The most nutritious, powerful, healthy food supplement on the planet may be...POND SCUM. You probably never knew it, but that green sludgy bacteria called Spirulina floating on the water hazard in your local golf course could be your key to anti-aging, heart health and a strong immune system.
Spirulina is the common name for free-floating "filamentous cyanobacteria" which grows in tropical and subtropical lakes and ponds. It is cultivated around the world, and available in tablet, flake and powder form.
Humans have known about its power for over a thousand years. In fact, there is some evidence that it was cultivated as far back as the 9th century, during the Kanem Empire in Chad. By the 16th century, the Aztecs were harvesting Spirulina from Lake Texcoco in Mexico and selling the cakes. They called it Tecuitlatl, meaning "stone's excrement" - which if you ask me, would have limited its appeal.
Packs a punch
With between 50% and 70% protein per ounce, Spirulina contains way more muscle-building potential than red meat or soy protein. Plus it's rich in essential fatty acids and vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6, B9 (folic acid), B12, C, D and E.
Currently, the most avid believers in the health benefits of Spirulina are the Japanese, who both produce and consume more of it than anyone else.
Hope for world hunger
But the most valuable use of Spirulina may be in combating severe malnutrition and related diseases. Spirulina is the most digestible protein food, especially important for malnourished people whose intestines can no longer absorb nutrients effectively. Just one tablespoon a day can eliminate iron anemia. What's more, Spirulina does not need fertile land for cultivation, and requires less energy and water to produce than any other protein.
As a result, the United Nations established the "Intergovernmental Institution for the use of Micro-Algae Spirulina Against Malnutrition" (IIMSAM) to promote Spirulina and appointed Argentinean soccer legend Diego Maradona as Goodwill Ambassador (an interesting choice, considering his problems with cocaine, ephedrine and alcohol abuse, obesity, cheating and close ties to Chavez and Castro - BUT I digress).
Do it yourself
If you have a your own scummy pond, you can even learn how to cultivate it yourself. And you might want to, considering it's outrageously expensive, at around $50 a pound.
What's the bad news?
Well, aside from the price...it IS pond scum, and the dark green color tends to stain anything it touches - which also makes it a natural food coloring. In fact, the Whole Foods website lists a Halloween recipe for a "Gross-Out Swampwater Punch" using Spirulina powder to get that perfect pond scum color. Trick or treat kids, it's good for you too.