Nutriting nuSpiruline

What is Nutriting nuSpiruline?

Nutriting nuSpiruline is organic spirulina in tablet form, with no excipients whatsoever. Each tablet weighs 500 mg and contains nothing but spirulina powder; a six-tablet dose therefore delivers 3 g of spirulina, including 1.8 g of protein and 420 mg of phycocyanins. The 500-tablet bottle covers 83 days at that dose.

Spirulina, Spirulina platensis, is not strictly speaking an alga but a filamentous cyanobacterium grown in ponds. It has long been eaten as a powder or as tablets, and its appeal lies in its density: a great deal of protein, pigments, minerals and vitamins for very little material.

What sets this product apart is what it does not contain. A conventional spirulina tablet usually includes a binder, a bulking agent, sometimes an anti-caking agent: the powder on its own compresses poorly. Here the ingredient list runs to a single line, and that means the 500 mg on the label really are 500 mg of spirulina. The rest of the range can be browsed in our Nutriting section, and the other formats in our spirulina section.

What does a dose of nuSpiruline contain?

420 mg of phycocyanins per dose: this is the line that lets you compare two spirulinas, and it is precisely the one most sellers leave off. Phycocyanin is the blue pigment characteristic of spirulina, and its content varies widely from one producer to another depending on growing conditions and, above all, on the drying temperature. The manufacturer states a minimum of 14% here and a yearly average of 17%. When a label gives no phycocyanin content at all, it is generally not because that content is high.

On protein, let us keep things in proportion. 1.8 g per dose is accurate, but it is a marginal contribution to a daily requirement counted in tens of grams. Spirulina is not a protein source in any practical sense: at 60% protein, you would have to swallow 40 g a day to come close to what a serving of protein powder provides. If your goal is protein intake, look instead at our plant proteins section — that is more honest than selling spirulina for something it is not.

On the regulatory side, let us be clear: no health claim is authorised in Europe for spirulina. Not for energy, not for immunity, not for tiredness, not for sports performance. The dossiers came to nothing. What we can describe is a composition, an origin and a process — and that is already far more than most listings in this category offer.

The manufacturer states cultivation in southern India and low-temperature drying, below 50 °C, followed by packaging in France. Drying temperature is the decisive parameter for this product: it governs how well the pigments are preserved, and therefore the phycocyanin content just discussed. The manufacturer also states a protein digestibility of 85.2%, a figure we report while attributing it to them, as we are not in a position to verify it ourselves.

Ingredients list

Spirulina powder (Spirulina platensis) from organic farming. Single ingredient.

No declared allergens. Gluten-free, lactose-free, soya-free, GMO-free, non-irradiated, free from excipients and bulking agents, free from titanium dioxide, free from colourings, free from gelatine. The formula is suitable for vegetarian and vegan diets. Worth noting for those concerned: spirulina naturally contains phenylalanine.

How should you take nuSpiruline?

Dose: 4 to 6 tablets a day. Liquid: a large glass of water. Timing: with meals. Frequency: two intakes, morning and midday or morning and evening. Duration: 2 to 3 months minimum; can be taken all year round.

Start low and build up gradually. Two or three tablets for the first few days, then four, then six if you wish. In some people spirulina causes short-lived digestive discomfort at the start of a course, and that is not a sign of intolerance: it is simply too abrupt a start. Six tablets straight away is the classic mistake.

Split the dose rather than swallowing it all at once. Three tablets in the morning and three at midday go down considerably better than six in one go, and it makes no difference to the daily intake. Take them during a meal, with a large glass of water.

One practical point that matters: leave a gap between spirulina and any iron supplement. The two interfere with each other, and there is no reason to swallow them together. If you are taking a course of iron, take it in the morning on an empty stomach and the spirulina with later meals. The same logic applies to calcium-rich foods and supplements.

Two to three months: that is the duration the manufacturer recommends. The 500-tablet bottle covers 83 days at six a day, so roughly one full course, and more than four months if you stay at four tablets. This is one of the rare products in this category where you do not have to reorder every thirty days.

Who is nuSpiruline for, and who is it not for?

It is aimed at adults who want to add a nutrient-dense food to their diet, particularly on a vegetarian or vegan diet where nutrient sources are narrower. The excipient-free tablet format also appeals to those who have never managed to swallow the powder, whose taste is decidedly pronounced.

