How to recognize quality spirulina: the complete guide to make the right choice

Spirulina: a superfood with multiple benefits

Spirulina (Arthrospira Platensis) is a microalgae rich in proteins, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. It is considered a superfood because of its many health benefits, including:

• Boosting the immune system
• Support for sporting effort (endurance, muscle recovery) thanks to its high protein content, which helps increase muscle mass and promote a normal metabolism
• Support for digestion thanks to its high chlorophyll content, which promotes detoxification
• Reduces fatigue thanks to its high iron, vitamin K and B12 content, which promote the normal formation of red blood cells and the transport of oxygen in the blood for improved vitality.
• Supports healthy skin, hair and nails thanks to all the nutrients and pigments it contains
• Regulates satiety thanks to its high nutrient content and support for normal cognitive functions
• Spirulina is alkalizing and helps reduce tissue acidity.

To make the most of these benefits, it’s essential to choose quality spirulina.

Indeed, spirulina’s strength also lies in its weakness, as it absorbs toxins in our intestines as well as everything else in its culture medium. So, as you can see, if the water used for cultivation is not of impeccable quality, there is a risk of “poisoning” when you consume spirulina that has been contaminated during cultivation by undesirable substances contained in the water.

Vibratory spirulina from Life’s Code is distinguished by its high nutrient concentration (more than 100 nutrients), its unique eco-responsible cultivation method that is as close as possible to biomimicry, its cold drying process that preserves its living properties, and the hygiene and traceability that are the watchwords at every stage of cultivation, harvesting, drying and transportation. It is of course guaranteed free of preservatives, additives, flavourings, GMOs, ionization, gluten, heavy metals, allergens and colourings.

Each batch of spirulina is analyzed by at least 2 independent laboratories to guarantee total microbiological safety.

What form of spirulina should I choose: fresh, powder, twigs or tablets?

Spirulina is available in several forms, including powder, twigs and tablets. Each form has its advantages and disadvantages.

Fresh spirulina

Fresh spirulina is the best form of spirulina presentation, as it has not undergone any processing to preserve it. If you’re lucky enough to live within walking distance of a spirulina producer, go for it, but bear in mind that its shelf life rarely exceeds 48 to 72 hours. As a result, it’s not compatible with long-term consumption.

Spirulina powder

Spirulina powder is easy to incorporate into liquid and creamy foods: smoothies, juices, yoghurts, hummus. Note that the taste can be more pronounced in this form! However, the quality of spirulina powder can vary according to the quality of the crop, the drying process and the source.

If you opt for powder, choose one made from cold-dried twigs grown according to the rules of the art. Beware of brands that only sell powder, but not twigs…

Our tip: buy twigs and make your own powder to be sure of the source and that the powder hasn’t been cut with something else or reconstituted from spirulina fragments after extraction of its active ingredients. Yes, yes… we promise it happens!

Spirulina twigs (also known as “flakes”)

Spirulina twigs, also known as spirulina flakes, are less processed than powder, and retain their quality better thanks to the absence of grinding. They are ideal for sprinkling on salads, dishes or vegetables, as long as they are not heated.

From smoothies and salads to soups and snacks, you’ll discover how easy and delicious it is to incorporate this superfood into your daily routine.

To obtain spirulina twigs of the highest nutrient quality, Life’s Code follows a very strict and unique manufacturing process, respecting the “Vibratory Spirulina” specifications (circular basins, water dynamization by vortex agitation, geodesic domes, music diffusion, respect for the spirulina’s strength) and cold drying (at less than 42°C).

The ideal dose is 50 mg per kg of weight, i.e. around 3 grams a day for a 60 kg person. That’s the equivalent of a heaping teaspoon.

Spirulina tablets

Spirulina tablets are convenient for precise dosing, making them easier to carry around. However, it is important to pay attention to the quality of the tablets, which may contain additives or preservatives.

Life’s Code spirulina tablets are 100% pure, without preservatives or excipients, and made from spirulina twigs. They are compacted at low pressure. The daily dose is 6 x 500 mg tablets for a 60 kg person. Here’s an easy way to find the right dosage for you: 1 tablet for every 10 kg of weight.

Whatever form of spirulina you choose, it’s essential to start slowly and reach the recommended dose over a period of ten days or so, to let your body get used to it and to avoid accelerating your transit too quickly.

