VITAMIN A
In spirulina nutrition benefits are abundant, but first off, what are vitamins? Vitamins are nutrients that an organism needs but can’t produce on its own. As a result, these compounds must be gotten through diet. Since not every organism has the same needs, vitamins are not the same for all species. For example, human beings require vitamin C, but many animals do not. Another point to note about vitamins is that they are called not necessarily according to an underlying chemical structure, but more for their biological and chemical functions. Because of that you may notice that Vitamin A, for example, is associated with several chemical compounds: retinol, retinal, retinoic acid and even provitamins such as carotenoids. But, we’ll delve into more below.
Generally, we get vitamin A through our diet. In foods it can appear in two different forms:
1) Animal-based (Retinoids)
Retinoids are a class of fat-soluble substances found in animal tissue. One chemical in this class, retinol, is sometimes known as preformed vitamin A because it’s readily available to use by our body for vitamin A related activities.
Typical foods that have this form of vitamin A are animal liver, kidney, eggs, and dairy products. While this form of vitamin A is easily used by our bodies, these foods can also be high in fat, cholesterol, and other things that we should watch our intake. In addition, vitamin A toxicity from overdosage is a possible.
2) Plant-based (Carotenoids)
Carotenoids are pigments that appear in bright and dark-colored plant-based foods. A few of these carotenoids are considered precursor vitamin A or provitamin A because our body can readily change them into retinol, which is the ready-to-use animal-based form already mentioned. This conversion process happens in the liver after which the newly formed retinol is stored in our body fat or moved to other parts of our body through our blood.
The only carotenoids that can be converted into vitamin A are the carotenes (alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, gamma-carotene) and one of the xanthophylls (cryptoxanthin). The most famous and most efficiently converted carotenoid is beta-carotene. For a given amount of retinol, it requires twice as much cryptoxanthin or any other carotene to match that of beta-carotene.
Foods that are loaded with carotenoids can be bright red-orange in color like carrots, mangos, papayas, pumpkin, and sweet potatoes or dark-green like spinach, broccoli, kale, collard greens, and of course spirulina. The reason some foods are green in color is a result of the large quantity of chlorophyll, the chemical compound that allows for photosynthesis to occur in plants. It is common for carotenoids and chlorophyll to exist together in nature.
You can witness examples of this when the leaves turn color in autumn. The leaves cease their production of chlorophyll and the green color fades away uncovering reds, yellows, and oranges. Another example is the pink feathers of flamingos. They turn pink because of their eating blue-green algae like spirulina or crustaceans that have themselves been feeding off algae. In fact, flamingos will be white if you feed them a non-carotene diet!
Because of the other health benefits that can be gotten from consuming fruits and vegetables rich in carotenoids, plant-based forms are often encouraged as a source of vitamin A. In addition, there is no risk in vitamin A toxicity because the body converts carotenoids into vitamin A only when as required. There is no toxicity risk in over-consuming beta-carotene.
Spirulina is an abundant source of carotenoids, the plant-based form of vitamin A. Eighty-percent of the carotenoids in spirulina is the efficient beta-carotene. Also, spirulina health benefits include cryptoxanthin, which is another carotenoid that converts to vitamin A albeit half as effectively as beta-carotene.
BENEFITS
Antioxidant Properties
Like vitamins C and E, vitamin A (beta-carotene) is regarded as an antioxidant. What are antioxidants? When our cells consume oxygen they give off "free radicals" as byproducts. These free radicals float around and harm other cells and are believed to contribute to many ailments, diseases, along with aging-related indicators like wrinkles and sagging skin. Antioxidants help by pairing up with these drifting radicals and neutralizing them.
Vision
Vitamin A is probably most famous for the benefits it offers your eyes. You’ve likely been told more than once as a kid that you need to eat your carrots because it’s good for your eyes. Now you understand that it’s the beta-carotene in carrots that do in fact help your vision. More specifically, one way in which retinol benefits your vision is by helping your eyes adapt to low-light and night conditions. In fact, inadequate amounts of vitamin A can cause a condition known as night blindness.
Immune System
In addition, vitamin A benefits our body’s immune system. Our initial defense against disease is the barrier created by our skin and the mucous membranes that line our airways, digestive tract, and urinary tract. Retinol is a vital component to the daily functioning and development of the skin and mucosal cells. When we get sick, vitamin A also plays an important role in the development of white blood cells which attack harmful viruses and bacteria that can hurt our bodies.
Development and Growth
Vitamin A has also been determined to be critical to the growth and development of other systems within our bodies. The maintenance and growth of bone, teeth, reproductive cells, and embryonic development all rely on adequate amounts of vitamin A.
DOSAGE
Recommendations from the Institute of Medicine of the US NIH (United States National Institutes of Health) suggest that 3 mg to 6 mg (833 IU – 1667 IU vitamin A)( of beta-carotene daily are associated with lower risks of chronic disease. A typical serving of spirulina powder (1 tsp, or 3g) fits well within these guidelines. Each serving contains about 5 mg of beta-carotene and 2 mg of cryptoxanthin.
JC Shaw is a self-described Health Food Nut! He attributes much of his happiness and health in life to his diet. When not savoring his food, JC practices yoga and swims at the local pool.