The precautions to know before buying. The product is not recommended in cases of phenylketonuria, as spirulina naturally provides phenylalanine. Pregnant and breastfeeding women should seek advice from a healthcare professional before use. In cases of hepatitis B or C, the manufacturer recommends a liver function test beforehand. If you are on thyroid medication or have a thyroid disorder, ask your doctor for advice. For adults only.

One point few sellers mention: the vitamin B12 in spirulina is not a reliable source. It occurs in a form the human body does not use in the way it uses dietary B12. If you follow a vegan diet, do not count on spirulina to cover that requirement: this is one where you are better off turning to our vitamin B section and to a blood test.

What you should not expect from it. No claim exists for spirulina in Europe. It does not make you lose weight, does not improve performance, does not replace any treatment and does not make up for an unbalanced diet. Persistent tiredness should be investigated by a doctor, not by a course of green tablets. It is a concentrated food, taken with full knowledge of the facts.

Spirulina or a multivitamin?

The question comes up often, and it deserves a straight answer rather than a plea for all things natural.

On paper, the multivitamin wins the regulatory comparison, and by some margin. Every vitamin and every mineral in it is dosed to the milligram, with nutrient reference values shown as percentages and, above all, with authorised claims: vitamin C contributes to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue, vitamin D to the maintenance of normal bones, zinc to the normal function of the immune system. These are official wordings, and spirulina has none. Our multivitamins section follows that logic.

Spirulina belongs to a different approach: it is a food, not a formula. It provides a complex whole — pigments, protein, minerals — whose individual effects cannot be cleanly isolated, and that is exactly what those who take it are after. If you would rather add a concentrated food than a synthetic tablet, that is a coherent choice, provided you do not credit it with the virtues of a medicine.

The two are not mutually exclusive, and they overlap less than people think. A common pairing is to keep spirulina for dietary density and to deal separately with the points genuinely identified — a lack of iron, low vitamin D in winter. That works better than hoping a single product will cover everything.

Frequently asked questions

How much phycocyanin is there per tablet?

70 mg per 500 mg tablet, i.e. 420 mg for a six-tablet dose. The manufacturer states a minimum titre of 14% and a yearly average of 17%. It is the only line that allows a serious comparison between two spirulinas: when it is not shown, you do not know what you are buying.

Four or six tablets a day?

The manufacturer provides for both. Start at two or three for the first few days, move up to four, then to six if you wish. At six tablets the bottle covers 83 days; at four, more than four months. Always split the dose into two intakes with meals.

Does spirulina cover a vegan's B12 requirements?

No. The B12 in spirulina occurs in a form the human body does not use in the way it uses dietary vitamin B12. If you follow a vegan diet, that requirement must be met another way and monitored with a blood test. Do not rely on this product for it.

Is there a binder or an excipient in the tablets?

No, and that is what makes this product distinctive: there is a single ingredient, nothing but compressed organic spirulina powder. A 500 mg tablet therefore corresponds to 500 mg of spirulina, which is not the case with every brand in this category.

Can it be taken alongside a course of iron?

Better to space them out. Take the iron in the morning on an empty stomach and the spirulina with meals through the day. The same precaution applies to calcium-rich foods and supplements. This is not a contraindication, merely a question of when you take them.

Why does the drying temperature matter?

Because pigments, phycocyanin among them, cope poorly with heat. The manufacturer states drying below 50 °C, which is consistent with the contents declared. Fast industrial drying at high temperature yields a powder poorer in pigments, for an identical weight of spirulina on the label.

Is there a risk of heavy metal contamination?

That is the legitimate question in this category, since spirulina concentrates whatever is in its growing medium. The manufacturer declares an absence of heavy metals for this product. We do not have an analysis report in hand and therefore cannot assert anything beyond what they themselves state.

Where can you buy Nutriting nuSpiruline?

The 500-tablet bottle can be ordered from this page, and we ship throughout France and Europe. At the Vendargues shop, about ten minutes from Montpellier, this is the product we recommend to anyone who gave up on spirulina powder because of the taste — the tablet settles the question in three seconds. What we always warn about, though, is the same thing: build up gradually, as six tablets straight away often has to be paid for the next day. The rest of our selection can be browsed in the sports nutrition section.