Arthrospira platensis | Spirulina
LATIN NAME: Arthrospira platensis
COMMON NAME: Spirulina
Species Profile
Spirulina is not a plant but a cyanobacterium, a blue-green microorganism now classified as Arthrospira platensis, that grows naturally in warm, highly alkaline lakes in Africa, Mexico and Asia. Under the microscope it appears as tiny spiral filaments, which gave it its common name.
It has a remarkable food history: the Aztecs harvested it from Lake Texcoco, and communities around Lake Chad have dried it into cakes for centuries, making it one of the oldest cultivated superfoods on Earth.
Science & Biotechnology
Spirulina is famous for its protein content, around 60 to 70 percent by dry weight, along with the blue antioxidant pigment phycocyanin, iron, and a full spectrum of vitamins. One honest caveat: its vitamin B12 is largely in an analogue form that humans cannot use well, so it should not be relied on as a B12 source.
Because it grows in open alkaline water where few contaminants can survive, spirulina can be farmed at scale in raceway ponds with excellent purity control, and modern producers test every batch for heavy metals and microcystins.
Uses & Benefits
Most people take spirulina as a powder blended into smoothies and juices, or as pressed tablets. Its flavor is distinctive, green and slightly marine, and it pairs well with banana, pineapple and citrus.
It serves best as a concentrated whole-food supplement: an easy way to add protein, iron and pigments to a daily routine, rather than a treatment for anything specific.
Cultivation
Spirulina is grown in shallow, paddle-stirred raceway ponds filled with alkaline, mineral-rich water under full sun. The culture grows quickly in warm conditions and is harvested by fine filtration, rinsed and dried at low temperature to protect the heat-sensitive pigments.
Quality spirulina is deep blue-green with a fresh, mild smell; dull, greyish or strong-smelling powder has been poorly dried or stored too long.
Our Take
Spirulina earns its superfood label more honestly than most: the protein and pigment numbers are real, the safety record is good, and the price per gram of protein is fair. A daily spoonful in a smoothie is the easy way in.
Related Reading
If Spirulina interests you, these related superfoods are worth a look: