Spirulina belongs to a class of cyanobacteria, or blue-green algae that grows in warm, alkaline, fresh water. The name spirulina is derived from the Latin word for ‘helix’ or spiral, which describes the swirling characteristics of this algae.
Blue-green algae is believed by anthropologists and biologists to be the oldest living plant on the planet and a kind of primitive food, as they have been around for more than 3.5 billion years. As a single cell food form at the lowest level of the food chain, algae is believed to supply 90% of the world’s oxygen and possibly 90% of its food.
Ancient records show that human beings have been using blue-green algae as an important food source for the last four thousand years. While the Chinese utilise it as a herb to treat vitamin deficiencies, the Mayans, Aztecs and African natives eat it freshly harvested or as algae cakes.Blue-green algae is believed by anthropologists and biologists to be the oldest living plant on the planet and a kind of primitive food, as they have been around for more than 3.5 billion years. As a single cell food form at the lowest level of the food chain, algae is believed to supply 90% of the world’s oxygen and possibly 90% of its food.
Spirulina started to gain popularity only in the last thirty years as a high-nutrient food supplement.
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