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Are you prepared?
- Thread starter Avatar4321
- Start date
Old Rocks
Diamond Member
The area that I call home and will retire to, just demonstrated how, as a community, to handle violent wingnuts. Thus far, they have managed it peacefully. If it has to be otherwise in the future, it will still be done as a community.
Were things to go completely lawless, whether from human intent, or natural, and not so natural, disaster, then the communitys, and the individuals within those communities, that already know how to work together will be the survivers. Those that believe that they can just take whatever they chose because they have guns, will decorate trees in the vacinity of communities that know how to work together.
Were things to go completely lawless, whether from human intent, or natural, and not so natural, disaster, then the communitys, and the individuals within those communities, that already know how to work together will be the survivers. Those that believe that they can just take whatever they chose because they have guns, will decorate trees in the vacinity of communities that know how to work together.
Xenophon
Gone and forgotten
I plan to panic, and then to run amuck.
Terry
Shut the $%$ Up!
- Jan 15, 2009
- 5,222
- 1,136
- 48
Maybe we can do like they do in LA Central and Orleans and steal us some plasma tv's.I plan to panic, and then to run amuck.
Xenophon
Gone and forgotten
I plan to change my name to Snake Plissken and wear an eye patch.Maybe we can do like they do in LA Central and Orleans and steal us some plasma tv's.I plan to panic, and then to run amuck.
Maybe we can do like they do in LA Central and Orleans and steal us some plasma tv's.I plan to panic, and then to run amuck.
the plasma ones are too heavy to run with, steal the LCD ones.
Maybe we can do like they do in LA Central and Orleans and steal us some plasma tv's.I plan to panic, and then to run amuck.
Don't forget to steel a cart load of Nike shoes & the latest fashion clothes while your at it. They are indeed essential survival gear.
I don't think anyone can possibly truly be prepare for the fall of civilization.
The skills and endurance necessary to survive a loss of electric power are so rare as to be nearly nonexistent in those accustom to modern convenience.
I totally agree with those who posted that in the event of a prolonged period of anarchy, a community effort will be absolutely vital to survival.
Collecting and transporting water to your home...hunting game, butchering then smoking, canning or salting the meat...growing, canning or pickling vegetables...cutting firewood with an ax or a crosscut saw, splitting it and transporting it to your home...cooking two meals over wood heat...all while attempting to protect yourself and your homestead is more than one modern family can accomplish on their own.
And that is just the bare essentials...food, water, and secure shelter.
.
.
.
.
.
Personally, I have enough supplies to last a month.
We keep a well stocked pantry of canned food, flour, sugar, yeast, dry beans etc. and a couple cases of MRE's for emergencies.
My wife has a small garden...we eat what we can, and what we can't we can.
I have 15,000 rounds of .22LR rimfire ammunition and 500 shotgun shells for hunting, 1,000 rounds of 5.56mm and 500 rounds of 9mm for protection plus reloading supplies. I do quite a bit of shoot at the range so this ammo is rotated steadily.
I keep three 55 gallon plastic barrels that can be used for water collection and storage and a couple months worth of fire wood.
I also have a lot of old hand tool I have collected from estate and yard sales. Hand drills and bits, planers, saws and such. I watch the Woodsmith show on PBS and try to make things by hand when I can...It's like canoeing down the river alone early in the morning...you can feel that connection to the original explorers, frontiersmen and settlers.
Plus I have my "doomsday library" as my wife mockingly refers to it...with books on mining, blacksmithing, farming, medicine, woodworking, survival skills, edible plants and so on. I pick them up at sales, or Ebay. This probably sounds extreme, but I truly enjoy reading them so it's not a waste...more like a hobby.
That's it...the extent of my preparedness.
The skills and endurance necessary to survive a loss of electric power are so rare as to be nearly nonexistent in those accustom to modern convenience.
I totally agree with those who posted that in the event of a prolonged period of anarchy, a community effort will be absolutely vital to survival.
Collecting and transporting water to your home...hunting game, butchering then smoking, canning or salting the meat...growing, canning or pickling vegetables...cutting firewood with an ax or a crosscut saw, splitting it and transporting it to your home...cooking two meals over wood heat...all while attempting to protect yourself and your homestead is more than one modern family can accomplish on their own.
