Astronaut's superfood will now be created by Mumbai's TB-hospital
Even as Mumbai battles tuberculosis, with over 50,000 new cases reported in 3 years, the Sewri tuberculosis hospital is mulling cultivating spirulina in its premises. Spirulina, touted as a super food, shows promise in treating TB patients, and so the hospital authorities plan to create multiple ponds inside the campus to culture it. BMC has already given them permission for this purpose, said officials.
'Was searching for supplements since long, finally got spirulina'
Dr Lalit Anande, chief medical officer, Sewri's Group of Tuberculosis Hospitals, said currently patients are being fed milk, bananas and eggs, along with their usual meals. But since the intake reduces due to the body's condition and malnutrition further aggravates TB, there was a search for a supplement. That's when he finally came across the blue-green algae, which even NASA recommends for its astronauts.
Know why spirulina is super-food and is recommended by NASA
Spirulina is loaded with almost all nutrients: necessary vitamins, minerals, iron, magnesium, beta-carotene, gamma-linolenic acid and all essential eight amino acids. Rich in potassium, phosphorous and calcium, it has significantly large amounts of protein too. No wonder just 100gms of it costs between Rs. 350-500!
1 spoon of spirulina powder contains one's daily nutritional requirement
While the plan is in place, Anande didn't give out details about sizes of ponds or the quantity of algae that'll be harvested. The Sewri hospital, one of Asia's biggest TB treatment facilities, has minimum thousand patients admitted at any time. So if spirulina is cultured, it'll help all, as just a spoonful of spirulina powder is enough for a person's daily nutritional requirement.
