Spirulina

[Bastian]

This post is dedicated to putting all of the info on spirulina that the C's provided, together. (...)

Please add anything that I left out. Correct me if I'm mistaken as well, please.

Well, there is something obvious for me (because a friend of mine is a small producer of spirulina, and I visited his production place many times), and which looks not obvious for you : spirulina is not a plant, so it has no root !
Technically, spirulina is a (genus of) cyanobacteria, and even if it's commonly named a "blue-green algae", it's neither an algae, stricto sensu.

So this quote has no meaning :

Symptom: Leg pain that makes one unable to walk without a cane.
Cause: Tissue nodular grains passing through vascular region affected by mild thrombosis.
Cure: Ingesting the roots of spirulina.

QUESTION That makes me wonder if the powder forms of spirulina alvailable in health/organic stores suffice.
Or does it really have to be the roots of the spirulina plant?

By the way, if you buy some spirulina, do not buy it in the powder form. Because, according to my friend (and that seems reasonable to me), transformed in powder it's highly oxydated and loses some properties. Also the spiral shape has disappeared then, and that's a pity.
So instead of powder, buy it in a bigger shape : in French we call it "paillettes", it's maybe "specks" in English, but I'm not sure.
Loot at this picture to have a better idea (NB : I do no recommend specially this seller) :


For instance, I used to buy (maybe 20 years ago) some organic-grown spirulina powder in organic shops in France, of the commercial brand "Flamant vert" : the taste was horrible (due to the oxydation, among other factors).
Then a few years later I discovered my friend's production, and the taste of the dried "specks" (?) was a lot better. And fresh from the pool it was even better, sometimes marvelous !

And also you should look for spirulina dryed below 40 Celsius degrees, to keep its properties. (I know, that's rare, but it exists. Get in touch with producers, ask them how they dry their spirulina, and suggest to them to do it below 40 C. degrees.)

Also, you should request of an analysis for the "heavy metals" (mercury, lead, etc.).
Because spirula, as chlorella, has a tendency to catch these from the water...

 

[Bastian]

Some spelling corrections :

And also you should look for spirulina dryed below 40 Celsius degrees, to keep its properties.

I meant : dried.

Also, you should request of an analysis for the "heavy metals" (mercury, lead, etc.).
Because spirula, as chlorella, has a tendency to catch these from the water...

I meant : request an analysis / spirulina...

 

[Noctu]

Well, there is something obvious for me (because a friend of mine is a small producer of spirulina, and I visited his production place many times), and which looks not obvious for you : spirulina is not a plant, so it has no root !
Technically, spirulina is a (genus of) cyanobacteria, and even if it's commonly named a "blue-green algae", it's neither an algae, stricto sensu.

Well, I was surprised, too, when I read this from the C's:

Try nutragina and roots of water based plants such as spirulina

I thought/knew that spirulina was an algae. Then I checked online if spirulina could also be a plant with roots. It can get really confusing sometimes with all the (dis)info.

What's the name of the company of your friend? It seems you have done the research and that his spirulina is good, so...