And that is just the bare essentials...food, water, and secure shelter.
.
.
.
.
.
Personally, I have enough supplies to last a month.
We keep a well stocked pantry of canned food, flour, sugar, yeast, dry beans etc. and a couple cases of MRE's for emergencies.
My wife has a small garden...we eat what we can, and what we can't we can.
I have 15,000 rounds of .22LR rimfire ammunition and 500 shotgun shells for hunting, 1,000 rounds of 5.56mm and 500 rounds of 9mm for protection plus reloading supplies. I do quite a bit of shoot at the range so this ammo is rotated steadily.
I keep three 55 gallon plastic barrels that can be used for water collection and storage and a couple months worth of fire wood.
I also have a lot of old hand tool I have collected from estate and yard sales. Hand drills and bits, planers, saws and such. I watch the Woodsmith show on PBS and try to make things by hand when I can...It's like canoeing down the river alone early in the morning...you can feel that connection to the original explorers, frontiersmen and settlers.
Plus I have my "doomsday library" as my wife mockingly refers to it...with books on mining, blacksmithing, farming, medicine, woodworking, survival skills, edible plants and so on. I pick them up at sales, or Ebay. This probably sounds extreme, but I truly enjoy reading them so it's not a waste...more like a hobby.
That's it...the extent of my preparedness.
Last edited:
Whan I was a boy and young man in Eastern KY, everyone who did not live in town had at least a garden if not some chickens, pigs, etc.
Nopw it is a lost art, less than 10% still garden and the current batch of youngsters know little about it.
Yes they hunt and then take their kill to have it butchered for them. they also can't seem to hunt without several thousand $ of quip. 4 Wheeler, etc.
I read the other day in Outdoor Life that small game hunting had declined 31% in the last 8 year according to U.S. Fish and Wildlife.
namvet
Gold Member
anyone ever watch this????
[youtube]JlA74uyhxXg[/youtube]
[youtube]JlA74uyhxXg[/youtube]
Terry
Shut the $%$ Up!
- Jan 15, 2009
- 5,222
- 1,136
- 48
That is more then most Missourian.
I'm kind of luck I guess for my house is yards from a river, only one road in and out therefore if chaos and home protection is needed, easy by blocking the road with massive trees. All my neighbors are good old boys, we have farm equipment, log splitters, land, well water for our source, boat, fishing poles, guns, generator, so all and all that is why I say I have it better then most.
I'm kind of luck I guess for my house is yards from a river, only one road in and out therefore if chaos and home protection is needed, easy by blocking the road with massive trees. All my neighbors are good old boys, we have farm equipment, log splitters, land, well water for our source, boat, fishing poles, guns, generator, so all and all that is why I say I have it better then most.
Where ever You find Yourself, consider this.
Spirulina (dietary supplement)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Spirulina tabletsSpirulina is a microscopic blue-green algae in the shape of a perfect spiral coil living both in sea and fresh water which is the common name for human and animal food supplements produced primarily from two species of cyanobacteria: Arthrospira platensis, and Arthrospira maxima. These and other Arthrospira species were once classified in the genus Spirulina. There is now agreement that they are a distinct genus, and that the food species belong to Arthrospira; nonetheless, the older term Spirulina remains the popular name. Arthrospira is cultivated around the world, and is used as a human dietary supplement as well as a whole food and is available in tablet, flake, and powder form. It is also used as a feed supplement in the aquaculture, aquarium, and poultry industries.[1]
Contents [hide]
1 Biology
2 History
3 Cultivation
4 Nutrients and other chemicals
4.1 Protein
4.2 Essential fatty acids
4.3 Vitamins
4.3.1 B12
4.4 Minerals
4.5 Photosynthetic pigments
5 Considerations and Potential Dangers
6 Evidence of health and healing effects
6.1 In vitro research
6.2 Animal research
6.3 Human Research
7 Organic Certification
8 Advocates
9 See also
10 References
11 External links
[edit] Biology
Main article: Arthrospira
Arthrospira are free-floating filamentous cyanobacteria characterized by cylindrical, multicellular trichomes in an open left-hand helix. Spirulina occurs naturally in tropical and subtropical lakes with high pH and high concentrations of carbonate and bicarbonate. Arthrospira platensis occurs in Africa, Asia and South America, whereas Arthrospira maxima is confined to Central America.[1]
[edit] History
An illustration from the Florentine Codex showing how the Aztecs harvested Spirulina off lakes by skimming the surface with ropes and then drying the algae into square cakes which would be eaten as a nourishing condiment.Spirulina is believed to have been a food source for the Aztecs and other Mesoamericans until the 16th-century; its harvesting from Lake Texcoco and subsequent sale as cakes is described by one of Cortés' soldiers.[2] The Aztecs called it Tecuitlatl, meaning stone's excrement. Spirulina was found in abundance at the lake by French researchers in the 1960s, but there is no reference to its use there as a daily food source after the 16th century. The first large-scale Spirulina production plant, run by Sosa Texcoco, was established there in the early 1970s.[1]
Leo Szilard postulated the development of algae-based food supplements (which he called "Amruss") in his 1961 short story, The Voice of the Dolphins.
