Hydrilla Verticillata Health Benefits: Powerful 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 (4.75g) contains 624mg of calcium (62.4% DV) and 475mcg B-12 (7750% DV), making Hydrilla the world’s most concentrated source of these nutrients. Hydrilla is also exceptionally rich in B vitamins and a host of other minerals, amino acids, essential fatty acids, enzymes, antioxidants, and health-promoting compounds. By weight, Hydrilla is approximately 50-60% complete protein and more contains high amounts of lysine.
Hydrilla powder supports the immune system, weight loss, healthy skin (incredible detox), strong bones (excellent source of fully bioavailable calcium), overall 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 is rich in essential and trace minerals. Other well-known green aquatic foods, such as spirulina or blue-green algae, live above fresh water, where they absorb nutrients and pollutants from the water’s surface, as well as pollutants from the air. Hydrilla, being a rooted plant, is protected from airborne and floating pollutants, making it a cleaner aquatic plant. Also, 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 mineral content. Submerged macrophytes have a higher concentration of calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, and trace minerals.
Calcium is key to maintaining radiant health
Unlike 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 packed with nutrient cofactors that allow for complete absorption, whereas the calcium found in the vast majority of vitamin pills is poorly absorbed. Synthetic calcium is typically only absorbed for about 20% of the total amount in a given product and tends to contribute to excessive alkalinity in the digestive tract, often leading to a variety of health problems such as candida , among others.
Adequate daily calcium is difficult to obtain through diet alone. Dairy products are typical sources of calcium for many people, but in its current form, they are a poor source due to the rampant homogenization and pasteurization processes in the dairy industry. Pasteurization (heating milk to between 150 and 275°C for a period of time) and homogenization (high-pressure processing of milk that chemically alters the fat molecules) negatively affects the body’s ability to absorb calcium from dairy products, resulting in increased 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: Autonutrient Database, milk), while Hydrilla has 312 mg of calcium in 1.5 tsp.
Other sources of calcium, such as leafy greens, spinach, Swiss chard, kale, and others, are loaded with oxalic acid, which severely inhibits calcium absorption, making them mediocre sources at best. cases (Hydrilla does not contain oxalic acid). Also, the recommended daily intake of calcium is quite high, around 1000 mg per day for adults. The vast majority of people, and especially those on vegan/vegetarian/raw diets, fall well short of this.
With 624mg of fully bioavailable calcium per tablespoon, Hydrilla powder is an incredibly potent source of this essential but difficult-to-obtain mineral. Adding Hydrilla to the diet can help people who are deficient in calcium to 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 too acidic, it extracts the mineral from bones and teeth for 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 bone to maintain normal blood calcium levels when calcium intake is inadequate. Therefore, adequate dietary calcium is a critical factor in maintaining a healthy skeleton”
Calcium is one of 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 naturally occurring B12 on the planet. Hydrilla contains 500 mcg of B12 in a tablespoon, while oysters, runner-up for B12 nutrient density, provide approx. 50-100 mcg per cup (source: autonutrient database, oysters). Also, vegan/vegetarian sources of B12 are notoriously rare and even contain only minute 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, brain fog, anxiety, and other neurological symptoms often respond well to supplementation, as B12 plays an important role in the synthesis of neurotransmitters, as well as 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 neurotransmitter levels (source: Deana R).
B12 also plays an important role in the synthesis of RNA and DNA. The Linus Pauling Institute explains:
“Methylcobalamin is required for the function of the folate-dependent enzyme methionine synthase. This enzyme is required for the synthesis of the amino acid methionine from homocysteine. Methionine, in turn, is required 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 powdered Hydrilla provides 7,750% (500 mcg) of the Recommended Daily Intake (RDI) of vitamin B12. It is suggested that first time users start with one teaspoon and work from there to find the level that works best for them. According to the Office of Dietary Supplements of the National Institute of Health, B12 showed no adverse effects in those who took relatively high doses of 1 mg (1000 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. In Dietary Reference Intakes: Thiamine, Riboflavin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Folate, 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 complete 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 data: “Whole milk, 3.25% milk fat”
Self-nutrition data: “Molluscs, Oysters, Oriental, Wild, Raw”
Tufts Medical Center home page: “B12 vitamin”
Deana R., Vincenti E., Deana AD., “Neurotransmitter levels in the brain of vitamin B12-deficient rats,” International Journal of Vitamin Nutrition Research
Linus Pauling Institute: “Micronutrient Database: Vitamin B-12”
National Institutes of Health – Office of Dietary Supplements: “B12 vitamin”