Spirulina
By Tammy Kramer, CAS
DJ Feathers Aviary
With all the new and improved modern remedies available today, sometimes
there is good reason to return to old-fashioned remedies. You can't get
much more back to basic than a single-celled algae known as spirulina
(spear - o - leena).
Spirulina is quite a powerhouse. It packs a lot of nutrition in that
one little cell. 10 grams of dried spirulina has about 37 calories, 22
of which come from protein (9 from carbohydrates and 6 from fats. That
is 60% of the calories from protein which, by comparison, is huge within
the food chain (check out the percentage of protein calories you get
from a hamburger sometime).
Findings presented at the National Cancer Institute claim
Spirulina
is rich in antioxidants and sulfalipids - both important in humans
battling cancers. There are indications it can enhance the immune
system. Whether these claims pan out completely will depend on more
research by the many labs around the country investigating it. Spirulina
is very high in chlorophyll, a substance that has been proven to aid in
tissue repair.
Algae are abundant in our environment. Shine a light source into
water and it wont be long before you see it growing. It acts as a filter
to remove toxins from waters. Some in an aquarium is a good thing, if
you are trying to keep a more natural ecological balance (although on
the glass in full view may not be the most presentable place to have
it).
We have been including spirulina in our birds' diets for some time.
It is an inexpensive way to ensure they get their share of nutrition. We
use a powder form of
Hawaiian spirulina. Each day our entire flock get
served a dish of our homemade 7 Layer
Salad. We sprinkle
spirulina on everything. The powder coats fruits,
veggies, beans, pasta - everything. If one bird eats too much pasta
(like our cockatiel, Petie), they get it with a spirulina dusting. Birds
that are already picking a good mix of things from the salad are getting
an advantage, too.
The chart below shows the nutritional analysis based upon information
obtained from the USDA for dried
spirulina. The personal daily allowance (PDA) percentages are human
allowances.
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