The best spirulina supplements of 2021 contain a high concentration of active ingredients and have been proven effective. These include both liquid and powder forms. They also need to be safe for consumption by humans. This article will help you find out which is the best spirulina supplement on the market today.
Methodology
We used several different criteria to rank these products based on their effectiveness and safety. The first criterion was scientific evidence from clinical trials or other studies conducted over the past few years. Secondly, we looked at how many reviews each product has received online. Thirdly we considered customer feedback about the quality of the product itself. Finally, we took into account our own personal experience with the product.
What is Spirulina?
Spirulina is an alga that grows in freshwater lakes and oceans all around the world. The best-known source for this nutrient-dense superfood is Lake Okeechobee in Florida, which has grown commercially since the 1980s. Athletes have long used spirulina as part of their diet because they know its benefits to overall performance and recovery.
The benefits of spirulina are numerous:
1) Antioxidants
This includes vitamins A, C & E, along with beta carotene. All three of these antioxidants work together synergistically to protect against free radical damage. Free radicals cause inflammation throughout the body and contribute to aging. By consuming spirulina regularly, you’ll reduce oxidative stress and improve cellular function.
2) Immune Support
Spirulina contains lutein, zeaxanthin, and astaxanthin. Lutein and zeaxanthin are two types of antioxidant pigments found naturally in plants like spinach and kale. Astaxanthin is another type of pigment that occurs only in certain microalgae species, such as Haematococcus Pluvialis. Both of these compounds protect against viruses, bacteria, and fungi. In addition, spirulina helps boost immunity by increasing white blood cell count and improving macrophage activity. Macrophages are cells that engulf foreign particles and pathogens.
3) Digestion Support
Spirulina supports healthy digestive tract functioning by providing fiber, protein, and minerals. Fiber aids in regularity, while proteins aid in building muscle mass. Minerals promote the proper absorption of nutrients and assist in maintaining bone density. 4) Energy Boosting – Spirulina provides energy through its high concentration of B12 vitamins. Vitamin B12 also plays a role in DNA synthesis and repair.
4) Weight Loss Aid
Spirulina is known to increase metabolism and burn fat faster. Studies show that people who consume spirulina lose weight without changing any dietary habits.
5) Anti Aging Properties
Spirulina may slow down the process of skin wrinkling and age spots and signs of premature aging due to its antioxidant properties.
6) Cancer Prevention
Spirulina inhibits cancerous growth by reducing nitrosamine levels. Nitrosamines are carcinogenic substances produced when meat is cooked at too high temperatures.
7) Heart Health
Spirulina lowers cholesterol levels which reduces the risk of heart disease. It reduces nitrosamine levels. Nitrosamines are carcinogenic substances produced when meat is cooked at too high temperatures.
8) Antioxidants
Spirulina has more than 100 different phytonutrients, including flavonoids, phenolic acids, anthocyanins, chlorophyll, vitamins, and enzymes. These natural chemicals help prevent oxidation from occurring within your body.
9) Brain Function
Spirulina increases oxygen supply to brain tissue resulting in improved cognitive functions. The increased oxygen flow improves memory retention and learning ability.
10) Skin Care
Spirulina protects the skin from UV rays and other environmental toxins. It also cleanses pores and removes excess oil buildup on the face.
Rankings
1. Spirulina Powder Organic
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Spirulina is a nutrient powerhouse. The most nutritious of all whole foods, it is nature’s perfect whole food. The Ancient Aztecs called it “The Gift of the Gods.” It is one of the highest whole food sources of protein.
Spirulina powder contains all essential amino acids making it the ultimate complete protein source. It is over 70% protein per serving, high in antioxidants, high in chlorophyll (which becomes hemoglobin in our blood), rich in vitamins, minerals, anti-aging proteins, all eight essential amino acids. It is an excellent source of essential fatty acids, the key to energy.
No Filler and No Added Salt. A Food and Dietary Supplement. 100% RAW and ORGANIC. Spirulina is a nutrient-dense, single-cell, freshwater algae. It is a natural, vegan source of protein (60% protein by weight), alkalizing, and high in antioxidants. Contains vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids, and phytonutrient pigments.