Spirulina quality criteria: what you need to know

To choose a quality spirulina, several criteria must be taken into account:

Growing environment

The quality of spirulina depends largely on the environment in which it is grown. Choose spirulina produced in environmentally-friendly conditions, under the sun, as spirulina needs a lot of heat.

In fact, the temperature of the culture water needs to be between 30 and 37 degrees to favor optimal development of the microalgae.

At Life’s Code, spirulina is grown in a warm, natural, healthy environment, free from contaminants, guaranteeing a living, nutrient-rich spirulina. There is no intensive production. Analyses are carried out after each harvest to assess which nutrients have been consumed by the spirulina, so as to give it only what it needs, without overfeeding it, contaminating the culture medium or feeding other micro-organisms.

The culture water and spirulina are analyzed on a regular basis to rule out the presence of pesticides, heavy metals or pathogens.

The drying process

Drying spirulina is a crucial step that can affect its nutritional quality. In fact, all vitamins lose their effectiveness above 42 degrees.

Low-temperature drying preserves all spirulina’s nutrients and antioxidants.

Life’s Code spirulina is cold-dried at less than 42 degrees Celsius, using a ventilation process that guarantees optimum preservation of its nutritional qualities and vitality.

To cock-a-doodle-doo or not to cock-a-doodle-doo?

We often believe that French products are of much higher quality than those made abroad, and this can be the case, depending on the sector.

However, when it comes to spirulina, the shortcut is not so obvious. Wouldn’t it occur to you to produce bananas in the Paris region? Well, it’s the same with spirulina, a crop that requires heat.

In its natural state, spirulina is not found in France, but rather in the lakes of the equatorial belt… And strangely enough, like the human body, it’s at 37 degrees that it’s at its best!

There are over 200 spirulina producers in France, but they face a number of challenges:

• Seasonal production means that ponds are emptied at the end of the season and refilled as soon as temperatures rise again. A pity, when you consider that spirulina is the crop that consumes the least water of all…
• For growers who produce year-round, they are obliged to heat the ponds. Fortunately, many use methanization or green energy, but all the others use resources and greatly increase their carbon footprint.

By choosing to produce in the sun, Life’s Code considerably reduces its carbon and environmental footprint, as there’s no need to heat or empty the ponds. Spirulina is very light to transport. With 100g of spirulina, there’s the equivalent of a month’s consumption… By comparison, 1kg of bananas from the other side of the world lasts barely a week.

What about organic spirulina?

There are as many qualities of spirulina as there are producers… There is very good organic and there is detestable organic. Unfortunately, organic no longer has any meaning in a world where labels are bought and equivalences exist between countries that don’t respect the same specifications as the French ones.

To sum up, a Chinese or Indian spirulina can be organic when it’s grown in the open air and all the pollution-laden rain falls back into the ponds, a spirulina can be organic when it’s dried at very high temperatures and has lost all its nutrients, and on the other hand, there are some very good producers, with or without a label, who strive to provide impeccable quality.

In short, talk to producers, visit farms whenever possible and follow your instincts!

The composition and purity of spirulina

As we have seen, spirulina is a superfood.

It abounds in virtues thanks to its composition rich in proteins (3 times more than meat), essential amino acids, vitamins, iron (50 times more than red meat), fatty acids, trace elements, pigments and minerals.

It is particularly well-suited to vegan diets and the nutritional needs of athletes, as well as those of tired, convalescent, pregnant people and children.

Conclusion

You now have all the keys you need to learn how to spot quality spirulina. Before you buy, take the time to check spirulina’s origin and manufacturing processes.

Guarantees for Life’s Code spirulina: top-quality spirulina

Spirulina from Life’s Code stands out for its high quality, thanks to the “Spiruline Vibratoire” know-how that guarantees a living culture free of contaminants, and its cold drying, which is the most important stage in spirulina production.

It guarantees an exceptional concentration of nutrients, preserving its properties and purity, without any preservatives.

Our tip: for an even deeper, more complete cure, combine spirulina and phycocyanin, for a broad spectrum of even deeper benefits, as phycocyanin is enhanced by all the cofactors provided by spirulina.

At Life’s Code, you’ll find only healthy food supplements with minimalist, impeccable composition.