i n f o c u s
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#
dayspamagazine
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december 2017
in focus
by Alisha Racker
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GETTY
IMAGES
Spirulina
A nutritional rockstar, this distinctive blue-green
algae is now making waves in the treatment room
as well as the pantry.
A
Spirulina's striking color is derived from the green
pigment in chlorophyll and the blue hue from a
protein called phycocyanin.
A
When taken as a daily supplement, spirulina has
been found to increase the hemoglobin content of
red blood cells—necessary for warding off anemia.
QUICK
FACTS
F
ound in freshwater lakes, rivers and ponds,
spirulina has been revered for centuries for its rich
concentration of nutrients, including proteins and
essential amino acids. In the ninth century, during
the Kanem Empire of Chad in Africa, civilians baked spirulina
harvested from the local lakes into cakes; later, during the
1500s, spirulina was considered a food source by the Aztecs.
It wasn't until the early 1970s, however, that the algae started
to attract worldwide attention. Read on to see why spas are
going overboard for this powerhouse ingredient.