Spirulina The Future Food For Nutritional Security

Producing enough food for the whole population of the world would be a great task to handle in the coming years. And the pavement through it would be in non-conventional ways, as that of alternative energy sources. In recent years microalgal biomass has received great importance to be an alternative food source. And Spirulina has proven to be the best nutritional supplement even for astronauts.

Spirulina (scientifically known as Arthrospira platensis) is a spiral filamentous microalgal/cyanobacterial species. Its biomass has been utilized as food for many years due to its high protein content. Traditionally known by some African communities as a food source. But, now exploited as the food of the future. It contains vitamins (B, E, and C), proteins, fatty acids, lots of minerals, and some fiber. Furthermore, antioxidants like phycocyanin comprise a major part of its 50-60% protein content. This nutritionally rich nature makes it a complete food. It could provide all the essential nutrients if consumed on a regular basis.

A boon for a healthy life

Changing world climate has an adverse effect on annual food crops and their yield. Hence, having potent alternative food source for the growing society is imperative for food security. Apart from this changing lifestyle, increasing pollution and less nutritive food has reduced our resistance power against diseases. So, the issue of nutritional security is also an important threat to mankind in near future. In such a situation, spirulina can offer an enormous health benefit.

Curative Properties of Spirulina

• Rich chlorophyll and ion, make it an effective blood-cleansing agent and promotes Hb production.
• Polysaccharides and pigments boost immunity by increasing the production of WBCs to the desired level.
• Anti-diabetic and anti-cholesterol components help to fight against diabetes and reduce elevated cholesterol levels.
• Fibers and minerals help to improve intestinal health by promoting the formation of healthy gut microflora.
• High protein content helps to reduce fat accumulation and increases muscle strength.
• Gamma linolenic acid (GLA) improves brain function, skeletal health, and reproductive health. It also stimulates skin and hair growth by improving overall metabolism.
• Vitamins regulate multiple growth factors in the body and improve physical and mental health.

Production and Socio-economic Impacts

Natural water bodies blooming with spirulina were conventionally the major sources of spirulina biomass. Many biotechnological inventions were made in the last decade to improve production. Laboratory, as well as industrial scale trails, attempted to produce high quality and quantity of biomass. Basic spirulina cultivation systems are raceway ponds that are quite economic to construct as well as to operate. They utilize inorganic chemicals and agricultural fertilizers as a nutrient source for spirulina cultivation.

Various establishments worldwide from smaller to large scale are producing spirulina biomass, but market demand is exponentially increasing every year. In the year 2019, the spirulina global market was $393.6 million. This would reach $897.61 million by 2027, with a CAGR of 10.5% from 2020 to 2027. Widely proven applications of spirulina are in nutraceuticals, food and beverages, cosmetics, and animal feed. It has been implicated with many positive impacts on social as well as economic aspects. Its demand is growing year by year as awareness and importance are spreading.

Due to tremendous potential, spirulina biomass has been recognized as the food of the future by (WHO) and many others. We at Everflow Global believe that spirulina is nature’s marvelous gift to mankind. And therefore, the production of the best quality product is our responsibility. Are you looking to revolutionize your health? Then turn your regular diet with additional benefits of pure and organic spirulina source. Reach out to our experts and let us assist you to understand how spirulina will benefit you.