Can be grown in a home aquarium
Lately, there’s been a lot of talk about the algae spirulina: a product that’s cheap to produce and incredibly beneficial for the human body. Spirulina is a cyanobacterium that reproduces by cell division in water with the addition of simple mixtures. Nika Dubrovsky spoke with Ruslan Gevorgiz, a researcher at the Institute of Biology of the Southern Seas (Sevastopol), about the potential uses of spirulina.
— Tell us how you started working with spirulina. Why did you choose it over other types of algae?
— Spirulina is a convenient subject for studying photosynthesis, which is why it’s been popular among scientists studying photosynthesis and related cell processes for over a century. Our lab is no exception; we’ve been working with spirulina for over 15 years. Spirulina is just one species of microalgae (cyanobacteria) among 30,000 known to science, and historically, it’s gained attention in the media as a kind of miracle organism.
Our ancestors’ diets were rich in fruits and vegetables. Today, people restrict themselves to a minimal set of foods. We consume too much sugar, processed food, and fast food. The food choices we make lead to frequent illnesses, premature aging, and stress on the body.
Healthy eating from the caveman era
Part of the growing interest in spirulina comes from travel accounts of people who have traditionally eaten it, such as locals near Lake Texcoco in Mexico and the Kanembu people around Lake Chad in Africa. Research into the nutritional properties of microalgae also contributed, as it is a potential food source for solving hunger in developing countries. The biggest reason for spirulina’s popularity is its extremely high protein content – up to 70% – which is uncommon for most food products.
— So what exactly is this mysterious spirulina we keep hearing about? We know it’s sold as a “superfood” and it’s not cheap. A small jar of powder (150g) costs about 20 euros. Advertisements claim it can cure countless illnesses, boost overall health, help seniors and children, pregnant people and even pets. What’s actually true, and what’s… not so much?
— There’s nothing mysterious about spirulina, it’s not much different from other microalgae. But there are a few important distinctions. First, while spirulina is classified as a cyanobacterium (a group that includes many toxic species), there are no known cases of spirulina poisoning. In fact, there are no known side effects from consuming spirulina (!), which can’t be said about most modern medications. No side effects – and that’s no surprise. After all, we don’t talk about side effects from eating carrots or parsley, we just know they’re healthy sources of vitamins. The same goes for spirulina: it’s not a drug, miracle cure, or elixir of youth. It’s a plant, like a carrot or parsley. All the overblown claims are just marketing hype from sellers who want to profit as much and as quickly as possible.
Ask yourself: can you find this food or its ingredients in nature? In a garden, a field, a forest? You can find cucumbers, potatoes, or a chicken leg. But have you ever seen wild sausages growing on a tree? What’s even in them?
Spirulina can’t replace everything, just like carrots can’t, but its daily consumption is recommended for everyone: the elderly, children, pregnant people. The only difference is in the dosage. For sick people or those doing heavy physical work, 7–10g per day is recommended. For healthy individuals, 1–3g per day is enough. There’s a rule of thumb: your spirulina dosage changes over your lifetime. Your own body will tell you whether you need it today or should take a break. Based on experience, we suggest a cycle: two weeks on, one week off. But everyone can adjust this according to their own wellbeing.
Spirulina really is a high-quality food. And that’s what city dwellers lack most. Imagine how much better our health would be if we ate only clean, organic food? We’d be much healthier for sure. But there’s no guarantee that spirulina will cure cancer, baldness, impotence, or other illnesses. Claims like these often come from poorly educated advertisers or greedy businessmen.
— What do you consider spirulina’s most beneficial properties?
— Spirulina is an ancient single-celled organism; it doesn’t even have a nucleus. Over thousands of years of evolutionary struggle, it’s developed an ability to survive in extremely harsh conditions. That means its cells are packed with everything necessary for survival. Beyond its own beneficial biomass, spirulina can absorb and retain trace elements in organic form. Our lab has developed methods to produce spirulina biomass with predetermined levels of elements like iodine, zinc, selenium, and others. We still don’t fully understand how it retains these elements, it’s a mystery we’re researching. But the fact remains: the elements stay in spirulina for 3–5 years or longer.
