacteria contain chlorophyll, like plants, they are able to photosynthesize and produce their own food with the help of light. Spirulina also provides ease of use, as it can be produced in a very small area, with very little water, and is usually consumed in the form of powder or nutritional supplements.
Nutritional Value And Health Effects Of Spirulina
Since Spirulina is a highly popular plant-based dietary supplement, many studies have been conducted on its possible health effects. Dry spirulina contains 5% water, 24% carbohydrates, 8% fat, and up to 60% protein. According to the values shared in the USDA's (United States Department of Agriculture) Food Database, one tablespoon (7 grams) of spirulina has the following nutritional values:
- 20 calories
- 4.02 g protein
- 1.67 g carbohydrates
- 0.54 g oil
- 8 mg calcium
- 2 mg iron
- 14 mg magnesium
- 8 mg phosphorus
- 95 mg potassium
- 73 mg sodium
- 0.7 mg vitamin C
Should Spirulina pills be used?
Although spirulina is marketed by some as a source of vitamin B12, spirulina does not contain vitamin B12, and therefore these cyanobacteria (and the pills produced from them) should not be used as a source of vitamin B12. In these creatures, there is not vitamin B12, but Coa-[α-(7-adenyl)]-coß-cyanocobamide, known as "false vitamin B12". This vitamin is biologically inactive in humans, meaning it cannot be used - which the American Dietetic Association, which reported on vegetarian diets in 2009, emphasized that spirulina should not be used as a B12 source. Similarly, the academic literature does not consider spirulina to be a source of vitamin B12.
It has been shown by cllinic studies that spirulina with the beneficial compounds it contains lowers "bad" (LDL) cholesterol and therefore reduces the risk of heart disease, has a cancer-preventing property because it has a high antioxidant content and lowers blood pressure. But the US National Institutes of Health emphasizes that there is not enough academic research to suggest spiluna as a supplement to any health condition in humans, meaning that more research is needed to tell whether spirulina really has a benefit for humans. In short, spirulina good for you.
Even spirulina tablets, which are not produced under proper conditions, can be transmitted a toxin called microcystin produced by cyanobacteria, and can cause symptoms such as diarrhea, gas, headache, novelization, facial flushing and sweating in those who consume these pills. Long-term use can lead to liver damage. In this way, contaminated pills can cause death in children and pregnant women. Similarly, people with phenylketonuria should stay away from these pills, which may contain high phenylalanine.
In contrast, studies show that spirulina can be given to fattening animals as a food source: up to 10% of small animal feed such as chickens and up to 4% of bird food such as quail can be spirulina.] Can also be mixed with spirulina 10% in pig and rabbit feeds.