Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness

From
http://nutritionfacts.org/videos/blue-g ... spirulina/

The risks associated with these supplements may outweigh the benefits.

Wow, that is scarry! I have heard that spirulina and chollera have the potential to be contaminated with neurotoxic blue green algae and Vega and a couple other products that have it in assured me that theirs are grown in special ponds that are free of contamination from other algaes which grow due to excess nutrients from runoff. But it sounds like this video says that the spirulina and chollera themselves have the neurotoxins in them which I had never heard before. And the whole rhabdomyolysis thing I have never heard of before. I wish the answer as to whether these products are safe was more clear because they are such a concentrated source of chlorophyl and other nutrients but they are in so many natural food produts if they are unsafe.

yeah, I have heard cholera can be pretty bad Lisa, I would definitely stay away from that.

this youtube video doesn't seem very legit.

people have been consuming this stuff for hundreds/thousands of years.

X 2.

Spirulina has one of the richest concentration of nutrients of any plant, herb or grain. It's also a complete protein, containing all essential amino acids and the protein in spirulina is superior to all standard plant proteins. Blue green algae was one of the first organisms on the planet and it's fatty acid content closely mirrors the human brain. Some other points I think are worthy of mentioning...

** Spirulina contains high levels of carotenes (including beta carotene) and xanthophylls (including zeaxanthin and cryptoxanthin). Carotenoids play an important role in humans by acting as biological antioxidants, protecting cells and tissues from the effects of free radicals
** Contains a plant protein called phycocyanin. This powerful blue protein pigmentfound only in spirulina forms soluble complexes with iron and other minerals to increase their bioavailability in the body. Phycocyanin is about 15% of the entire weight of spirulina and is thought to have developed around a billion years before chlorophyll. Phycocyanin has antioxidant activity and is a valuable immune supporting pigment
** It's an excellent source of iron and the reason why the iron in spirulina is so bioavailable is because the iron forms soluble complexes with Phycocyanin. This iron-phycocyanin complex allows easier absorption by the body. Iron and Vitamin B12 levels are dependant on one another, so if the diet is good then they this isn't something that you need to be overly concerned about
** Rich in gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), an important Omega 6 fatty acid commonly found in flaxseed and Evening Primrose oil

Also has use for athletes due to spirulina's relationship with glycogen; the body’s principal source of both immediate and long term energy is glycogen which is stored in the muscles and liver and not ordinarily available directly through our diet. Glycogen forms an energy reserve that can be quickly mobilized to meet a sudden need for glucose (a fasted athlete training in the morning has enough glycogen supplies to fuel a 3hr workout). Spirulina is the only plant source of glycogen available (that I am aware of), and basically the more glycogen that's available during intense/sustained exercise then you should be optimising muscular functioning. You can use spirulina before training to concentrate the nutrients in the blood, making them available to the muscles when and where they are needed most. The daily RDI of iron for men is not much at all, varies from country to country but it usually falls somewhere between 3-10g.

I do agree that there are inferior spirulina products out there, but as consumers that's up to us to do the research and buy a product that is of high quality and standards. Buy organic, find one that has certification with the US Pharmacopeia and start off slowly with it rather than jumping in at the dosages they recommend on the bottle; personally I'd be starting with half of that amount for at least the first 7-10 days, it's a new food for your body and you should allow for time to adjust to it.

Where did you read that?

As well as Chia and quinoa being a staple in their diets (still is today), the Aztecs were using spirulina back in the 1400 and 1500's.

People of Africa and India have also been using it for hundreds of years; I don't know about 'thousands of years', but hundreds of years is definately correct.

Here you go:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spirulina_%28dietary_supplement%29#Historical_use

I've been to numerous health seminars that have backed that up as well, so I don't really have any reason to question it.

I doubt that Native Americans were eating the processed powder supplements for centuries and that is the overpriced-for-the-amount-of-nutrition-you-get spirulina that has made people sick.

I'm not sure I follow you, apart from the fact you don't rate spirulina (which is fine); there are plenty of supplements I think are pretty useless.

If what you're saying is true then you obviously have some junk products out there put out by low quality companies. What I use is just a 100% pure, unprocessed spirulina and I'm sure what they ate was the same thing.

I take kyo green from time to time and I think vega has spirulina in it. I don't seem to have any problems with those particular supplements. One time however I bought spirulina from the vitamin shoppe. It smelled like fish food and tasted terrible. I choked it down for 2 days and I got sick as a dog. I had horrible stomach cramps, diarrhea, and vomitting. I will never take straight spirulina again. I also read somewhere that its not regulated very well. They can pretty much scrape it off any pond and sell it as pure. I've heard some of the places it comes from the water is very polluted. I dot know if any of that is true but I do my body's reaction to it.

I take the synergy brand in supergreens and looking at their website is pretty reassuring about safety, and says acidity, upset stomach and diarrhea are a possible side effects of taking too much. I have been taking it, not consistently, for 2 years, not knowing what it was.