As the world’s population continues to increase, the need for food also increases, however we are rapidly running out of arable land, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the world stands to lose up to 250 million acres. crop production by 2050 due to urbanization, land degradation and climate change.
Climate change also increases maintenance costs and access to water that are causing problems with cattle raising.
Since people need to eat to survive, researchers are now looking for alternative food options that are more sustainable while still providing the nutrition people need to thrive.
For these reasons, some scientists believe that algae may be the answer, since they are simple photosynthetic organisms, they thrive in all kinds of natural water bodies, both freshwater and saltwater.
Like all plants, algae live by photosynthesis to create their own nutrients and add oxygen to the air and water around them. Unlike other aquatic plants, algae do not have leaves, roots, or stems.
Algae can range in size from extremely small microalgae to large colonies of marine algae. It is a diverse group that includes blue-green, green, red, and brown algae.
Previous studies have shown that different types of seaweed have potential medicinal benefits. For example, one study found that red marine algae could help treat fatty liver disease. And other research found that taking spirulina, a type of blue-green algae, can help lower blood pressure—the algae is, biochemically speaking, a superfood. This is due to its high content of protein, essential fatty acids, minerals and vitamins.
Many different species of microalgae are also rich sources of different antioxidants. Therefore, algae are a great alternative for the future diet of the human species.