How to Add Protein to Your Diet with Spirulina

Read this comprehensive guide to spirulina as a protein source and why maintaining your protein intake is good for your health.

By Lena Bakovic, RDN, CNSC

— On Jan 30, 2023

How to Add Protein to Your Diet with Spirulina

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Proteins take center stage in a healthy, balanced diet alongside carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals. Unfortunately, getting the right amount of protein in our diets can be tricky, especially if we have medical challenges or lifestyle preferences like following a plant-based diet.

Spirulina is an excellent source of protein to boost your recommended intake, plus a number of other possible benefits. Let’s dive into this powerful ingredient and how it may help you.

What Is Spirulina?

Spirulina, or Arthrospira platensis, is a blue-green alga typically found in bodies of water in warmer climates. Historically used as a food source across regions and cultures, spirulina is a nutrient-packed superfood.

According to Harvard Health, spirulina has 60% protein content, making it a richer protein source than most vegetables. The remaining 40% comprises minerals, vitamins, antioxidants, and carotenoids.

Spirulina powder is the most common form of this superfood, but it's also available in tablets and capsules. Spirulina is easy to incorporate into your diet by mixing it into smoothies, salads, soups, fresh juice, or drinking water.

Why Use Spirulina to Meet Protein Levels?

This superfood has a strong potential to help supercharge nutrition. Here are four ways that spirulina can help support your dietary protein intake.

Managing Appetite and Cravings

Proteins make us feel fuller with fewer calories, meaning you can replace part of the carbohydrates in your diet with a protein supplement to help manage your appetite. You can still eat what you love and help regulate your weight by replacing some of your carb and fat servings with protein-rich foods like spirulina.

Maintaining Healthy Weight

While there's a greater focus on weight management due to its dramatic transformations, maintaining those outcomes is challenging for most people. By increasing your protein intake from 15% to 18% of your total calories, you may be able to keep off extra weight by 50%, which can help support healthy weight loss goals.

Contributing to Muscle Health

Protein is a body-building food, and muscles comprise protein. Therefore adding more protein to your diet can help support muscle functionality and aid in achieving muscular goals. This is especially important if you're strength training or looking for a healthy way to maintain your weight and support muscular performance.

Supporting Bone Health

Long-term research debunked the myth that high protein levels harm the bones because of increased acid levels in the body. Instead, by adding more protein to your diet, you can support your skeletal system as you age.

Top 3 Potential Benefits of Spirulina

In addition to what it can offer in terms of protein, spirulina is rich in numerous essential vitamins and minerals. As with all supplements, spirulina's range of possible benefits adds to an already balanced diet. Here are the potential health benefits of spirulina.

1. Supports Energy

If you’re looking for a clean source of energy for your workouts or post-workout recovery, spirulina may help contribute to muscle health and endurance. Another study showed that a spirulina supplement of 6 grams per day for one month enabled participants to work out for more extended periods without exhaustion.

2. Allergy Management

Research also shows that 2 grams of spirulina per day may assist with allergy symptoms like runny or blocked nostrils, sneezing, and itching. Spirulina can help inhibit histamine release, which is responsible for allergic reactions, and may aid nasal inflammation.

3. Weight Management

Whether you're looking to gain or lose weight, spirulina might be able to help you achieve your goals. A scientific study found that this supplement may help reduce body fat percentage when taken regularly, and overweight subjects who used spirulina for three months were able to significantly alter their body mass index.

How To Use Spirulina In Your Diet

How To Use Spirulina For Protein In Your Diet

Blue-green algae like spirulina make great protein supplements for your diet. Spirulina is not a cure-all for health conditions, but you can use a green powder with spirulina in it to help support your overall health. The National Library of Medicine (NIL) notes that adults can use up to 10 grams of spirulina daily for up to 6 months for maximum possible benefits.

However, it's essential to know the right amount of spirulina to consume daily to avoid possible side effects, such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, dizziness, or headaches. Additionally, take two key precautions before taking spirulina as a supplement:

Speak to your doctor to see if spirulina is a good fit for your health outcomes.
Always check the label on your spirulina products and follow the recommended guidelines.

Once you get the green light to use spirulina, you can add it to your diet in the following ways:

Add spirulina to smoothies and fruit juices. It will give your drinks a green color but won't alter the flavors.
Sprinkle a teaspoon of spirulina powder on oatmeal, soups, broths, stews, and salads for added nutrition.
Use a green powder like Live it Up Super Greens with spirulina. This way, you get much more potential health benefits from other components like chlorella, wheatgrass, spinach, moringa, ginger, burdock root, and more.
Mix your green powder with water for a refreshing, natural energy drink without added sugars or caffeine.

Consider Trying Live it Up Super Greens

Spirulina is a vital ingredient in Live it Up Super Greens, a nutrient-rich superfood powder. All components in this green powder are free of sugar, caffeine, gluten, and nuts.

Along with spirulina, this greens powder includes probiotics, digestive enzymes, and other ingredients that may provide digestive support, maintain energy levels, and support a balanced immune response. So, if you're looking for a high-quality source of spirulina, try Ensō Supergreens today.

FAQs

What is spirulina?

Spirulina is a protein-rich blue-green alga, also known as Arthrospira platensis. It's commonly found in oceans in warmer climates and is recognized as a superfood.

How much spirulina should I take?

Take spirulina according to your doctor's instructions or recommendations on the product. Ideally, take a maximum of 10 grams per day by mixing it into your smoothies, juices, salads, or oatmeal.

What are the side effects of spirulina?

Spirulina may cause dizziness, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea if taken in excess. Consult your doctor to learn more about if adding spirulina to your diet is right for you.

References

About the author:

Lena Bakovic, RDN, CNSC

Lena Bakovic, RDN, CNSC, is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and Certified Nutrition Support Clinician dedicated to helping others lead healthier lives through evidence-based nutrition advice.

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