Hawaiian spirulina is a type of blue-green algae farmed in Hawaii. This algae is used as a food supplement because of its high vitamin and mineral content. Spirulina has been used as a food for centuries, and its advocates claim that it can help with a number of health disorders, including malnutrition, vision problems, high cholesterol, and immune deficiencies.
Spirulina grows in both fresh and salt water. Hawaiian spirulina farms generally use brackish water that is a mixture of deep sea water and fresh water pumped into shallow ponds. Exposure to intense equatorial sunlight makes spirulina production more bountiful, and producers claim that the Hawaiian sunshine makes it more nutritious because of increased chlorophyll.
Spirulina is named for its spiral-shaped strands, and Hawaiian spirulina is made from the species Spirulina platensis. This strain, patented under the name of Spirulina Pacifica®, has been cultivated since 1984 for specific enzymes, particularly carotenoids, which are a type of anti-oxidant that helps prevent cell damage. Additionally, the deep sea water used in Hawaiian production facilities is free of heavy metals, which algae can easily absorb.
Spirulina food supplements are generally sold as tablets, flakes, or powder. Most Hawaiian spirulina is dried with a cold process to preserve the algae's nutritional content that might be deteriorated by heat-drying. The tablets are formed by compression, and are taken as a dietary supplement. Spirulina powder or flakes might be sprinkled on food as a condiment, or used to fortify juice and smoothies.
Blue-green algae is a valuable food source because it is very high in protein and fatty acids. It is also rich in vitamins B, E, and beta carotene as well as selenium, zinc, manganese, iron, and copper. Spirulina is easily digested, and is often referred to as a “superfood” because of its highly concentrated nutrition. Nutrex, a company that produces Hawaiian spirulina, claims that it contains 2,300 percent more iron than spinach, 300 percent more calcium than milk, and 3,900 percent more beta carotene than carrots.
Blue-green algae has been shown in clinical trials to reduce anemia and weight loss in under-nourished children. Spirulina advocates are vocal in their claims that Hawaiian spirulina can cure cancer, allergies, and viruses such as HIV and herpes. Early test-tube and animal trials suggest that these assertions might be true, however there have not been enough controlled clinical trials on humans to give conclusive evidence of the health benefits of this dietary supplement.