Spirulina may have an even longer history in Chad, as far back as the 9th century Kanem Empire. It is still in daily use today, dried into cakes called Dihé, which are used to make broths for meals, and also sold in markets. The Spirulina is harvested from small lakes and ponds around Lake Chad.[3]
[edit] Cultivation
Most cultivated spirulina is produced in open-channel raceway ponds, with paddle-wheels used to agitate the water. The largest commercial producers of spirulina are located in the United States, Thailand, India, Taiwan, China, Pakistan and Burma (a.k.a. Myanmar).[1]
[edit] Nutrients and other chemicals
[edit] Protein
Spirulina contains an unusually high amount of protein, between 55% and 77% by dry weight, depending upon the source. It is a complete protein,[4] containing all essential amino acids, though with reduced amounts of methionine, cysteine, and lysine when compared to the proteins of meat, eggs, and milk. It is, however, superior to typical plant protein, such as that from legumes.[5][6]
[edit] Essential fatty acids
Spirulina is rich in gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), and also provides alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), linoleic acid (LA), stearidonic acid (SDA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and arachidonic acid (AA).[6][7]
[edit] Vitamins
Spirulina contains vitamin B1 (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin), B3 (nicotinamide), B6 (pyridoxine), B9 (folic acid), vitamin C, vitamin D, and vitamin E.[6][7]
[edit] B12
The bioavailability of vitamin B12 in Spirulina is in dispute. Several biological assays have been used to test for the presence of vitamin B12.[8] The most popular is the US Pharmacopeia method using the Lactobacillus leichmannii assay. Studies using this method have shown Spirulina to be a minimal source of bioavailable vitamin B12.[9] However, this assay does not differentiate between true B12 (cobalamin) and similar compounds (corrinoids) that cannot be used in human metabolism. Cyanotech, a grower of spirulina, claims to have done a more recent assay, which has shown Spirulina to be a significant source of cobalamin. However, the assay is not published for scientific review and so the validity of this assay is in doubt.[10] The American Dietetic Association and Dietitians of Canada in their position paper on vegetarian diets state that spirulina can not be counted on as a reliable source of active vitamin B12. [11]
[edit] Minerals
Spirulina is a rich source of potassium, and also contains calcium, chromium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, selenium, sodium, and zinc.[6][7]
[edit] Photosynthetic pigments
Spirulina contains many pigments including chlorophyll-a, xanthophyll, beta-carotene, echinenone, myxoxanthophyll, zeaxanthin, canthaxanthin, diatoxanthin, 3'-hydroxyechinenone, beta-cryptoxanthin, oscillaxanthin, plus the phycobiliproteins c-phycocyanin and allophycocyanin.[1]
[edit] Considerations and Potential Dangers
Spirulina contains phenylalanine, which should be avoided by people who have the metabolic disorder phenylketonuria, where the body cannot metabolize this amino acid and it builds up in the brain causing damage. [12] Because Spirulina is a dietary supplement, the United States Food and Drug Administration does not regulate the production and quality of the product. Although rare, cyanobacteria like Spirulina may contain toxins called microcystins, which accumulate in the liver and can potentially cause cancer or other liver diseases. Currently, no standard exists to regulate the safety of Spirulina. [13]
[edit] Evidence of health and healing effects
This section may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. Please improve this section if you can. (June 2008)
Despite existing research supporting Spirulina's health and healing properties, detractors claim that these are frequently overstated by Spirulina advocates. Conversely, Spirulina advocates have accused health food detractors of dismissing all such claims without acknowledging this research. Many positive claims are based on research done on individual nutrients that Spirulina contains, such as GLA, various antioxidants, etc., rather than on direct research using Spirulina. What follows is research on the health and healing effects of Spirulina. In vitro research (e.g., studying cells in a petri dish) may suggest the possibility of similar results in humans but, due to the drastically different conditions of the research, provides only hints at the potential for human effects. Animal research can also provide evidence of potential human effects. Human research focuses on actual effects in humans - however, the validity and reliability of the research depends on the design of the study. The strongest evidence comes from well designed and controlled clinical trials, which are one type of human research study.