2. Micro Ingredients Organic Spirulina
For those seeking a high dosage of spirulina, tablets aren’t going to cut it. The powder-based spirulina supplement from Micro Ingredients is organically grown, and the powder is independently tested for purity.
Add to this the fact that you can calibrate your dosage as low or as high as you’d like, and you’ve got all the makings of a great pick.
3. Amazing Grass Super Greens Booster
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You deserve to be the best you. Amazing Grass SuperGreens Powder starts with the most nutrient-dense 100% plant-based powder packed with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and chlorophyll.
Good for you from the ground up, this superfood green super powder is filled with invigorating wheatgrass, green superfood kale, and diuretic spinach, plus energizing moringa and cleansing spirulina.
Plus, a full spectrum of natural vitamins and minerals to support your overall health and wellness.
Not to mention, each teaspoon of Amazing Grass is a serving of 1.5 cups of organic greens—you might find that you’re suddenly more enlivened, clean, and energized.
4. Nested Naturals Super Greens
Nested Naturals packages spirulina alongside chlorella, another alga, for extra antioxidant and heavy metal scavenging properties.
This spirulina supplement is ideal for people looking to take advantage of the detoxifying abilities of spirulina and chlorella; thanks to their ability to bind with heavy metals like lead and mercury, this is a popular choice for detox regimens.
5. BulkSupplements Pure Spirulina
For massive spirulina doses, there’s no other way to go than BulkSupplements. With 1000 grams of spirulina per bag, and no ingredients aside from spirulina, if you take large doses of spirulina every day, this should be your choice.
Other spirulina supplements have a leg up when it comes to organic sourcing, so it’s not our top pick, but for bulk users, it’s still a winner.
6. Pure Hawaiian Spirulina
Each tablet of this spirulina supplement contains half a gram of pure spirulina, derived from a special farm in Kona, Hawaii.
This promises better purity control than supplements sourced elsewhere, and the nutrient content of this spirulina is excellent. Silica is the only binder or filler in the capsule, and it’s made from vegetarian-friendly cellulose, making this an excellent choice.
7. Perfect Aquatic Greens
This powder-based spirulina and chlorella supplement is certified organic and provides a 50/50 mix by weight.
The supplements are solid, but unfortunately, the total dosage contained in a tub is barely half of what’s in many of the other powder-based spirulina supplements on the market. Still, for a powder-based algae supplement, this is the best choice if you want chlorella as well as spirulina.
8. Now Spirulina
Now Foods makes a pretty solid spirulina supplement whose sole ingredient is certified organic spirulina.
The manufacturer gets around the capsule problem for delivery by pressing the powder firmly into dry tablets that provide one gram of spirulina each. While it’d be nice if the source of the spirulina were disclosed, the fact that it’s organic is a good sign.
9. Natural Nutraceuticals 100% Organic Spirulina
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This supplement provides an American-sourced, certified organic spirulina supplement. Each tablet is a half-gram pressed powder, meaning there are no other ingredients aside from spirulina.
The downside is that the intense pressure from the tablet pressing process might slow or hamper the absorption of the spirulina, and it would be better if the dosage were higher.
10. KOS Organic Spirulina Powder
BioOptimal Organic Spirulina provides spirulina tablets with a moderate dosage. While it’s nice as far as tablets go, mKOS Organic Spirulina Powder is an excellent source of antioxidants, vitamins, minerals & trace elements.
A natural whole food rich in protein, vitamins, minerals, chlorophyll, and trace elements, spirulina is also a complete protein.
KOS Organic Spirulina Powder is a rich source of easily digestible vegan protein, chlorophyll, antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and trace elements. It is the ultimate superfood.
Category winners
Best spirulina overall: Athletic Greens
Athletic Greens takes the crown thanks to its broad-spectrum antioxidant ingredients, including spirulina alongside over 70 other all-natural compounds.
Best spirulina for smoothies: Micro Ingredients Organic Spirulina
If you’re adding spirulina to a smoothie with lots of other ingredients, you want something that’s ultra-concentrated. Viva Naturals is top-notch in this regard, providing a high dose in a powder that’s easy to mix into smoothies and shakes.
