The “cushuro”, also known as “murmunta, is an Andean algae considered as the food of the future, as specialists say it has more protein than meat, more calcium than milk and more iron than a plate of lentils. They even claim that their amount of protein doubles that of kiwicha and quinoa.
It comes from the Ancash lagoons (more than 3,000 meters high) and helps strengthen bones, detoxifies the body, and provides collagen to the skin to improve its elasticity and strengthen the hair root. But that is not all; studies say it can save a person from anemia and malnutrition.
The study
The cushuro, known scientifically as “nostoc”, has been investigated by the Doctor of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, Augusto Aldave Pajares, a Peruvian scientist who has traveled all the high Andean lagoons of Peru (habitat of the cushuro) for more than 50 years.
According to his studies published in the book “Algae: A Lifetime”, it is concluded that Cushuro has 30% protein, thus doubling quinoa and kiwicha that only have 15% protein. This seaweed also has all the essential amino acids, which makes it a food of even better protein intake than the meat itself.
And not to doubt the great power of cushuro, it has also been scientifically proven that it has more calcium than milk (145 mg / 20 mg) and more iron than lentils (83.6 mg / 7.6 mg).
All these properties have earned it the title of the “Andean miracle”. And the best part? It costs approximately 5 soles (the Peruvian national currency). That is why it is a nutritious, healthy food at a comfortable price.