[edit] In vitro research
Spirulina extract inhibits HIV replication in human T-cells, peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), and Langerhans cells.[14]
An in vitro study in 2008 concluded that Spirulina may possess iron chelating properties. Human neuroblastoma cells were treated with a toxic amount of iron and then treated with Spirulina. When treated, the iron-induced oxidative stress was reduced. [15]
[edit] Animal research
Spirulina helps prevent heart damage caused by chemotherapy using Doxorubicin, without interfering with its anti-tumor activity.[16] Spirulina reduces the severity of strokes and improves recovery of movement after a stroke;[17] reverses age-related declines in memory and learning;[18] and prevents and treats hay fever.[19]
A study on the metabolism of mice indicates that it has little effect on their metabolism, and therefore probably that of humans too.[20]
A study with diabetic rats concluded that Spirulina maxima was effective in correcting the abnormal carbohydrate and lipid metabolisms caused by excess fructose within the body. [21]
[edit] Human Research
Spirulina has been found to improve weight-gain and correct anemia in both HIV-infected and HIV-negative undernourished children;[22] because of its excellent nutritional quality. Spirulina is effective for the clinical improvement of melanosis and keratosis due to chronic arsenic poisoning.;[23]
A study in 2005 found that Spirulina protects against hay fever.[24]. A more recent double-blind, placebo-controlled study in 2008 concerning 150 allergic rhinitis patients found that Spirulina platensis significantly reduced the secretion of pro-inflammatory interleukin-4 by 32% and the patients experienced symptomatic relief. [25] Furthermore, Spirulina was found to reduce the inflammation involved in arthritis in geriatric patients by stimulating the secretion of interleukin-2, which helps in regulating the inflammatory response. [26]
A 2007 study [27] found that 36 volunteers taking 4.5 grams of spirulina per day, over a six week period, exhibited significant changes in cholesterol and blood pressure: (1) lowered total cholesterol; (2) increased HDL cholesterol; (3) lowered triglycerides; and (4) lowered systolic and diastolic blood pressure. However, as this study did not contain a control group, researchers can not be confident that the changes observed are due totally - or even partially - to the effects of the Spirulina maxima as opposed to other confounding variables (i.e., history effects, maturation effects, demand characteristics). A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled intervention study involving geriatric patients determined that Spirulina helped significantly reduce the low density lipoprotein to high density lipoprotein ratio after four months of supplementation. [26]
A 2007 study concluded that Spirulina improved the antioxidant potential of many geriatric patients who were administered Spirulina for 16 weeks. The plasma of these patients showed a measured increased level of total antioxidant status. [26] A double-blind, placebo-controlled study in 2006 found that Spirulina supplementation decreased the amount of creatine kinase, an indicator of muscular breakdown, in individuals after exercise. Furthermore, the experimental group's time to exhaustion during all out treadmill exercise increased by 52 seconds. These effects were thought to be due to Spirulina's antioxidant potential.[28]
[edit] Organic Certification
Until recently, much spirulina was certified organic. In 2002, the USDA's National Organic Standards Board voted to disallow the use of Chilean nitrate. They granted a three-year window to spirulina producers, which expired in 2006. As a result, leading spirulina manufacturers have stopped labelling their spirulina as organic, citing safety concerns of nitrate alternatives[29]. However a company based in India, Parry Nutraceuticals[30], started producing organic Spirulina meeting revised USDA requirements as of March 2006, using a vegetarian source of nitrogen and phosphorous[citation needed]
[edit] Advocates
The United Nations World Food Conference in 1974 lauded Spirulina as the 'best food for the future'. Recognizing the inherent potential of Spirulina in the sustainable development agenda, several Member States of the United Nations came together to form an intergovernmental organization by the name of IIMSAM, the Intergovernmental Institution for the use of Micro-algae Spirulina Against Malnutrition.[31] IIMSAM aspires to build a consensus with the UN Member States, international community and other stakeholders to make Spirulina a key driver to eradicate malnutrition, achieve food security and bridge the health divide throughout the world.
