Ancient Sun's Blue Manna is an unrivaled supplement that has many of the qualities of the fabled manna from heaven, a life-sustaining food. Today it enjoys a growing popularity as people discover the amazing life-enhancing properties of this product.

 

Blue Manna is a water-soluble extract/concentrate derived from whole AFA. To produce a single pound of Blue Manna, five pounds of AFA are required. Unlike Crystal Manna (the whole AFA algae), Blue Manna contains a 50% higher ratio of amino accids per gram than Crystal Manna and a significantly higher concentration of two active compounds—Phycocyanin and Phenylethylamine (PEA) properties.

 

These instructions for recommended use should be taken as guidelines only. Individuals will require different amounts for optimal results. If you have any medical questions, consult with your physician or healthcare practitioner.

 

Blue Manna was developed especially for individuals requiring ultimate nutritional support for the brain and nervous system, as well as the joints and tissues. Blue Manna is not a substitute for Crystal Manna--when it is used regularly with Crystal Manna the range of benefits is broadened and the effectiveness of both is greatly enhanced.

 

We also recommend that a good probiotic (including both Acidophilus and Bifidus) be taken along with Crystal Manna AFA to maximize the assimilation of nutrients in the digestive tract.

 

Additionally, drinking lots of water and exercising regularly is an essential part of maintaining good health.

 

What is Fresh-Dried?

 

Fresh-Dried is a trademark of Ancient Sun Nutrition, Inc. referring to an exclusive harvesting and drying process, unique to the manufacture of Ancient Sun products. Part of the secret of our advanced Fresh-Dried process involves our harvester's exclusive access to RefractanceWindow Drying? Technology to dry the algae immediately after harvesting, bypassing the normal freezing step which tends to damage the cell wall, creating a subsequent loss in nutrient retention and freshness. We believe this exclusive process confers a distinct advantage on those distributing or consuming Ancient Sun Products. View a comparison of Refractance Window vs. spray drying and freeze drying here.

 

The manufacture and processing of Fresh-Dried AFA involves various proprietary technologies allowing for the extraction of Aphanizomenon flos-aquae from the natural environment without damaging its fragile nutritional integrity. The result is fresher, premium grade, wild blue-green algae, having retained maximum nutrients, enzymatic activity, and potency.

 

 

Ancient Sun's harvester adheres to a stringent quality control program to ensure our products are only harvested under optimal conditions. Specific criteria are met to certify the quality of the end product.

 

Our procedures utilize established methods to reduce bacterial load and provide a final product that meets food industry standards.

 

All harvesting and processing are conducted in accordance with the Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) set forth by the National Nutritional Foods Association (NNFA).

 

 

Aphanizomenon flos-aquae is emerging as a unique dietary supplement with scientifically demonstrated health-promoting effects. It grows naturally and is harvested from a natural environment. Strict adherence to highest quality practices is essential for the production of a superior quality product that preserves all the properties of fresh Aphanizomenon flos-aquae.

 

Production of the highest quality product is the core value that determines all of Ancient Sun Nutrition's manufacturing processes and practices. Additionally, Ancient Sun strives to offer the most informative scientifically-based marketing support material and overall services to its customers, competitively-priced.

 

Ancient Sun's harvester has developed one of the most comprehensive and stringent Quality Assurance / Quality Control (QA/QC)programs in the dietary supplement industry. Their QA/QC program ensures that algae is harvested only in optimal conditions (speciation, biomass), that the integrity and quality of the harvested algae is preserved (speciation, temperature), that specific criteria are met in order to optimize production and the quality of the end product (solid content), and that the finished blue-green algae powder meets all the criteria for optimum quality as a food product (microbiology, chlorophyll content, pesticides, heavy metals, microcystin).

 

Speciation is a test performed under a microscope that determines the species of algae growing at any one time and location in the Klamath Lake. Speciation analysis is performed every day on samples of lake water before harvesting to determine that the harvested bloom is 99% Aphanizomenon flos-aquae. The speciation is performed at multiple sites providing information to monitor growth and movement of algae blooms in Klamath Lake. The speciation analysis is repeated on harvested algae, in the harvester's holding tank to confirm that the harvested algae is a virtual monoculture (99% AFA).

 

Biomass refers to the quantity of algae per volume of water. Greatest benefits are obtained from blue-green algae when the algal bloom is in full growth. Therefore, to ensure quality and highest bioactivity, algae is harvested only when the biomass exceeds a specific threshold.

 

Temperature. One of the most important factors to preserve the integrity of harvested algae is the ability to chill algae as soon as possible and to constantly maintain the harvested algae at low temperature. On each harvesting vessel, the harvested algae is transferred to a refrigerated tank within minutes of being harvested. The time interval between harvesting and chilling is closely monitored. The temperature of the harvested algae is monitored throughout the entire process and maintained below 42 degrees F at all times.

 

Solid content refers to the quantity of solid algae particles per volume of liquid algae. In order to optimize the drying process and reduce the effect water removal during drying, the algae is further dewatered prior to drying using DLT?s proprietary Refractance Window process. To ensure optimal processing and highest quality, solid content of the harvested algae closely is monitored.

