{"id":2893,"date":"2019-01-07T09:48:24","date_gmt":"2019-01-07T09:48:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/veryhealthy.life\/?p=2893"},"modified":"2020-07-12T05:37:37","modified_gmt":"2020-07-12T05:37:37","slug":"12-surprising-spirulina-benefits-for-your-overall-health","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/veryhealthy.life\/12-surprising-spirulina-benefits-for-your-overall-health\/","title":{"rendered":"12 Surprising Spirulina Benefits for Your Overall Health"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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If you are not currently adding spirulina to your diet, then you definitely should because it has some pretty amazing benefits for your health. Spirulina is in a category of foods called superfoods. A superfood is one that has a whole lot of nutritional benefit \u2013 more so than the average food. Lots of people are worried about adding spirulina to their diet because it is actually in algae. In fact, it is the same algae that can be found on the surface of ponds. This makes many people ignore the nutritional benefits that they would get from it because it just doesn\u2019t seem edible. But the truth is, the final form of spirulina is perfectly safe and can be added to a recipe that makes it palatable. Most importantly, there are tons of benefits from consuming spirulina. Let\u2019s look at a few of them below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Energy Boost<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When you use spirulina, you get a major energy boost. This is something that is really important in today\u2019s world because everyone feels tired all the time because of their busy schedules. In fact, lots of people use stimulants like caffeine or drink sodas heavily laden with sugar in order to give themselves the energy to get through the day. Of course, there are health negatives that come from too much caffeine and sugar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That means that if you want to stay as healthy as possible, then you should try to find a natural alternative and spirulina definitely fits the bill. Some experts recommend that you combine spirulina with lime juice if you want to enhance the energy boost that you get from it. You can do this with around 12 ounces of organic lime juice and a teaspoon of spirulina powder. You can refrigerate and serve it cold if you like.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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2. Improved Brain Health<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

You also get improved brain health as a benefit of taking spirulina. Taking a spoonful spirulina per day is something that people do to prevent the brain from degenerative diseases like Parkinson\u2019s and Alzheimer\u2019s disease. There is some basis in science, but most of the evidence for this is anecdotal. However, that should not dismiss the potential for being right, because there has not yet been a lot of research done on spirulina. One study that was done compared spirulina to foods that have a lot of antioxidants like spinach and blueberries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These foods have already been proven to lower inflammation and eliminate free radicals which can prevent degenerative brain diseases. In this particular study, spirulina had the same or better effects as the high antioxidant foods. Some experts also think that spirulina can help boost your brainpower and even help you concentrate. There has also been some evidence that spirulina helps with ADHD.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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3. Detoxification of the Body<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you want to detox your body, especially from heavy metals that might be causing problems then you definitely should try spirulina. Arsenic is one of the heavy metals that you definitely want to remove from your body. You might know arsenic is a poison, but what you may not know is how common it really is. If you are a smoker, then you\u2019re putting arsenic in your body all the time because it is contained within cigarettes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the World Health Organization, the United States is one of the countries that are most affected by arsenic poisoning, although the US is outstripped by India and Taiwan where there is arsenic present in the drinking water. Spirulina is a natural remedy for getting rid of that arsenic and other metals that have accumulated in the body. This is an extremely healthy step to take and something that everyone should consider.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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4. Reduced Cancer Risk<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