Spirulina has been proposed by both NASA (CELSS)[32] and the European Space Agency (MELISSA)[33] as one of the primary foods to be cultivated during long-term space missions.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spirulina_(dietary_supplement)
Spirulina (dietary supplement)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Spirulina tabletsSpirulina is a microscopic blue-green algae in the shape of a perfect spiral coil living both in sea and fresh water which is the common name for human and animal food supplements produced primarily from two species of cyanobacteria: Arthrospira platensis, and Arthrospira maxima. These and other Arthrospira species were once classified in the genus Spirulina. There is now agreement that they are a distinct genus, and that the food species belong to Arthrospira; nonetheless, the older term Spirulina remains the popular name. Arthrospira is cultivated around the world, and is used as a human dietary supplement as well as a whole food and is available in tablet, flake, and powder form. It is also used as a feed supplement in the aquaculture, aquarium, and poultry industries.[1]
Contents [hide]
1 Biology
2 History
3 Cultivation
4 Nutrients and other chemicals
4.1 Protein
4.2 Essential fatty acids
4.3 Vitamins
4.3.1 B12
4.4 Minerals
4.5 Photosynthetic pigments
5 Considerations and Potential Dangers
6 Evidence of health and healing effects
6.1 In vitro research
6.2 Animal research
6.3 Human Research
7 Organic Certification
8 Advocates
9 See also
10 References
11 External links
[edit] Biology
Main article: Arthrospira
Arthrospira are free-floating filamentous cyanobacteria characterized by cylindrical, multicellular trichomes in an open left-hand helix. Spirulina occurs naturally in tropical and subtropical lakes with high pH and high concentrations of carbonate and bicarbonate. Arthrospira platensis occurs in Africa, Asia and South America, whereas Arthrospira maxima is confined to Central America.[1]
[edit] History
An illustration from the Florentine Codex showing how the Aztecs harvested Spirulina off lakes by skimming the surface with ropes and then drying the algae into square cakes which would be eaten as a nourishing condiment.Spirulina is believed to have been a food source for the Aztecs and other Mesoamericans until the 16th-century; its harvesting from Lake Texcoco and subsequent sale as cakes is described by one of Cortés' soldiers.[2] The Aztecs called it Tecuitlatl, meaning stone's excrement. Spirulina was found in abundance at the lake by French researchers in the 1960s, but there is no reference to its use there as a daily food source after the 16th century. The first large-scale Spirulina production plant, run by Sosa Texcoco, was established there in the early 1970s.[1]
Leo Szilard postulated the development of algae-based food supplements (which he called "Amruss") in his 1961 short story, The Voice of the Dolphins.