Best spirulina for skin: Pure Hawaiian Spirulina
People using spirulina for skin health should opt for something powerful and easy to take. That’s why we chose Pure Hawaiian Spirulina: it comes in high-dose capsules that are easy to take but that don’t skimp on spirulina dosage.
Best spirulina for antioxidant supplementation: Patriot Power Greens
Patriot Power Greens provides great antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties by including a hefty amount of spirulina alongside other potent antioxidants like kale, spinach, and cranberry. It’s a strong pick if you’re looking for powerful antioxidants.
Best spirulina for fighting inflammation: Micro Ingredients Organic Spirulina
To cut down on inflammation, go for an ultra-pure spirulina supplement like Viva Naturals. The powder form mix allows you to mete out exactly the dose you need to fight inflammation in your body.
Best spirulina for athletic performance: Athletic Greens
As the name suggests, Athletic Greens delivers to boost recovery, give you more energy, and fight inflammation. On top of the antioxidant power of spirulina and the other superfood ingredients, you also get crucial minerals for athletic performance, like zinc, copper, and magnesium.
Who should buy spirulina?
Spirulina contains powerful antioxidant agents and phytonutrients. These ingredients make it a good option for people looking to augment their intake of micronutrients with plant-based materials.
Moreover, the specific benefits of spirulina are useful for people looking to improve endurance performance, decrease the symptoms of seasonal allergies, and reduce their risk factors for heart disease.
In this sense, spirulina has a combination of short-term and long-term health benefits. Its ability to reduce cholesterol levels and improve blood pressure can be chalked up to its antioxidant content; many other supplements that contain strong antioxidants, such as resveratrol and astaxanthin, exert similar cardiovascular benefits.
The endurance benefits, and the ability to alleviate allergy symptoms, probably have more to do with specific biologically active compounds found in spirulina, as these are more distinct and unique properties.
Spirulina is still a great addition to a healthy diet, even if you aren’t looking for a specific biological mechanism of action for any particular health condition. It’s a core ingredient in many green superfood drinks and is an easy addition to a protein shake for an added antioxidant boost.
How we ranked
When formulating our spirulina rankings, we put a premium on purity. We only included supplements that had spirulina as their primary ingredient. General green vegetable extracts and powders didn’t cut.
We also eliminated any liquid-based spirulina supplements since the relatively fragile antioxidant compounds and micronutrients in spirulina will last longer when dried in a powder. Plus, this means there’s less of a need for preservatives to maintain the integrity of the other ingredients.
Speaking of preservatives, we dropped supplements from our list that used synthetic ingredients as preservatives, flavoring agents, binders, or fillers.
We made allowances for ingredients necessary to make capsules. Still, even so, our top-ranked capsule-based product, Nested Naturals Super Algae, has only one ingredient other than spirulina, and it’s a plant-based compound that makes up the capsule.
We used slightly different criteria to evaluate powder versus capsule-based spirulina supplements for the spirulina itself.
With capsules, products with a higher per-capsule dosage scored higher than those with less spirulina per capsule. The same was true for the total amount of spirulina per bottle: we wanted our top-rated products to deliver the best value.
We also strongly preferred more spirulina per pouch or tub with powder-based products, but we also factored in usability concerns.
Large plastic resealable bags can provide great value but can be messy when working with a finely powdered substance like spirulina. For both powders and capsules, products whose purity and ingredients have been confirmed via independent, outside laboratory testing scored much higher than those which did not.
Recommended dosage
There’s still a lack of large, high-quality studies on spirulina in humans, so the dosages that have been used successfully range from about one to ten grams of raw spirulina powder per day.
As with other more experimental supplements with poorly characterized optimal dosages, it’s best to start with a lower dosage (maybe one or two grams) and then gradually step up the dosage if you are not getting the results you want.
Alex is a fitness aficionado, empowers others towards healthier, active lives through small, sustainable changes for lasting results. Visit Gearuptofit.com for insightful tips and resources to enrich a balanced lifestyle.