nutritional value of spiroulina platensis
Spirulina is a 100% natural product which contains a variety of nutritional components, that makes it a balanced natural wholefood. It contains great amount of high biological value protein (55-70%) and a wide range of vitamins, metals, minerals and polyunsaturated fatty acids.
Moreover, spirulina is rich in beta-carotene and vitamin B12 (cyanocobalamin). More specifically, its content in vitamin B12, which is a vitamin mainly found in animal source food, makes spirulina an ideal source of vitamin B12 for vegetarians.
- Vitamins
Beta-carotene, (provitamin A), vitamin B complex (B1, B2, B3, B6, B12, Pantothenic acid, Biotin, Folate), vitamin E.
- Metals/Minerals
Calcium, Phosphorus, Potassium, Sodium, Iron, Manganese, Zinc, Magnesium, Copper, Chromium, Selenium.
- Fatty acids
Spirulina contains mainly polyunsaturated fatty acids, such as the essential fatty acids gamma-linolenic, alpha-linolenic and linoleic acid.
- Essential Amino acids
Isoleucine, Leucine, Lysine, Methionine, Phenylalanine, Threonine, Tryptophane, Valine
- Non Essential Amino acids
Histidine, Alanine, Arginine, Aspartic acid, Cystine, Glutamic acid, Glycine, Proline, Serine, Tyrosine.
In the following table the nutritional profile of spirulina is presented
| COMPOSITION | Per 100g | Per 3g |
|---|---|---|
| Basic Nutritional Components | ||
| Energy | 319kcal 1332kJ |
9.6kcal 40kJ |
| Protein (g) | 64,9 | 1.947 |
| Total Fat (g) | 3.8 | 0.114 |
| Saturated Fats (g) | 1.03 | 0.031 |
| Polyunsaturated Fats (g) | 2.4 | 0.072 |
| Monounsaturated Fats (g) | 0.22 | 0.007 |
| Carbohydrates (g) | 8.4 | 0.252 |
| Sugars (g) | <0.5 | <0.015 |
| Dietary Fiber (g) | 6.9 | 0.207 |
| Vitamins | ||
| Provitamin A (beta-carotene) (mg) | 60.1 | 1.80 (*37.5%**) |
| Vitamin Β1 (Thiamin HCl) (mg) | 5.3 | 0.16 (14.5%*) |
| Vitamin Β2 (Riboflavin) (mg) | 2.44 | 0.07 (5%*) |
| Vitamin Β3 (Niacin) (mg) | 10.8 | 0.32 (2%*) |
| Vitamin Β5 (Pantothenic acid) (mg) | 1.07 | 0.03 (0.5%*) |
| Βιταμίνη Β6 (Pyridoxine) (μg) | 549 | 16.47 (1%*) |
| Biotin (μg) | 44 | 1.32 (2.5%*) |
| Folic acid (μg) | 827 | 24.81 (12.5%*) |
| Vitamin Β12 (Cyanocobalamin) (μg) | 182 | 5.46 (218%*) |
| Vitamin Ε (mg) | 7.78 | 0.23 (2%*) |
| Inositol (mg) | 8.24 | 0.25 |
| Metals/Minerals | ||
| Calcium (Ca) (mg) | 1028.3 | 30.85 (4%*) |
| Iron (Fe) (mg) | 50.4 | 1.51 (11%*) |
| Phosphorus (P) (mg) | 1374.8 | 41.24 (6%*) |
| Iodine (I) (μg) | 22 | 0.66 (0.4%*) |
| Magnesium (Mg) (mg) | 598.8 | 17.96 (5%*) |
| Zinc (Zn) (mg) | 6.5 | 0.195 (2%*) |
| Selenium (Se) (μg) | 59 | 1.77 (3%*) |
| Copper (Cu) (μg) | 810 | 24.3 (2.5%*) |
| Manganese (Mn) (mg) | 5.3 | 0.16 (8%*) |
| Chromium (Cr) (μg) | 110 | 3.3 (8%*) |
| Potassium (K) (mg) | 1558 | 46.75 (2.5%*) |
| Barium (Ba) (μg) | 1190 | 35.70 |
| Cobalt (Co) (μg) | 35 | 1.05 |
| Sodium (Na) (mg) | 756 | 22.68 |
* RDA: Recommended Daily Allowance
**Considering that 6μg of provitamin Α are converted into 1μg of vitamin Α
| Amino acids Profile | Per 100g | Per 3g |
|---|---|---|
| Essential Amino acids | ||
| Isoleucine (g) | 3.41 | 0.102 |
| Leucine (g) | 5.29 | 0.159 |
| Lysine (g) | 2.7 | 0.081 |
| Methionine (g) | 0.78 | 0.023 |
| Phenylalanine (g) | 2.8 | 0.084 |
| Threonine (g) | 2.98 | 0.089 |
| Tryptophan (g) | 1.16 | 0.035 |
| Valine (g) | 3.66 | 0.110 |
| Non Essential Amino acids | ||
| Histidine (g) | 0.93 | 0.028 |
| Alanine (g) | 4.92 | 0.148 |
| Arginine (g) | 4.07 | 0.122 |
| Aspartic acid (g) | 5.66 | 0.170 |
| Cystine (g) | 0.18 | 0.005 |
| Glutamic acid (g) | 8.05 | 0.242 |
| Glycine (g) | 3.08 | 0.092 |
| Proline (g) | 2.31 | 0.069 |
| Serine (g) | 2.87 | 0.086 |
| Tyrosine (g) | 2.73 | 0.082 |
| Fatty Acids Profile | ||
| gamma-Linolenic acid (C18:3) (mg) | 1960.4 | 58.81 |
| a- Linolenic acid (C18:3) (mg) | 311.2 | 9.34 |
| Linoleic acid (C18:2) (mg) | 138.7 | 4.16 |
| Palmitic acid (C16:0) (mg) | 735.3 | 22.06 |
| Oleic acid (C18:1) (mg) | 157.3 | 4.72 |
| Myristic acid (C14:0) (mg) | 85.9 | 2.58 |
| Capric acid (C10:0) (mg) | 61.2 | 1.84 |
| Lauric acid (C12:0) (mg) | 59.3 | 1.78 |
| Palmitoleic acid (C16:1) (mg) | 48.6 | 1.46 |
| Stearic acid (C18:0) (mg) | 48.3 | 1.45 |
| Arachidic acid (C20:0) (mg) | 42.2 | 1.27 |