Spirulina may have an even longer history in Chad, as far back as the 9th century Kanem Empire. It is still in daily use today, dried into cakes called Dihé, which are used to make broths for meals, and also sold in markets. The Spirulina is harvested from small lakes and ponds around Lake Chad.[3]
[edit] Cultivation
Most cultivated spirulina is produced in open-channel raceway ponds, with paddle-wheels used to agitate the water. The largest commercial producers of spirulina are located in the United States, Thailand, India, Taiwan, China, Pakistan and Burma (a.k.a. Myanmar).[1]
[edit] Nutrients and other chemicals
[edit] Protein
Spirulina contains an unusually high amount of protein, between 55% and 77% by dry weight, depending upon the source. It is a complete protein,[4] containing all essential amino acids, though with reduced amounts of methionine, cysteine, and lysine when compared to the proteins of meat, eggs, and milk. It is, however, superior to typical plant protein, such as that from legumes.[5][6]
[edit] Essential fatty acids
Spirulina is rich in gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), and also provides alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), linoleic acid (LA), stearidonic acid (SDA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and arachidonic acid (AA).[6][7]
[edit] Vitamins
Spirulina contains vitamin B1 (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin), B3 (nicotinamide), B6 (pyridoxine), B9 (folic acid), vitamin C, vitamin D, and vitamin E.[6][7]
[edit] B12
The bioavailability of vitamin B12 in Spirulina is in dispute. Several biological assays have been used to test for the presence of vitamin B12.[8] The most popular is the US Pharmacopeia method using the Lactobacillus leichmannii assay. Studies using this method have shown Spirulina to be a minimal source of bioavailable vitamin B12.[9] However, this assay does not differentiate between true B12 (cobalamin) and similar compounds (corrinoids) that cannot be used in human metabolism. Cyanotech, a grower of spirulina, claims to have done a more recent assay, which has shown Spirulina to be a significant source of cobalamin. However, the assay is not published for scientific review and so the validity of this assay is in doubt.[10] The American Dietetic Association and Dietitians of Canada in their position paper on vegetarian diets state that spirulina can not be counted on as a reliable source of active vitamin B12. [11]
[edit] Minerals
Spirulina is a rich source of potassium, and also contains calcium, chromium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, selenium, sodium, and zinc.[6][7]
[edit] Photosynthetic pigments
Spirulina contains many pigments including chlorophyll-a, xanthophyll, beta-carotene, echinenone, myxoxanthophyll, zeaxanthin, canthaxanthin, diatoxanthin, 3'-hydroxyechinenone, beta-cryptoxanthin, oscillaxanthin, plus the phycobiliproteins c-phycocyanin and allophycocyanin.[1]
[edit] Considerations and Potential Dangers
Spirulina contains phenylalanine, which should be avoided by people who have the metabolic disorder phenylketonuria, where the body cannot metabolize this amino acid and it builds up in the brain causing damage. [12] Because Spirulina is a dietary supplement, the United States Food and Drug Administration does not regulate the production and quality of the product. Although rare, cyanobacteria like Spirulina may contain toxins called microcystins, which accumulate in the liver and can potentially cause cancer or other liver diseases. Currently, no standard exists to regulate the safety of Spirulina. [13]
[edit] Evidence of health and healing effects
This section may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. Please improve this section if you can. (June 2008)
Despite existing research supporting Spirulina's health and healing properties, detractors claim that these are frequently overstated by Spirulina advocates. Conversely, Spirulina advocates have accused health food detractors of dismissing all such claims without acknowledging this research. Many positive claims are based on research done on individual nutrients that Spirulina contains, such as GLA, various antioxidants, etc., rather than on direct research using Spirulina. What follows is research on the health and healing effects of Spirulina. In vitro research (e.g., studying cells in a petri dish) may suggest the possibility of similar results in humans but, due to the drastically different conditions of the research, provides only hints at the potential for human effects. Animal research can also provide evidence of potential human effects. Human research focuses on actual effects in humans - however, the validity and reliability of the research depends on the design of the study. The strongest evidence comes from well designed and controlled clinical trials, which are one type of human research study.
