Add This Powder to Your Drink to Flush Toxins, Ease Inflammation, and Nix Allergy Symptoms

Let spirulina, the deep-sea toxin magnet, help you sail into summer happy and slim! One of the most popular supplements out there, this blue-green algae is chock full of vitamins and nutrients that can promote weight loss, stimulate energy, and boost immunity. We love spirulina powder because you can add it to a smoothie to make it even more delicious and healthy. Read on for more spirulina perks, plus three smoothie recipes.

Flushes Toxins

Often added to smoothies in powdered form, spirulina gets its vibrant hue from chlorophyll, a plant pigment that binds to damaging toxins and ferries them out of the body. Indeed, Japanese scientists found that a chlorophyll-rich diet slashes toxins stored in fat cells by 50 percent in five days, instantly shrinking fat stores.

Eases Inflammation

This superfood brims with a powerful antioxidant (phycocyanin) that collects and disposes of damaging free radicals before they can cause the cellular inflammation linked to weight gain, heart disease and diabetes. In fact, Korean scientists found that a daily dose of spirulina can reduce levels of key inflammatory markers by 28 percent in 12 weeks.

Relieves Allergy Symptoms

Just 1 teaspoon of spirulina powder daily can cut your sniffling, sneezing, and itching by 74 percent. That’s the word from British researchers, who say the blue-green algae is packed with compounds (carotenoids) that calm immune cells and reduce the production of allergy causing histamines by 32 percent.

Cherry-Berry Blastoff

• 1 cup cranberrycherry juice
• 1⁄2 cup blackberries
• 1⁄2 teaspoon spirulina powder

Puree all ingredients with 1⁄2 cup ice. If desired, garnish with fresh berries. Makes 1 serving.

Pineapple-Kiwi Power-Up

• 1 kiwi, peeled, diced
• 1⁄2 banana, peeled
• 1⁄2 cup baby spinach
• 1⁄2 cup pineapple juice
• 1 teaspoon spirulina powder

Puree all ingredients with 1⁄2 cup ice; pour into glass. If desired, garnish with toasted pistachios. Makes 1 serving.

Mixed-Berry Zinger

• 1 1⁄2 cups frozen raspberries
• 1⁄2 cup diced fresh strawberries
• 1⁄4 teaspoon spirulina powder
• 2 teaspoon honey
• 2 teaspoon lime juice

In blender, puree all ingredients until smooth. If desired, garnish with mint leaves. Makes 1 serving.

This article originally appeared in our print magazine, First For Women.