— Why is this ability to retain trace elements so important?
— Take iodine, for example. Most people who don’t eat seafood regularly, like those in inland or northern areas, suffer from iodine deficiency which can cause thyroid problems. The typical solution is iodized salt. But the iodine in salt is in inorganic form and is harder for the body to absorb. Spirulina with high iodine content contains it in organic form, making it almost fully absorbable. In this case, spirulina’s value lies not only in its biomass, but in the organic iodine it contains.
There’s also a known problem with iodized salt: iodine is volatile. After 3–5 months, iodized salt turns into regular table salt.
— If spirulina is food and not just a supplement, could a person survive by eating only spirulina? What happens if someone eats nothing but spirulina?
— In extreme conditions, yes, a person wouldn’t die eating only spirulina. It contains almost everything you need. But why put yourself through such an experiment?
Such tests were actually carried out back in the 1970s in the USSR (in Krasnoyarsk). At that time, space programs were booming. Soviet scientists were tasked with developing a life-support system where microalgae would balance human metabolism during long-term space missions or extraterrestrial settlements.
They succeeded. The experiments showed that in a closed ecosystem, sealed for gases and water, microalgae could supply oxygen, absorb CO₂, and recycle waste products indefinitely. Some experiments lasted over a year. Due to the fall of the USSR, the results were never implemented in zero-gravity environments like the moon as originally planned.
Our lab head, Rudolf Pavlovich Trenkenshu, was part of that work.
— How fast does spirulina reproduce? Is it hard to grow?
— There’s nothing complicated if you know how. It’s like growing houseplants or keeping aquarium fish: if you know what to feed them, they thrive. Spirulina can divide up to five times per day under optimal conditions. But maintaining those conditions industrially is a challenge. So don’t expect miracles; doubling your biomass is already a good result.
— How did spirulina — once seen as a food to fight hunger and a superfood for humanity — become just another expensive supplement?
— Politics, as usual. When officials hear that spirulina cures everything, grows fast, and is trendy, they want to associate themselves with its success. Spirulina gets discussed in high circles, funds are allocated for aid projects like feeding malnourished people in Africa. Suddenly, everyone wants to help… until the PR goal is reached. Then the funding stops, and interest vanishes.
As for pricing, it’s just business. Even if spirulina costs little to produce, it won’t be sold cheaply in wealthy countries. If people in Germany pay 20 euros for 150g, no business is going to sell it for 1 euro and lose 19 euros. If sales drop, prices might lower, packages might shrink, or worst of all – quality drops. It’s clear that at 20 euros, spirulina won’t be bought in Africa.
— What is your institute’s main focus in spirulina research?
— Our institute is called the Institute of Biology of the Southern Seas. We have several research branches involving marine life. One of our key areas is controlled biosynthesis of microalgae. In simple terms, we study how to change environmental conditions (light, temperature, etc.) to stimulate the production of beneficial compounds in microalgae.
— How do your “professional strains” of spirulina differ from what someone might scoop from a pond? Is it dangerous to collect and grow a wild strain?
— You’d need to be an expert in the taxonomy of lower phototrophs. “Spirulina” is a generic term. The species commonly used is Spirulina (Arthrospira) platensis. There are other species in the genus, but only a specialist can tell them apart.
— Based on what you’re saying, anyone could grow spirulina in their kitchen. It’s pretty undemanding. So people could have their own supply of clean, high-quality food. And industries could grow it for biofuel or extract trace elements.
— Absolutely. And it’s not just spirulina; other algae like chlorella, dunaliella, porphyridium, and haematococcus are also being explored. Spirulina is very growable at home, with a little knowledge and practice.
— So how do you grow spirulina in your kitchen? What do you need?
— First, you need spirulina itself. Second, you need a cultivator with an aquarium air pump. A regular glass or plastic aquarium works — narrow tanks are best, say 20 cm wide, 30 cm high, and 2–3 cm thick. You can find photos of cultivators on our website. Third, you’ll need a nutrient solution. It can be prepared at home using common pharmacy scales.
Interview by Nika Dubrovsky
