Photo: Thinkstock/Magone
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Now that golden milk is enjoying its moment in the sun, many wellness influencers have moved on to another good-for-you beverage:blue algae lattes. Heralded by many as a superfood, spirulinahas taken over cafe menus (hello,unicorn latte) as the smoothie booster du jour. Other forms of algae, like chlorella or E3sproprietary strain Blue Majik, are riding the wave of spirulinas popularity.
But just as doctors were singingits praises, the buzzy ingredient was makingheadlines for another reason: Algae was called out as the reason why people became violently ill after eating Soylent bars. Um, yikes.
So whats the dealis it safe to sip your oh-so-Instagrammableblue latte with impunity? Tofind out, I tappedGlobal Healing Center founder Edward Group, MD, who spent five years researching and studying various types of algae.
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According to Dr. Group, there are literally thousands of different types of algae, but three are by far the most popular: spirulina (the main ingredient in those strikinglyblue lattes), AFA, and cruella. First, the good news on The Big Three: They all have very high concentrations of nutrients and vitamins, includingprotein, iron, potassium, zinc, calcium, and B vitamins.
Also, according to Dr. Group, 60 percent of algae is made up of protein. Soy hasa comparable amount, but a major reason a growing number of food manufacturers are favoring algae is thatall those added nutrients comewith the protein. Its like buying a pair of leggings, and findingout at checkout that you get a sports bra and tank for free.
Spirulina, AFA, and cruella also serveas a magnet for toxinsin the bodyandtheydo an excellent job offlushingthem out. Clearly algae is full of health benefits. But keep in mind: Dr. Groups advice to add more to your diet comes with a major warning.
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[My team and I] tested spirulina, AFA, and cruella from all over the world and found that the majority of them were contaminated with different types of metals such as arsenic, aluminum, mercury, or lead, Dr. Group reveals.
Why the scary levels of contamination? Blame the manufacturers. A lot of companies use fillers, whether theyre sellingthe algae in capsules or using it as a food ingredientlike a flour; its not the algae itself thats toxic, but what its being mixed with, Dr. Group explains. When you start mixing itwith genetically modifiedmaltodextrin, soy protein isolates, or other compounds, a lot of times that can cause contamination.
Considering one of the core ingredients in those Soylent barsbesides algae flouris soy isolate, it sounds like he may be onto something.
Despite the contamination risks, Dr. Group notes thatalgae is one of the worlds most nutrient-dense foodsI would never want to deter someone from taking it. The key is paying close attention to thesource.
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To make sure the smoothie booster is clean and pure, our expert advises sticking withcompanies that are organic, non-GMO, and gluten-freewhich will limit cross-contaminationa lot.
He also says to check out brandswebsites to see if they call out where their algae is sourced from and whether any testing hasbeen done to verify thatits clean. If theyre not toutingthat information, be wary.
And if youre eating out? Yourserver should be knowledgable about whats being served. If he or she cant speak intelligently about it, buying premium goods might not be a priority for the cafe. This may be one instance where fully becoming a Portlandia character and knowing as much as you can aboutthe path from ocean to table is worth the effort (and the awkwardness).
While youre adding more superfoods to your diet, you definitely dont want to leave out the seven on this list. And while it wont make you sick, chia seeds (that other buzzy ingredient) might be the cause of your bloating.
Excerpt from:
Is algae a superfoodor will it make you sick? - Well+Good
