Spirulina螺旋藻 Spirulina

Place · Level 3 · Supplement

超级食物营销最响 · 伪 B12 陷阱 · 重金属、毒素污染风险 · 蓝色素 phycocyanin 是真但效用普通

It's a cyanobacterium

Stop 1/5

身份 · 不是藻是细菌

Spirulina strictly speaking is not algae — it's a cyanobacterium (mainly *Arthrospira platensis* and *Arthrospira maxima*). These are among the oldest photosynthetic life on Earth, with close relatives in 3.5-billion-year-old fossils.

Nutritional facts (dry powder, per 100 g):

Protein 60-70% — its loudest selling point; higher than soy (40%) and meat (20-30%); contains all 9 essential amino acidsIron ~30-50 mg — but bioavailability is impaired by phytates and polyphenols; actual absorption is lowβ-carotene 100-150 mg — at an order of magnitude beyond what carrots providePhospholipids + γ-linolenic acid (GLA) — a rare plant source of GLAPhycocyanin 14-20% — the pigment unique to spirulina (covered in the next scene)'Vitamin B12' 3-25 µg/100 g — this line is the heart of the scam (debunked next scene)
The problem isn't 'whether it's nutritious'; it's the marginal benefit relative to normal food:

3-10 g spirulina daily (typical dose) → only 2-7 g protein — one egg covers 1-2× thatIron: one serving of red meat absorbs more than 5-10 g of spirulinaβ-carotene: half a carrot beats 5 g of spirulinaGLA: evening primrose oil / blackcurrant seed oil is far cheaper
Bottom line: spirulina is nutritious cyanobacterial powder, but on nutrient density vs cost it is one of the most overhyped 'superfoods' in the supplement aisle. The next three scenes examine each of the three core marketing claims one at a time.

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