Why It's Important to Know the Source of Your Spirulina

Spirulina powder on a white background

The experts agree: spirulina is a wise, healthy, and nutritious food choice. NASA included this superfood in the diets of astronauts during space missions, the United Nations declared spirulina to be the best food for the future, and the World Health Organization recommended it specifically for nourishing children. 

Pure spirulina is a green vegan superfood algae that offers a wide array of nutrients including protein, iron, folate, magnesium, beta-carotene, vitamin B12, chlorophyll, phytonutrients, antioxidants, and essential amino acids like GLA and Omegas 3, 6, & 9. These vitamins and  nutrients are naturally complementary and bioavailable—which means the body can easily absorb them. 

But before you jump on the spirulina bandwagon, there’s an important fact you need to be aware of. As good for you as spirulina is, it can also absorb dangerous toxins from its environment. That’s why it’s absolutely vital to make sure yours comes from a clean source.

Why Source Really Matters

Unfortunately, if you're not careful about where your spirulina comes from, all its potential goodness may be compromised due to contamination from toxic metals, BMAA, microcystin, herbicides, pesticides, and other damaging toxins. For example, spirulina grown in Japan may have absorbed radiation from the 2011 nuclear disaster in Fukushima, and some spirulina grown in China may have been contaminated with lead, mercury, and arsenic. It’s also  important to make sure your spirulina wasn’t grown in salt (sea) water, since it can absorb unhealthy iodine levels from the ocean. And to further complicate the situation, conventionally grown spirulina may have absorbed all kinds of harmful pesticides and chemical fertilizers, regardless of where in the world it comes from.

Finding Clean Spirulina

The best way to ensure you’re getting pure, clean spirulina is to always opt for an organic certified product. The USDA organic seal means that your spirulina adheres to strict growing practices that don’t include chemical fertilizers, synthetic pesticides, or genetically modified organisms. Additionally, your spirulina should be a properly dried, pure strain grown in a pristine, fresh water source—and nothing should be added to your spirulina after it’s been harvested.

Why Sari Foods Spirulina?

At Sari Foods we’re committed to delivering pure, ethically grown superfoods that are completely free from synthetics, toxins, and contaminants. All of our products are clean, wholesome foods we enjoy at our own dinner tables—and share with our beautiful families.  

We harvest our spirulina from natural soda lakes in a remote area of Korea that's free of industry and pollution, using pure water from 500m underground. This water is naturally free from environmental contaminants—and is naturally rich in minerals and trace elements. This creates the optimal conditions for growing safe, nutrient-dense spirulina that’s free from heavy metals, toxins, and radiation contamination.

Not only does our spirulina come from a very clean source; it’s also USDA certified organic, which means you don’t have to worry about chemical fertilizers and pesticides. After it’s harvested, we gently dry our spirulina to preserve freshness, so there’s no need for any preservatives.

Finally, rest assured that Sari Foods spirulina is also free from BMAA and microcystin. We only use a spirulina strain called Arthrospira Platensis that’s not related to the type that produces BMAA—and we rigorously test to make sure our spirulina (and all our other products) conform to the highest standards for purity and safety. But you don’t have to take our word for it here— if you wish to view our test certificates, we'd be more than happy to share this information as part of our transparent customer service policy.

With all this in mind, you can feel confident that our spirulina is pure and safe enough for  children, babies, pets, pregnant women, and breastfeeding moms. With such wonderful nutrition, we wouldn’t want anyone to miss out on all the green goodness! 

New to spirulina? No worries! The Sari Life Blog contains some easy, delicious recipes and tips for introducing Spirulina to your taste buds.

Peace, love, and pure algae goodness from the Sari Foods family.

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