Despite the many high-quality results and benefits of this supplement, there are some possible negative effects that you need to be aware of when taking Spirulina as part of your health plan. This article aims to examine some of the potential issues that could arise when using this supplement.
What Is Spirulina Good For?
Spirulina is a great resource of a lot of diverse nutritional ingredients, over 100 of them, and has been widely used as a dietary supplement across the world for close to 30 years. It’s rich in vegetable healthy proteins, essential vitamins, minerals and more. It’s particularly important for individuals having a vegan diet program and is good for adolescents and expectant mothers, simply because both of these groups require excess nourishing substances.
Risks Associated with Spirulina
Spirulina is a pure nutritional supplement and taking only 50 grams of Spirulina should not lead to any side effects, due to the simple fact it has about 70% of essential protein. However some cases of adverse effects have been reported from its use, such as users experiencing exacerbating skin breakouts, nausea, insomnia or fever. This usually occurs because the body is trying to digest surplus materials in a way that leads to some extra heating. Primarily, Spirulina side effects will most likely be the result of an individual being allergic to it.
People who suffer from gastric issues or abdominal gas problems could experience stomach pain, diarrhea, bowel problems, hiccups, unwanted gas, and so forth. Some individuals may feel very tired, fragile, or just sick and some may experience faintness or disorientation.
Overweight people who use Spirulina face higher water supplies in their edema, which make it seem like they have gained some pounds. People may gain more weight when they first start using Spirulina, but the rise in weight is typically a result of the water accumulation brought about by the supplement.
Can You Take Too Much Spirulina?
Being a natural source of food, too much Spirulina intake shouldn’t lead to any adverse side effects. There have been no reported cases of serious health conditions resulting from an overdose, although overusing Spirulina does leads to some minimal ailment and discomfort, as consuming too much algae at one time can overwhelm the body. Some of the minor upshots are dizziness, fever and nausea or thirst and constipation with a minor stomach ache.
It’s important to stress, though, that too much Spirulina intake can cause serious liver and kidney problems. It’s particularly high in nucleic acid, which raises the uric acid level in your bloodstream. Excess uric acid damages the kidneys responsible for blood cleaning. Excessive vitamins and minerals dissolved in blood overworks the liver too.
Individuals suffering from autoimmune disorders, such as multiple sclerosis or Addison’s disease, should avoid Spirulina as it can have serious side effects and even make their conditions worse.
Spirulina Research
The issue behind the latent significance of Spirulina side effects first came by in 1999, with a warning from the Canadian Health Protection Branch that Spirulina products were likely to contain apparent dangerous levels of microcystins toxins. These toxins can lead to serious liver damage when taken in large doses. They discovered that products made out of a certain blue-green alga harvested in the wild, contained levels of microcystins which were above the recommended daily intake limit.
The study showed that adverse symptoms from long-term use of these products may not be obvious, but could range from a feeling of malaise in general or gastrointestinal discomfort, to jaundice. However, they did state that Spirulina products are no longer taken to have microcystin-linked health risk. This concludes that Spirulina side effects aren’t caused by Spirulina at all, but other blue-green algae species. You can find more information on clinical studies and research on Spirulina here.
Ensure You Are Purchasing the Purist Forms
There are certain Spirulina products that are contaminated with heavy metals such as lead, mercury and cadmium. This reduces the quality of the Spirulina and therefore under-performs as expected, leading to side effects. Ensure to check your source of Spirulina and confirm that it has been tested for contamination.
Always choose an organic or natural powder and tablets when buying Spirulina. Look for a brand that is contaminant-free and has a non-GMO label, which indicates that the product has not been genetically modified or engineered. Cyanotech and Earthrise are two American Spirulina companies that have been awarded the GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) by the Food and Drug Administration.
As with any new health regime, it’s recommended to consult your physician or doctor before setting out on any new health or diet plan.