Organic Spirulina

What is spirulina?

Spirulina (Spirulina platensis (Gomont) Geitler) is a blue-green microalgae belonging to the cyanobacterium family. It is found mainly in the warm waters of India, Chile and Mexico.

Used for centuries by the Aztecs, it gets its distinctive colour from its phycocyanin content (the only natural blue pigment that can be used as a food colouring) and its chlorophyll content.

Widely known and consumed because of its nutritional benefits, spirulina offers outstanding protein content and is also rich in micronutrients, especially iron.

What is spirulina used for?

Spirulina can be used both in cooking, by adding it to your regular recipes to add extra nutrients to your diet, or as a dietary supplement.

Spirulina is beneficial when experiencing fatigue¹, helping to maintain the body's vitality and helping you feel more energetic¹. Read on to discover all the benefits of this algae and learn why it is such a valued dietary supplement.

Why buy Anastore's Organic Spirulina tablets?

Certified quality

High protein content

Vitamins and minerals

Minimal processing

phycocyanin content of 8%

Certified quality

Anastore's organic spirulina tablets contain 100% spirulina: no additives, just the powdered algae. In addition, to make these tablets, we select the highest quality raw material, meeting the industry's strictest regulatory requirements.

This is backed by their quality certificates:

• Organic
• Vegan
• Free from pesticides
• No GMO (Genetically Modified Organisms)
• Not irradiated
• Free from heavy metals

A nutritional composition that offers many benefits, and a high protein content

Anastore's spirulina contains high levels of plant-based protein², with a guarantee of 66% protein, making it ideal for vegans and vegetarians and for people who need extra protein intake in their diet, such as the elderly or athletes.

View the nutrition table:

High vitamin and mineral content, especially iron

The excellent vitamins and mineral composition of Anastore's organic spirulina tablets means that they enrich your diet in a natural way: supplements with simple formulas that avoid the use of excipients.

Spirulina offers outstanding iron content, with each 4-gram dose providing 16% of the recommended daily values, offering you a natural source of iron². Minerals such as chromium and manganese are also found in Anastore's organic spirulina.

The different vitamins it contains include vitamin A, vitamin K, riboflavin or B2, vitamin B6 or folic acid (there is also a lot of talk about vitamin B12 in spirulina, but later we will explain why it is not the best choice as a source of this vitamin, and what alternatives you can buy).

View the micronutrients table:

Minimal processing

Anastore's organic spirulina tablets are natural in origin and are processed extremely carefully to make sure none of spirulina's properties are lost. Processing takes place in three steps:

1. 1 Cultivation
2. 2 Harvesting
3. 3 Pressing

1. Spirulina is grown in closed cultivation systems in a controlled environment, where light, temperature and pH are controlled.
2. Once the spirulina reaches the appropriate density, it is harvested using meshes. It then undergoes a drying process and is ground to a fine powder.
3. Spirulina powder is compressed into tablets using presses. No excipients or additives are added during this process, making sure the tablets contain 100% pure spirulina.

Guaranteed phycocyanin content: the blue pigment

Spirulina's green colour may suggest that the algae contain high amounts of chlorophyll, but its colour actually comes from phycocyanin, a pigment from the phycobiliprotein family. This is the pigment mainly responsible for spirulina's colour when extracted and purified, when it acquires a very distinctive and striking blue colour.

When buying quality spirulina, you always need to check for the content of this pigment. That's why Anastore's organic spirulina tablets guarantee a minimum phycocyanin content of 8%, providing 320 mg of this pigment per daily dose.

What are the benefits of Anastore's Organic Spirulina tablets?

The many benefits of spirulina are so well-known that they have become part of popular wisdom. Its energy-boosting power¹ and high protein content² mean the algae is included in the diet of most people concerned about their diet, and people looking for healthier, more complete and balanced options.

It has so many wide-ranging uses and applications – the list is endless! But here is a brief summary of the main situations where including spirulina in your diet is recommended:

When following a vegan or vegetarian diet

One of the main concerns in vegetarian and/or vegan diets is getting an adequate protein intake. That's why it's important to include foods in your diet that offer a high percentage of plant-based protein. Spirulina is a great choice for supplementing your diet in these scenarios.