You have a reduced risk of cancer when you add spirulina to your diet. Testing conducted at the University of Maryland Medical Center showed the spirulina actually increased the production of antibodies as well as infection-fighting proteins and cells that help to protect against cancer. This is also true of other illnesses. What this means is that spirulina may actually have the potential to prevent a number of diseases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But when it comes to cancer, there have been some pretty significant research including another study from the Czech Republic that showed that compounds within spirulina were very similar to a potent antioxidant that was tested on human pancreatic cells which had a significant impact on treatment of cancer. If you have cancer, or you want to protect yourself from ever getting cancer, then you definitely should add spirulina to your diet. Although the research is not yet conclusive, it is extremely encouraging.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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5. Improved Endurance & Stronger Muscles<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you want to improve yourself physically, then spirulina may be exactly what you\u2019re looking for. Spirulina is one of the major factors that fight against muscle fatigue that comes from oxidative damage due to exercise. Consuming plant foods that have the antioxidants and other nutrients that spirulina provide can prevent muscle fatigue and allow you to work out longer. It can also help you to build stronger muscles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In fact, some athletes take spirulina specifically to prevent them from getting major injuries that can take them out of the game or cause them a serious enough problem to where they are not able to play again. Spirulina works against muscle injuries and helps to allow you to work out longer and build stronger muscles including improving overall muscle health. This is been demonstrated both anecdotally and through some scientific research, so you may want to try it yourself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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6. Lowered Blood Sugar<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you are at risk for diabetes, or you currently suffer from this disease, spirulina can help. There have been a few studies that demonstrated spirulina can lower your blood sugar levels. When you have diabetes, and you consume food, your blood sugar level spikes. Normally, insulin is released in order to counteract this spike and get your blood sugar levels to their normal amount. But with diabetes, you do not get the insulin release that lowers your blood sugar properly and that can lead to major problems or even death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But spirulina not only has been proven to lower blood sugar levels, but some studies demonstrate that it actually outperforms diabetes medication. Research is been done on both animals and humans in this regard. One study involved patients that had type II diabetes and they showed a significant improvement in their blood sugar levels when taking spirulina.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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7. Decrease of Cholesterol<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Spirulina results in an overall reduction in cholesterol as well. Cholesterol can be a major problem and lead to heart disease and all kinds of issues. Doctors recommend that you lower your levels of LDL cholesterol; which is considered the bad cholesterol. The condition that can cause heart disease and even heart attacks is known as atherosclerosis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2010, a study published in the Journal of Nutritional Science and Vitaminology showed a significant improvement in subjects that were first fed a high cholesterol diet and then fed spirulina. In this study, levels of LDL cholesterol were reduced as much as 41 percent. This is a dramatic decrease in LDL cholesterol, and anyone who is at risk for heart disease, or even those who are over the age of 55, should consider adding spirulina to their diet to prevent a heart attack from ever happening and reduce their cholesterol.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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8. Lower Blood Pressure<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A great way to lower your blood pressure is to add spirulina to your diet. Lots of people suffer from high blood pressure, due to the plaque buildup in the arteries from the foods that we. That plaque buildup makes it harder for blood to get to the heart and circulate around the body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Obviously, this is one of the most important things that blood does \u2013 getting to the places it needs to go in other words \u2013 and so reducing blood pressure if you are hypertensive is extremely important because it can result in a heart attack if not treated. But spirulina has been shown to have antihypertensive effects due to the pigment phycocyanin that is present in spirulina. The way that it works is it reverses the endothelial dysfunction and those that have metabolic syndrome which is one of the most common causes of our modern list of preventable diseases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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9. Reduced Risk of Stroke<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Reducing your risk for stroke is extremely important, and one of the ways that you can do that is with spirulina. Spirulina has been shown to reduce the risk of stroke with the same evidence from some of the studies that we have already mentioned. A study by the Department of Food and Nutrition at Chungnam National University in South Korea showed that supplementing a diet with spirulina reduced the intimal aorta surface by up to 40 percent \u2013 suggesting that it can both prevent atherosclerosis and subsequent stroke.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The subjects were consuming a high cholesterol diet at the time, which shows that not only can spirulina help to prevent stroke and arterial plaque from happening altogether, but on a regular basis it can actually reverse the damage that has already been done. This is a really exciting finding and one of the major reasons that you should add spirulina to your diet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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10. Protection against Liver Disease<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you want to avoid liver disease, then you should definitely consider spirulina. This superfood has been shown in studies to protect you from liver disease. The liver is responsible for or making sure that all of the toxins that you take in exits your body. When your liver does not work properly, then those toxins can cause serious harm. One of the reasons that people experience the symptoms is due to liver disease which makes the liver less able to fight and remove toxins from the blood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition, the liver produces proteins that the body needs. There have been studies that show a reduction in liver disease or the risk for liver disease simply by adding spirulina to the diet. Spirulina functions as an antioxidant and eliminates free radicals, preventing liver damage and ensuring that harmful metals are removed completely. This is a very good reason to start using spirulina.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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11. Weight Loss<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you want to lose weight, then you should definitely try spirulina. This superfood supports healthy weight loss. That\u2019s because spirulina is rich in proteins as well as other nutrients. Foods like spirulina can actually promote weight loss and reduce fat stores. Some of the ways in which this works is through the high fiber content, keeping you full longer and making you want to eat less, as well as requiring more energy for metabolic processes. \r\n

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