What is Spirulina?

Spirulina is an edible spiral shaped aquatic blue green micro algae-cyanobacteria (Aarthrospira platensis),growing naturally in alkaline water in warm regions.Throughout history,this remarkable aquatic plant has nourished people in Africa,America and Asia.

Spirulina is an ideal dietary supplement because it�

• Contains the most remarkable concentration and combination of nutrients known in any food, plant, grain or herb.
• Does not have a cellulose cell wall but a soft cell wall made of complex sugars and proteins that make the cell contents easily accessible for your body.
• Has protein content 15 to 20% higher than that of meat, 35% higher than that of soya beans and 12% higher than that of eggs.
• Is very rich in micronutrients, especially in Beta-carotene (Pro vitamin- A), Iron, Vitamin B12 and Gamma-Linolenic Acid.

How is Spirulina produced?

Spirulina is grown in water where it reproduces itself rapidly simply by dividing at a growth rate per day of around 30%. Producing Spirulina requires about ten times less water than for other vegetables and harvesting is possible during the whole year. Fertilising is very efficient, as everything added to the culture of Spirulina is utilised by it. Compared to Soya, Spirulina also allows a twentyfold harvest of protein per acre.

In our Farm, Spirulina is produced in 18 Sq.m tanks filled with water. Daily care is necessary for the Spirulina culture. This is taken care by trained rural Ladies, starting early in the morning with harvesting and stirring the Spirulina culture every twenty minutes throughout the day. Also, the quality of Spirulina is checked daily as well as fertilized to ensure the growth and quality of the culture. The amount of the harvested Spirulina is about 20kg wet mass. This fresh biomass can be either consumed directly, or be dried. The well dried product is properly stored to maintain its nutritional properties.

The power of Spirulina (Important benefits)

Spirulina is the right food supplement for everyone to improve their health and to strengthen the immune system. Its dried form can simply be added to your normal foods. However, one of the tastiest ways to enjoy Spirulina: Squeeze some fresh limes, add sugar or salt to your tastes, mix with water and finally add the nutritious Spirulina powder! Cheers!Its nutritional facts speak for itself. Now you only need to experience and feel it too. Due to its easy breakable cell wall, the following nutrients are easy available to your body when consuming Spirulina:

Nutritional composition of Spirulina (Content of its dry weight)

Antenna�s Spirulina Nutritional composition

Combating malnutrition: Spirulina an effective tool

As a result of its nutritional content, Spirulina is an ideal and very strong weapon in combating malnutrition. Malnutrition is one of the worst maladies in India, and a very distressing problem among children. The poor quality of available food results in chronic malnutrition leading to irreversible consequences for children such as blindness, fatal infections, mental and growth retardation.

You can learn more about Malnutrition Combat in our Rural Program �which is devoted to solve this issue, or in the links below.

• Spirulina in the fight against malnutrition.
• Spirulina to combat hunger and malnutrition -The General Assembly, United Nations.