When you want to increase or preserve muscle mass²

Adequate protein intake, together with physical exercise, helps to preserve and even increase muscle mass². This depends on the amount of protein ingested, so the right level of intake for you will depend on your individual goals. To preserve muscle mass, between 0.8-1.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day is recommended, but if you want to increase muscle mass, this value should be between 1.2-1.6 grams.

When feeling fatigued¹

Spirulina is very beneficial for fatigue¹. Its composition, which includes multiple vitamins and minerals, means that the algae helps to preserve the body's vitality and helps you feel more energetic¹.

When you want to follow a diet high in protein

Sometimes, a diet with protein levels higher than the recommended requirements needs to be followed. For example, you may want to avoid catabolism (muscle loss), or you may be suffering with ulcers, injuries or burn wounds.

When taking natural iron is required

Iron is an essential mineral for humans and it contributes to the normal functioning of the immune system, energy metabolism, the formation of red blood cells and haemoglobin, as well as transporting oxygen around the body². Spirulina is considered a plant-based source of iron, so it is an ideal supplement if you want to supplement your diet with an extra boost of this micronutrient.

When on a slimming diet

Spirulina can be beneficial for hypocaloric (low calorie) diets that do not contain enough of the essential vitamins and minerals needed to maintain good health. Thanks to its nutrient-rich composition, this green algae can supplement your diet and reduce the risk of not getting optimal levels of vitamins and minerals to ensure good health.

Is spirulina a source of vitamin B12?

Although spirulina contains vitamin B12, it is an analogue of this vitamin. In other words, it is a chemically similar substance that the body cannot use. In addition, these analogues can trigger false results in tests and hinder absorption of the active form of the vitamin. If vitamin B12 supplements are needed, spirulina is therefore not the best option.

Anastore recommends that, to supplement your diet with vitamin B12, you opt for cyanocobalamin obtained through natural fermentation and 100% suitable for vegans. This offers the best assimilation of this vitamin. You can find it in our Vitamin B12 product, in convenient capsules without excipients – its dose is designed to maximise intestinal absorption.

How to take Anastore's organic spirulina tablets

The recommended dose is 4 grams of spirulina per day. To do this, take 8 tablets of half a gram each. You can take the 8 tablets over the course of the day, but always after meals.

Do you prefer other spirulina formats?

At Anastore you can find organic spirulina in different formats – in capsules, powder or even mixed with Chlorella – depending on your needs and your goals. For example, you can mix it with smoothies or in salads if you choose its powder form.

What dose of spirulina is recommended?

At Anastore, after conducting a literature review to determine which dose would generally be the safest and most optimal for the adult population, we decided that our products, unlike most others on the market, should offer a 4-gram dose of spirulina per day. This dose ensures an optimal dose of spirulina in the diet, based on its benefits.

Can Spirulina be combined with other food supplements?

Of course. Spirulina is the ideal supplement to be combined with many different products, depending on your objectives:

If you eat a vegetarian or plant-based diet

You can combine spirulina with our Iron with vitamin C. These capsules contain microencapsulated iron, which helps it to reach the blood easily without the drawbacks of conventional iron supplements. Its vitamin C improves the absorption of iron² at intestinal level. It is also of natural origin, coming from the acerola fruit.

If you feel tired or want an energy boost

Anastore offers our Organic Red Ginseng capsules with standardised ginseng extract, guaranteeing the presence of ginsenosides, its most valued compounds. Another option would be our Incaforce product, a star combination of ingredients from the Incas: cocoa, acerola, maca and guarana.

Bibliography

1. Extracted from the EFSA health claims application list, under evaluation (ID2737).
2. COMMISSION REGULATION (EU) No 1924/2006 of 20 December 2006 on nutrition and health claims made on foods.
3. COMMISSION REGULATION (EU) No 432/2012 of 16 May 2012 establishing a list of permitted health claims made on foods, other than those referring to the reduction of disease risk and to children's development and health.

DIRECTIONS:

8 tablets per day divided into two doses with half a glass of water, after mealtimes.

WARNINGS:

Not recommended for pregnant or lactating women. Do not exceed the recommended daily dose.

ADVICES:

Does not replace a varied and balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle. If you are undergoing medical treatment, seek your therapist's advice. For adult use only. Keep out of reach of young children.

STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS:

Store in a cool dry place away from sunlight.