For years now, scientists have been telling the world we are starting to run out of land to grow crops and raise farm animals, causing future food concerns. Researchers are now looking for different ways of growing nutritious foods to replace the ones whose cultivation is no longer as sustainable. One of these is algae.
As the world’s population continues to increase, the need for food also increases. However, research shows we are quickly running out of farmable land.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the world can lose up to 250 million crop production acres by 2050 due to urbanization, soil degradation, and climate change.
And factors like climate change, maintenance costs, and access to water are causing problems with raising livestock.
As people need to eat to survive, researchers are now looking for alternative food options that are more sustainable, yet still provide the nutrition people require to thrive.
For these reasons, some scientists believe
Algae are naturally occurring water-based, simple photosynthetic organisms. They grow in all types of natural bodies of water, both fresh and saltwater.
Like all plants, algae live by using photosynthesis to create their own nutrients and add oxygen to the air and water around them. Unlike other aquatic plants, algae do not have any leaves, roots, or stems.
Algae can range in size from extremely small
Previous studies have shown that different types of algae 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 — may help lower blood pressure.
According to Dr. Stephen Mayfield, a professor of biology at the University of California, San Diego, director of the California Center for Algae…
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