Hydrilla Verticillata Health Benefits: Potent Nutrition – A True Green Superfood
Hydrilla Verticillata is an aquatic plant that grows in freshwater bodies throughout the American continent. This little-known nutritional powerhouse is a true green superfood in every sense of the word. Just one tablespoon (4.75 g) contains 624 mg of calcium (62.4% DV) and 475 mcg of B-12 (7.750% DV), making Hydrilla the most concentrated source of these nutrients in the world. . Hydrilla is also exceptionally rich in B vitamins and a number of other minerals, amino acids, essential fatty acids, enzymes, antioxidants, and health-promoting compounds. By weight, Hydrilla is around 50-60%. full protein and also contains high amounts of lysine.
Hydrilla powder supports the immune system, weight loss, healthy skin (amazing detoxifier), strong bones (excellent source of completely bioavailable calcium), general nutrition, and is a stimulant-free natural energy source.
Hydrilla’s nutrient density is attributed to its root structure, which grows deep in pure underground soil that has an abundance of essential and trace minerals. Other well-known aquatic green foods, such as spirulina or blue-green algae, live on fresh water, where they absorb nutrients and pollutants from the water’s surface, in addition to airborne pollutants. Hydrilla, being a rooted plant, is protected from airborne and floating pollutants, making it a cleaner aquatic plant. Additionally, submerged aquatic plants like Hydrilla accumulate nutrients from both soil and water. This gives them the ability to absorb more nutrients than surface plants. This advantage is especially true of the mineral content. Submerged macrophytes have a higher concentration of calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and trace elements.
Calcium is key to maintaining radiant health
Unlike the calcium found in synthetic vitamin and mineral supplements, Hydrilla contains an extremely bioavailable form that is fully utilized by the body. The calcium in Hydrilla is loaded with nutrient cofactors that allow for complete absorption, while the calcium found in the vast majority of vitamin pills is poorly absorbed. Synthetic calcium is usually only absorbed in about 20% of the total amount in a given product and tends to contribute to digestive tract over-alkalinity, often leading to a variety of health problems such as candida, among others.
Adequate daily calcium is difficult to obtain from diet alone. Dairy products are typical sources of calcium for many people, but in their current form, they are a poor source due to the riotous homogenization and pasteurization processes in the dairy industry. Pasteurization (heating the milk between 150-275 over a period of time) and homogenization (the processing of milk under high pressure that chemically alters the fat molecules) negatively affects the body’s ability to absorb calcium from the dairy products, resulting in decreased absorption. Raw milk, although available in some areas, is harder to come by. Even so, 1 cup of raw milk only has approx. 290 mg of calcium (source: Self Nutrient Database, milk) while Hydrilla has 312 mg of calcium in 1.5 tsp.
Other sources of calcium such as green leafy vegetables spinach, chard, kale, and others are loaded with oxalic acid which severely inhibits calcium absorption, making them mediocre sources at best (Hydrilla does not contain oxalic acid ). Also, the recommended daily intake of calcium is quite high, around 1000 mg for adults per day. The vast majority of people, and especially those on vegan / vegetarian / raw diets, do not achieve this.
With 624 mg of completely bioavailable Calcium per scoop, Hydrilla powder is an incredibly potent source of this essential, hard-to-get mineral. Adding Hydrilla to the diet can help calcium-deficient individuals obtain adequate amounts when included as part of a complete and balanced diet.
Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the human body and plays a fundamental role in multiple cellular and tissue processes. Most of the calcium is found in the bones and teeth. When the body is deficient in calcium or overly acidic, it extracts the mineral from bones and teeth to use as a pH buffer in the blood or for use in cellular processes, leading to osteoporosis and tooth decay. The Linus Pauling Institute states that, “The physiological functions of calcium are so vital to survival that the body will demineralize the bones to maintain normal blood calcium levels when calcium intake is inadequate. Therefore, adequate dietary calcium it is a critical factor in maintaining a healthy skeleton “
Calcium belongs to a group of minerals that exert a sedative effect on the nervous system. Therefore, calcium deficiency is often accompanied by anxiety and stress.
Vitamin B-12 and its role in mood, nervous system health, and DNA synthesis
Hydrilla powder is the most concentrated source of natural B12 on the planet. Hydrilla contains 500 mcg of B12 in one tablespoon, while oysters, second in density of B12 nutrients, provide approx. 50-100 mcg per cup (source: Oyster Auto Nutrients Database). Additionally, vegan / vegetarian sources of B12 are notoriously rare and even then contain only trace amounts of the nutrient, rendering them virtually useless as a reliable source of the vitamin (Hydrilla is a vegan product).
Research on vitamin B12 has shown a significant link between nutrient, mood, and nervous system disorders. People who experience fatigue, depression, mental confusion, anxiety, and other neurological symptoms often respond well to supplementation, as B12 plays an important role in neurotransmitter synthesis, as well as in the myelin sheath, which is critical for proper nerve transmission (source: Tufts Medical Center). Studies with rats showed a strong correlation between vitamin B12 deficiency and low levels of neurotransmitters (source: Deana R).
B12 also plays an important role in the synthesis of RNA and DNA. The Linus Pauling Institute explains:
“Methylcobalamin is necessary for the function of the folate-dependent enzyme, methionine synthase. This enzyme is necessary for the synthesis of the amino acid methionine from homocysteine. Methionine, in turn, is necessary for the synthesis of S- adenosylmethionine, a donor methyl group used in many biological methylation reactions, including the methylation of various sites within DNA and RNA. ” (source: Linus Pauling Institute)
One tablespoon of Hydrilla powder provides 7,750% (500 mcg) of the recommended daily intake (RDI) of vitamin B12. It is suggested that first time users start with a teaspoon and work from there to find a level that suits them. According to the Office of Dietary Supplements at the National Institute of Health, B12 showed no adverse effects in those who took relatively high doses of 1 mg (1,000 mcg) per day for 5 years. They affirm:
“The IOM did not establish a UL [upper limit] for vitamin B12 due to its low potential for toxicity. On Dietary Reference Intakes: Thiamine, Riboflavin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Folic Acid, Vitamin B12, Pantothenic Acid, Biotin, and Choline, the IOM states that “no adverse effects have been associated with excessive intake of vitamin B12 from food and supplements in healthy individuals.” (source: National Institute of Health)
Note: This entire product statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Quotes
Self nutrition facts: “Milk, whole, 3.25% milk fat”
Self nutrition facts: “Mollusks, oysters, oriental, wild, raw”
Tufts Medical Center Home Page: “B12 vitamin”
Deana R., Vincenti E., Deana AD., “Neurotransmitter levels in the brain of rats with vitamin B12 deficiency”, International Journal of Vitamin Nutrition Research
Linus Pauling Institute: “Micronutrient Database: Vitamin B-12”
National Institutes of Health – Office of Dietary Supplements: “B12 vitamin”
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