Spirulina Powder

 Rich in many nutrients

Spirulina is an organism that grows in both fresh and salt water (1Trusted Source).

It is a type of cyanobacteria, which is a family of single-celled microbes that are often referred to as blue-green algae (2Trusted Source).

Just like plants, cyanobacteria can produce energy from sunlight via a process called photosynthesis.

Spirulina was consumed by the ancient Aztecs but became popular again when NASA proposed that it could be grown in space for use by astronauts (3Trusted Source, 4Trusted Source).

This tiny alga is packed with nutrients. A single tablespoon (tbsp.), or 7 g, of dried spirulina powder contains (5Trusted Source):

• Protein: 4 g
• Thiamin: 14% of the Daily Value (DV)
• Riboflavin: 20% of the DV
• Niacin: 6% of the DV
• Copper: 47% of the DV
• Iron: 11% of the DV

It also contains decent amounts of magnesium, potassium, and manganese.

In addition, the same amount contains only 20 calories and less than 2 g of carbohydrates.

Spirulina also provides a small amount of fat — around 1 g per tbsp. (7 g) — including both omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids in an approximately 1.5–1.0 ratio.

Plus, the quality of the protein in spirulina is considered excellent and provides all of the essential amino acids that your body needs.

Note that it is often claimed that spirulina contains vitamin B12, but this is false. It has pseudovitamin B12, which has not been shown to be effective in humans.