 

Microbiology. Various sanitary and health standards have been established in the food industry. Our harvester's QA/QC program utilizes methods to reduce bacterial load and provide a final product that exceeds all criteria of quality. The table below summarizes the various tests performed, along with the food industry and our harvesters acceptable limits.

 

Chlorophyll Content. Chlorophyll is one of the first nutrients to degrade when the harvested algae is not rapidly chilled and handled with care. The amount of intact chlorophyll is monitored in the validation of every steps of the harvesting process and quantified in the final product.

 

Pesticides. The waters of Klamath Lake have been tested numerous times by local governmental agencies and since 1990 were always found free of pesticides and other chemical contaminants. Harvested algae has always been found free of pesticides. Nonetheless, to ensure the highest quality, a full pesticide profile is regularly performed on harvested algae.

 

Heavy Metals. Quality Control procedures for wildcrafted foods require monitoring for the presence of heavy metals. As part of our harvester?s comprehensive QA/QC Program, each lot is tested for the presence of heavy metals.

 

 

Aphanizomenon flos-aquae is not, strictly speaking, algae. Upper Klamath Lake blue-green algae is in the class cyanobacteria, or Cyanophyta as it is currently classified. Spirulina also belongs to this family of organisms. However, the term “blue-green algae” is ubiquitous in the nutrition industry for describing both spirulina, and Klamath Lake Aphanizomenon flos-aquae, or AFA for short. Chlorella, another nutritional product, is a member of the green algae family. While “algae” is plural, to avoid confusion, the term is treated throughout this document as singular when referring to spirulina, chlorella and AFA.

 

Cyanobacteria are aquatic and photosynthetic, meaning, they live in the water and can manufacture their own food. They have the distinction of being the oldest known fossils, more than 3.5 billion years old. They are one of the largest and most important groups of bacteria on earth, and have been tremendously important in shaping the course of evolution and ecological change throughout earth's history. Numerous cyanobacteria during the Achaean and Proterozoic Eras generated the planet’s oxygen atmosphere and continue to sustain it today. Previous to those eras, the atmosphere had a very different chemistry that was unsuitable for life as we know it.

 

Naturally occurring blue-green algae is a rich source of phytonutrients and has been consumed by humans for centuries. The bountiful supply of naturally occurring minerals and the unique artesian springs that feed Klamath Lake nourishes the abundant natural growth of Aphanizomenon flos-aquae (Primordial Food 23). Studies have suggested that at any given time during the bi-annual growing season, there are more than 14 million pounds of AFA growing in Klamath Lake, and that it is able to replenish itself every 48 hours, offering a virtually unlimited source of this extraordinary natural food.

 

 

Aphanizomenon flos-aquae is a unique dietary product with scientifically demonstrated health-promoting benefits. It contains a bounty of vital nutrients and antioxidants to help nourish and protect the body, including chlorophyll, carotenoids, omega-3 and many other polyunsaturated fatty acids, amino acids, minerals, vitamins and the powerful antioxidant-pigment phycocyanin. Significant scientific research supports and validates the superlative nutrient value of the biological, pharmacological and chemo-protective properties of Upper Klamath Lake blue-green algae.

 

Chlorophyll, a green pigment found in plants that is responsible for the transformation of light energy into chemical energy, is exceptionally abundant in AFA. Scientific research, as well as popular medicine, has evidenced the healing, cleansing and energizing properties of chlorophyll. A by-product of chlorophyll in the digestive system, chlorophyllin, has been shown to have strong properties, specifically targeting liver issues.

 

AFA is one of the richest sources of the carotenoid family of nutrients, providing a distinctive mixture of natural carotenoids not found in synthetic vitamin supplements. Research has found that a diverse selection of natural carotenoids work together synergistically and offer greater antioxidant protection than large amounts of a single carotenoid, such as vitamin A.

 

Nearly 50 percent of the lipid (essential fatty acid) content of dried AFA is composed of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). Recent research has shown that the average American diet is highly deficient in omega-3 PUFAs. Dietary omega-3 PUFAs are beneficial to the immune, cardiovascular and nervous systems. Omega-3 PUFAs also have anti-inflammatory properties and help to maintain a healthy cholesterol level. A study performed at Massachusetts General Hospital, affiliated with Harvard University, revealed that the omega-3 fatty acids present in AFA are extremely well-absorbed by the body. The lipid content of dried AFA averages 5 percent of the dry weight and of this 5 percent, approximately 50 percent is omega-3 fatty acids.

 

A team of scientists at the Massachusetts General Hospital also identified in AFA a unique inhibitory activity that affect specific intestinal enzymes, delaying the absorption of sugars and reducing blood glucose. This discovery is one of the proposed mechanisms underlying the benefits obtained by many diabetic patients and people suffering from hypoglycemia who consume AFA.

 

Continuing research is focusing on a number of AFA extracts that exhibit neuroactive, anti-viral and anti-inflammatory properties, enhance immune cell-circulation and modulate immune cell functions.

 

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Important legal note: Though we are happy to provide products and services which will help you to improve your health and well being, we do not 'treat', or aim to 'cure' any disease. The information in this web page is for information purposes only.