Globally, high Cholesterol causes an estimated 2.6 million deaths and 29.7 disability-adjusted life years per year.

New Zealanders have some of the highest cholesterol levels in the modern world, with high cholesterol contributing to 17% of all deaths across the country.

90% of adult New Zealanders would lead healthier lives if they lowered their cholesterol levels.

Research suggests that Spirulina powder and Spirulina supplements have been proven to lower cholesterol naturally.

It’s a healthy alternative to pharmaceutical medications such as statins, with their unwanted side-effects impacting millions of lives every day.

What is it?

Spirulina is a naturally occurring blue-green microalgae that are known to be one of the oldest life forms on the planet.

It’s said that it also helped to produce the oxygen in our atmosphere that helped the very first life forms to develop on Earth.

Spirulina is a superfood and is one of the most nutrient-rich foods available to today’s society.

Other Superfoods include:

Nutritionally, Spirulina is composed of up to 70% protein; this is more than meats such as chicken and beef and legumes like soybeans.

The superfood also holds nine essential and ten non-essential amino acids, vitamin B12, iron, calcium, nucleic acids, chlorophyll and phycocyanin, a complex type of protein exclusive to blue-green algae.

Spirulina is often sold in the form of a powdered supplement throughout health stores around the world.

What is Spirulina Powder Used For?

Spirulina powder has a multitude of beneficial uses due to its nutritional profile, amino acid content and the way that it helps the body to clear out dangerous free radicals from our systems.

It’s a powerful antioxidant and has anti-inflammatory properties.

But that’s not all, doses of 4.5 grams a day and above have been proven to reduce the blood pressure in individuals with normal levels.

Further research and studies have shown that doses of 2 grams of Spirulina powder per day have helped to reduce symptoms associated with Allergic Rhinitis.

The superfood can also help to increase haemoglobin levels in our bloodstreams, making it effective against conditions such as anaemia.

For people with diabetes, two grams a day can help to reduce blood sugar levels, and there’s also research to suggest that Spirulina may also improve muscle strength and endurance. It’s called a superfood for a reason.

Why is Spirulina Good for You?

Cholesterol Regulation:

On top of all the health benefits and qualities listed above, Spirulina helps to protect us from heart disease, the leading cause of death across the world.

Many different factors can cause and lead to an increased risk of heart disease; Spirulina can have a positive on several of these factors.

This is because the supplement helps to lower the total amount of bad cholesterol (LDL) throughout the body while raising the amount of good cholesterol (HDL) that we carry.

Effective doses in aiding this regulation of cholesterol start at just 2 grams per day .

Protection from LDL Oxidization:

The fatty structures throughout the human body become damaged by oxidation.

This process, called ‘Lipid Peroxidation’ contributes to several serious diseases. The oxidation of bad cholesterol is one of the main steps in the development of heart disease.

Antioxidants contained in Spirulina Powder have been proven to reduce the amounts of Lipid Peroxidation in both humans and animals. Dosage of 8 grams a day significantly helps to reduce levels of oxidative damage by increasing the number of antioxidant enzymes in the blood.

Other factors that contribute to heart disease include high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity.

Does Spirulina Make You Gain Weight?

Quite the opposite!

Spirulina helps to reduce appetite while elevating energy levels.

This means, it’s more likely to help people to lose weight than pile on the pounds.

Because Spirulina is so naturally high in nutrients and minerals, it can help the body to maintain energy levels for exercise without the need to consume excess calories.

Due to its high protein content, adding this supplement to a post-workout smoothie can help to increase muscle mass while speeding up the metabolism and encouraging the fat burning process.

In a sense, Spirulina can help athletes to gain ‘good weight’ if they are looking to increase muscle mass while helping those trying to lose or maintain weight by giving them an additional boost to their energy levels.

Spirulina stimulates fat burning cells while also curbing your appetite, which is an ideal scenario for many gym goers looking to enhance their performance and meet their personal physique goals.

Is Spirulina Good for the Skin?

Spirulina is excellent for the skin both topically and nutritionally. This is for three reasons:

1. Spirulina’s Anti-Aging Benefits:

Spirulina contains selenium, tyrosine, and Vitamin E, all known for their potent anti-aging qualities.

Tyrosine contains antioxidants that destroy free radicals and slow down the speed at which skin cells age.

The Chlorophyll present in Spirulina helps the skin to retain moisture, cleanse the skin and helps to reduce the appearance of wrinkles.

2. Toning Qualities:

Those suffering from tired and dull skin tone can take Spirulina orally or apply it to their faces topically.

The calcium, iron, vitamins, and phosphorous work to purify the system and restore vitality to the skin, helping to return a healthy glow to peoples appearance.

3. Detoxifies Your Skin:

Spirulina helps to promote cell regeneration, allowing the skin to heal faster, and increasing the metabolism of the skins’ surface.

This means that dead and dry skin renews faster, so dull appearances clear up in record time with daily doses of this wonder supplement.

Additional Benefits of Spirulina:

Spirulina has been proven to improve gut health in individuals by preserving healthy gut bacteria during the aging process in mice.

It can help manage diabetes whilst reducing the symptoms of several allergies.

Because it’s a natural source of Tryptophan, some experts suggest that Spirulina may also improve mental health and could eventually be used to treat depression and anxiety.

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So, Before you Visit Your Doctor…

You now have an expert insight into what Spirulina is, what it is used for, and how it can help to lower cholesterol.

Now that we’ve outlined the many benefits of Spirulina, those suffering from high cholesterol should consider ordering this superfood and start to lower their cholesterol naturally.

The optimal dosage for the best results in reducing your cholesterol start between 1g and 4.5g’s a day.

Regularly getting cholesterol levels checked will allow individuals to measure the positive effects that Spirulina has had on lowering their cholesterol and adjust their dosage to suit their needs.

Those who start taking Spirulina to prevent heart disease can feel safe in the knowledge that they are reaping all of the benefits from all the positive effects that Spirulina offers.

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