Yes, Spirulina can replace meals for one day or 15 years. It is documented and goes to history as an example that people can flourish on algae without any trouble. They need the commitment to care for their body, not their taste buds.
Living on Spirulina is a real thing
Nowadays, people have choices about what to eat and when to eat. There is a culture and fashion of food that has long-time traditions. Humans eat not only to satisfy their appetites but to discover new tastes, find new recipes, and learn from different cultures.
Having dinner with family or friends is a pleasure, as enjoying peaceful and entertaining conversations.
However, some countries as Japan, take less importance on fancy recipes. They care about quality for the mind and the body.
Dr. Christopher Hills, who promoted, grew, and marketed Spirulina as green gold, wrote about his acquaintance Toru Matsui, who lived on Spirulina and Chlorella for 15 years.
These algae do not differ so much except that Spirulina has a thin wall and is easier to digest than Chlorella, which has a thick wall.
You can see in the picture above the philosopher Toru Matsui and Prof. Hiroshi Nakamura.
Professor Hiroshi Nakamura was a lifelong friend of Christopher Hills, a biologist and a Dean of Tokyo Women’s University. Additionally, Nakamura was a noted scientist and a colleague of Emperor Hirohito( himself a marine biologist).
The Emperor asked Nakamura to search for alternative food sources for Japan after the Nagasaki and Hiroshima bombings.
This story is part of history about the importance of Spirulina and other algae that can help escape hunger and nourish the body and the soul.
How is Spirulina significant nowadays?
Everybody who recognizes the importance of proteins knows the price of eggs or meat, especially organic. Not everybody can afford to pay 7 dollars for dozen of eggs.
Spirulina costs little, especially if you add this alga to other meals. You do not need to live on Spirulina for months, but knowing that there are options to have algae that provide you complete nutrition in your time of need is not a brainer.
Nutritional analysis of Spirulina
Spirulina contains 65 to 71 percent protein. It depends on growing conditions. These proteins contain all eight essential amino acids.
These acids are
- Isoleucine
- Leucine
- Lysine
- Methionine
- Phenylalanine
- Threonine
- Tryphophane
- Valine
Additionally, Spirulina has ten of twelve non-essential amino acids:
- Alanine
- Arginine
- Aspartic acid
- Cystine
- Glutamic acid
- Histidine
- Proline
- Serine
- Tyrosine
Spirulina supplies minerals and trace elements, absorbed from its growth medium into easily absorbed forms. Besides it, Spirulina contains vitamins, carotenoids, enzymatic pigments, fats, sugars, and salts.
Wrapping up
Spirulina has enormous nutritional value that was proven many decades ago. Fast food, excess sugar, and a toxic environment do not add good health to people’s bodies.
Sometimes, we need to remember that we have solutions to fight hunger in a simple way. Dr.Christopher Hills showed it with his colleagues and friends, helping to grow Spirulina in India, sending produced algae to places such as Afghanistan during the Soviet invasion, or donating 9 million dollars worth of Spirulina to charitable organizations in the USA and abroad.
Aside from such magnificent activity of the Father of Spirulina, we can be sure that there is an option to live on Spirulina and have algae for a meal. Who knows what the future will bring? Spirulina always will be a savior in good and challenging times.