[edit] In vitro research
Spirulina extract inhibits HIV replication in human T-cells, peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), and Langerhans cells.[14]
An in vitro study in 2008 concluded that Spirulina may possess iron chelating properties. Human neuroblastoma cells were treated with a toxic amount of iron and then treated with Spirulina. When treated, the iron-induced oxidative stress was reduced. [15]
[edit] Animal research
Spirulina helps prevent heart damage caused by chemotherapy using Doxorubicin, without interfering with its anti-tumor activity.[16] Spirulina reduces the severity of strokes and improves recovery of movement after a stroke;[17] reverses age-related declines in memory and learning;[18] and prevents and treats hay fever.[19]
A study on the metabolism of mice indicates that it has little effect on their metabolism, and therefore probably that of humans too.[20]
A study with diabetic rats concluded that Spirulina maxima was effective in correcting the abnormal carbohydrate and lipid metabolisms caused by excess fructose within the body. [21]
[edit] Human Research
Spirulina has been found to improve weight-gain and correct anemia in both HIV-infected and HIV-negative undernourished children;[22] because of its excellent nutritional quality. Spirulina is effective for the clinical improvement of melanosis and keratosis due to chronic arsenic poisoning.;[23]
A study in 2005 found that Spirulina protects against hay fever.[24]. A more recent double-blind, placebo-controlled study in 2008 concerning 150 allergic rhinitis patients found that Spirulina platensis significantly reduced the secretion of pro-inflammatory interleukin-4 by 32% and the patients experienced symptomatic relief. [25] Furthermore, Spirulina was found to reduce the inflammation involved in arthritis in geriatric patients by stimulating the secretion of interleukin-2, which helps in regulating the inflammatory response. [26]
A 2007 study [27] found that 36 volunteers taking 4.5 grams of spirulina per day, over a six week period, exhibited significant changes in cholesterol and blood pressure: (1) lowered total cholesterol; (2) increased HDL cholesterol; (3) lowered triglycerides; and (4) lowered systolic and diastolic blood pressure. However, as this study did not contain a control group, researchers can not be confident that the changes observed are due totally - or even partially - to the effects of the Spirulina maxima as opposed to other confounding variables (i.e., history effects, maturation effects, demand characteristics). A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled intervention study involving geriatric patients determined that Spirulina helped significantly reduce the low density lipoprotein to high density lipoprotein ratio after four months of supplementation. [26]
A 2007 study concluded that Spirulina improved the antioxidant potential of many geriatric patients who were administered Spirulina for 16 weeks. The plasma of these patients showed a measured increased level of total antioxidant status. [26] A double-blind, placebo-controlled study in 2006 found that Spirulina supplementation decreased the amount of creatine kinase, an indicator of muscular breakdown, in individuals after exercise. Furthermore, the experimental group's time to exhaustion during all out treadmill exercise increased by 52 seconds. These effects were thought to be due to Spirulina's antioxidant potential.[28]
[edit] Organic Certification
Until recently, much spirulina was certified organic. In 2002, the USDA's National Organic Standards Board voted to disallow the use of Chilean nitrate. They granted a three-year window to spirulina producers, which expired in 2006. As a result, leading spirulina manufacturers have stopped labelling their spirulina as organic, citing safety concerns of nitrate alternatives[29]. However a company based in India, Parry Nutraceuticals[30], started producing organic Spirulina meeting revised USDA requirements as of March 2006, using a vegetarian source of nitrogen and phosphorous[citation needed]
[edit] Advocates
The United Nations World Food Conference in 1974 lauded Spirulina as the 'best food for the future'. Recognizing the inherent potential of Spirulina in the sustainable development agenda, several Member States of the United Nations came together to form an intergovernmental organization by the name of IIMSAM, the Intergovernmental Institution for the use of Micro-algae Spirulina Against Malnutrition.[31] IIMSAM aspires to build a consensus with the UN Member States, international community and other stakeholders to make Spirulina a key driver to eradicate malnutrition, achieve food security and bridge the health divide throughout the world.
Spirulina has been proposed by both NASA (CELSS)[32] and the European Space Agency (MELISSA)[33] as one of the primary foods to be cultivated during long-term space missions.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spirulina_(dietary_supplement)
Does the USMB have a "Drama Queen Thread of the Day"? If so, this one wins...
namvet
Gold Member
Does the USMB have a "Drama Queen Thread of the Day"? If so, this one wins...
would you like one banana head???? uh dr Gump????
Does the USMB have a "Drama Queen Thread of the Day"? If so, this one wins...
would you like one banana head???? uh dr Gump????
Why am I not surprised this kinda thing turns you on
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