What are spirulina benefits and side effects every ethical consumer must know? Here are spirulina pros and cons and how buying them will impact your health, the environment, animals and laborers.
Food is something we consume every day. If you’re like me, you do all the research you can to make sure you don’t hurt yourself, the planet, animals or others when shopping. As an ethical consumer myself, I am giving you all the info I’ve found on spirulina benefits and side effects.
You are going to learn all about spirulina benefits and side effects. This will include spirulina benefits for your health and potential risks, spirulina water footprint and carbon footprint, sustainability, if spirulina is vegan or impact animals in other ways, and much more.
After learning if spirulina is good or bad for you, the environment, animals and human rights, you will be able to make the best choices you can the next time you buy food.
This post is all about spirulina benefits and side effects that every ethical consumer should know.
Top Spirulina Benefits And Side Effects
HEALTH
Energy: spirulina benefits include control blood sugar levels, improve muscle strength and endurance, reduce anemia in older adults, treat allergic rhinitis characterized by inflammation in nasal passageways
Longevity: spirulina benefits include detoxification, fight and prevent cancer, lower blood pressure, lower LDL (bad) cholesterol, protect cells and tissues from damage, raise HDL (good) cholesterol, reduce inflammation as well as reducing the risk of heart disease
Appearance: spirulina benefits include weight loss
Spirulina is…
ENVIRONMENT
Water footprint: unknown
Carbon footprint: low, 0.0 kg CO2e to produce 1 kilogram or 2.2 pounds of aquatic plants, a car driving equivalent of .0 miles or .0 kilometers
Destruction: low, spirulina production is relatively sustainable, there is no significant damage to air, water, land, soil, forests, etc. as long as there are no pesticides, buy Non-GMO/organic, as toxic, chemical pesticides contaminate air, water, soil, etc.
Spirulina is…
- Sustainable
ANIMALS
Kills: none, spirulina production does not require any animals to die
Harms: none, spirulina production does not require any animals
Indirectly kills or harms: none, be sure to buy Non-GMO/organic, as pesticides harm and kill wildlife and ecosystems by contaminating soil, water, air and plants that animals eat
Spirulina is…
- Vegan
- Harmful to wildlife and ecosystems unless organic
LABORERS
Health and safety: varies, overall, agriculture continues to be one of the most dangerous industries, farmworkers may be subject to dehydration, heat stroke, unprotected exposure to harmful, toxic chemicals and pesticides, unsafe machinery and clean drinking water may not always accessible
Living conditions: varies, laborers exploitation is common, they may face tough working conditions including long hours in the sun and heat performing physically exhausting tasks, labor laws and rights may or may not be in place, even if worker protection exists, employer violations may go unreported, refugees and migrant workers are especially vulnerable to abuse and mistreatment, fearing consequences of job loss or deportation
Wages: varies, generally farmworkers earn meager wages, there are many cases of underpaid agricultural workers, wage theft and no overtime payment or benefits
Spirulina…
- May involve worker exploitation, laborer issues, human rights concerns
Where does most spirulina come from?
Most of the world’s spirulina in the world grows in inner Mongolia. But regarding spirulina in the United States, spirulina is often from Hawaii and California.
Is spirulina nutritious?
Yes! Spirulina contains significant amounts of calcium, niacin, potassium as well as magnesium, B vitamins, iron and has essential amino acids
spirulina is gluten free.
Is spirulina gluten free? Yes, spirulina is gluten free. Spirulina does not contain gluten. Spirulina is a type of algae, therefore making it a naturally gluten free food.
While celiac disease may not be as rampant as many marketing trends lead us to believe, you may have a gluten sensitivity…
Celiac and gluten sensitivity symptoms are similar and may include instances such as:
- recurring abdominal pain
- chronic diarrhea
- constipation
- tingling
- numbness in hands and feet
- chronic fatigue
- joint pain
- unexplained infertility
- low bone density (osteopenia or osteoporosis)
There are hundreds of potential symptoms, many of which are also symptoms of other conditions.
Going gluten-free easier than ever with this: Gluten and Gluten Free Foods List
spirulina is not a common food allergen.
Is spirulina a common food allergen? No, spirulina is not a common food allergen. Some people may experience allergic reactions to spirulina but it is relatively rare by comparison.
A group of the eight major allergenic foods, AKA the Big-8, include:
- milk
- eggs
- fish
- crustacean shellfish
- tree nuts
- peanuts
- wheat
- soybeans
These foods account for about 90% of all food allergies in the United States.
Severe food allergies can be life threatening. Following ingestion of a food allergen, a person with food allergies can experience a severe, life-threatening allergic reaction called anaphylaxis.
Persons may still be allergic to and have serious reactions to foods other than the eight foods identified by the law.
Be aware of common dietary restrictions and food allergens with this: The Big 8 Most Common Food Allergens List
spirulina is sustainable.
Overall, is spirulina eco friendly and sustainable?
Spirulina production is relatively sustainable since there is no known significant damage to air, water, land, soil, forests, etc. Be sure to buy non GMO/organic, as toxic, chemical pesticides contaminate air, water, soil, etc. when using regenerative practices.
A 2018 Oxford University study – which is the most comprehensive analysis to date of the damage farming does to the planet – found that ‘avoiding meat and dairy is the single biggest way to reduce your impact on Earth’ as animal farming provides just 18% of calories but takes up 83% of our farmland.
Consuming animal products and byproducts is not environmentally friendly. It’s also one of the worst things for the Earth. Not only is meat production wasteful, it causes enormous amounts of pollution. The industry is one of the biggest causes of climate change.
Additionally, a 2010 United Nations report said that a global shift towards a vegan diet is vital to save the world the worst impacts of climate change.
spirulina is vegan.
Is spirulina vegan? Yes, spirulina is vegan. Spirulina is an algae and not an animal product or byproduct, therefore making it a vegan food.
Go vegan for animals! It’s the best way to help animals and it’s not as difficult as you may think. Speak for animals with your actions, for they cannot speak at all.
Going vegan is easier than ever, at a glance with this: Vegan and Non Vegan Foods List
spirulina is a product that may or may not have labor issues.
Is spirulina a product with labor concerns?
At this time there are no major concerns with spirulina production but that doesn’t mean it isn’t happening! It’s important to stay aware of human rights concerns that may come with specific brands.
Did you know the single largest employer in the world is agriculture? But the labor involved behind each and every product cannot go unrecognized.
Sadly, many labor concerns exist around the world in both developed and developing countries. We must be vigilant to ensure what we buy is not contributing to industries that are unfair to their valuable workers. Some known problems include workplace health and safety, child labor, gender inequality, inadequate pay, wage theft and exploitation. Workers can even experience harassment, humiliation and violence and unfair employers often fail to provide laborers with access to shade, drinking water, restrooms and breaks. Consequently, laborers can face nausea, dizziness, heat exhaustion, dehydration and heat stroke -the leading cause of farmworker death!
Such mistreatment is like modern day slavery. However, workers are often afraid to report issues because they fear it will result in losing their jobs or deportation. Fair trade organizations also fight to ensure better social, environmental and economic standards.
Furthermore, we can improve people’s lives with foods we eat every day simply by buying products that are certified fair trade.
Sources:
FoodData Central, spirulina powder
Spirulina is an effective dietary source of zeaxanthin to humans
