Originally published January 3 2006
Cereal grasses and microalgae rank high in nutrition among natural products
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
Mitchell May, chief executive officer of Synergy Production Laboratories, shares his special perspective on the growing amount of consumers interest in green foods like cereal grasses and microalgae.
Within the nutraceutical and functional food arena the term green foods generally refers to certain microalgae and cereal grasses.These ingredients are also known as "super foods" due to their high content of phytonutrients, often including a full array of vitamins, minerals, flavonoids and protein.
Consumer interest in this category is on the rise---something many suppliers attribute to the increased profile of the importance of consuming nutrient-rich fruits and vegetables.
"Government agencies and the mainstream media are emphasizing, on a weekly basis, the importance of whole food nutrition," said Mitchell May, chief executive officer of Synergy Production Laboratories.
For nutritional purposes, most cereal grass is planted in the fall, grown through the winter and harvested in the spring just prior to "jointing", the peak of vegetative development when the plant begins to sprout the grain.
The research history on cereal grasses extends back into the 1940s.
As reported in Cereal Grasses: What's In It for You by Ronald Seibold, the co-founder of Pines, a team of researchers presented information about cereal grasses at the annual meeting of the American Chemical Society.1 They reported on the nutrient concentration in grasses prior to the jointing stage, including what they termed the "grass juice factor" that provided nutritional enrichment to animals beyond similar stock supplements of the identified vitamins.
The category includes chlorella, spirulina, Aphanizomenon flos-aquae (AFA), Dunaliella and Haematococcus.
On its own, chlorella appears to be beneficial in promoting good health and enhancing the body's ability to fight disease states.
Chlorella also appears to have a role in immune function, working to modulate the immune response.
Indian researchers report spirulina has a rich nutrient profile with a host of functions including serving as an immuno-modulator, a regulator of lipid and carbohydrate metabolism, and an anticarcinogen.
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