Spirulina Research Analysis

Frank, Kurtis; Patel, Kamal; Lopez, Gregory; Willis, Bill

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Spirulina

Spirulina is a non-toxic blue-green algae. It is a source of phycocyanobilin. Preliminary evidence suggests spirulina is remarkably potent at protecting the brain and reducing liver fat.

Research analysis led by Kamal Patel .
Reviewed by
Examine.com Team
Last Updated: Feb 19, 2020

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Summary of Spirulina

Primary information, health benefits, side effects, usage, and other important details

Spirulina is a blue-green algae. It is an easily produced, non-toxic species of Arthrospira bacteria.

Spirulina is often used as a vegan source of protein and vitamin B12. It is between 55-70% protein, but studies suggest it is a subpar source of B12, as the vitamin is not absorbed well after ingestion.

Human evidence suggests that spirulina can improve lipid and glucose metabolism, while also reducing liver fat and protecting the heart. Animal studies are very promising as well, as spirulina has been shown to be of similar potency as commonly used reference drugs, when it comes to neurological disorders. These effects also extend to arthritis and immunology.

Spirulina has a few active components. The main ingredient is called phycocyanobilin, which makes up about 1% of spirulina. This compound mimics the body’s bilirubin compound, in order to inhibit an enzyme complex called Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide Phosphate (NADPH) oxidase. By inhibiting NADPH oxidase, spirulina provides potent anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory effects.

The neurological effects of spirulina need more human evidence. Based on animal evidence, spirulina appears to be a promising anti-oxidant and supplement for metabolic issues.

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How to Take

Medical Disclaimer

Recommended dosage, active amounts, other details

The dose of spirulina used in studies examining its effects vary greatly. In general, 1-8 g per day of spirulina has been shown to have some effect. The specific doses depend on the condition its being used for:

For cholesterol, doses in the range of 1-8 g per day may be impactful
For muscle performance, doses of 2-7.5 g per day have been used
For blood glucose control, very mild effects have been seen with 2 g per day
Blood pressure may be affected at doses of 3.5-4.5 g per day
Effects for fatty liver have been seen at doses of 4.5 g per day

Spirulina is about 20% C-phycocyanin by weight, and about 1% phycocyanobilin by weight. The dosage range of 200mg/kg C-phycocyanin (1g/kg spirulina) converted to human equivalent doses from rats is approximately:

11.0g for a 150lb person
14.5g for a 200lb person
18.2g for a 250lb person

Further research is needed to determine whether spirulina should be taken once a day, or in smaller doses, multiple times per day.

It is not recommended to exceed the highest dose mentioned above, as no clear benefits have been noted beyond that level.

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Human Effect Matrix

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The Human Effect Matrix summarizes human studies to tell you what effects Spirulina has on your body, how much evidence there is, and how strong these effects are.
Full details are available to Examine Plus members.

Grade	Level of Evidence [show legend]
	Robust research conducted with repeated double-blind clinical trials
	Multiple studies where at least two are double-blind and placebo controlled
	Single double-blind study or multiple cohort studies
	Uncontrolled or observational studies only

Outcome	Magnitude of effect ? The direction and size of the supplement's impact on each outcome. Some supplements can have an increasing effect, others have a decreasing effect, and others have no effect.	Consistency of research results ? Scientific research does not always agree. HIGH or VERY HIGH means that most of the scientific research agrees.	Notes
Lipid Peroxidation	Notable	Very High See all 3 studies	Although there is no reference drug to compare the effects of Spirulina against, the decrease in lipid peroxidation as assessed by serum MDA is quite notable and is likely stronger than other supplements. A comparative study would be needed
Triglycerides	Notable	Moderate See all 8 studies	In populations with metabolic syndrome or related morbidities (diabetes, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, etc.) spirulina in a variety of doses between 1-8g daily is able to reduce triglycerides up to 10-15%.
HDL-C	Minor	Very High See all 7 studies	A positive influence of spirulina on HDL-C appears to be present, but the magnitude of benefit is not overly remarkable and varies depending on the disease state (with states associated with fatty liver having a much greater increase in HDL-C seen with spirulina)
LDL-C	Minor	Very High See all 6 studies	Degree of efficacy seems variable and correlated with disease state (more drastic improvements when LDL-C is much higher) but currently does not appear to be overly remarkable unless fatty liver exists.
Muscular Endurance	Minor	High See all 3 studies	Studies currently assessing the effects of spirulina on muscular endurance are too hetereogeneous to properly assess potency thereof. However, a positive effect does appear to exist
Total Cholesterol	Minor	Very High See all 6 studies	Reductions in cholesterol seen are positive, but not overly remarkable
Allergies	Strong	- See study	The lone study suggests that spirulina is strongly effective in controlling allergies, with the symptoms of nasal discharge, sneezing, nasal congestion and itching being time-dependently reduced. According to self-reports, more than twice as many subjects in the spirulina group reported more than a 2-fold increase in satisfaction with treatment.
Nasal Congestion	Strong	- See study	The decrease in nasal congestion seen in the one study was remarkably strong relative to placebo in a model of allergic rhinitus; it is not sure if this applies to other causes of nasal congestion.
Blood Pressure	Notable	Moderate See all 3 studies	Insufficient evidence to fully evaluate the effects on blood pressure, but given how 6 weeks supplementation reduced both systolic and diastolic in nonhypertensive persons by about 11/6 points it is notable
General Oxidation	Notable	- See study	Notable due to mechanisms, but requires studies with reference drugs and more biomarkers measured.
HbA1c	Notable	Moderate See 2 studies	Lone study noted a decrease from 9% to 8% with 2g spirulina, which is somewhat notable but requires more evidence to establish this.
Power Output	Notable	- See study	Notable as acute power output (leg extension measurement) increased by 20-30% (more efficacy in untrained persons, some efficacy in trained persons) after 8 weeks whereas placebo failed to have an increase. Needs more research to fine-tune the efficacy.
Symptoms of Oral Cancer	Notable	- See study	The lesions were fully healed in 44% of the 1g spirulina group relative to 7% of the placebo; although no reference drug was used.
Anti-Oxidant Enzyme Profile	Minor	Very High See 2 studies	Although increases have been noted in glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase, it is difficult to assess potency thereof as there are no active controls and the two studies heterogenous.
Arsenic Poisoning	Minor	- See study	Somewhat effective, but requires more evidence; no reference drug was used to compare
Blood Glucose	Minor	Moderate See all 3 studies	Reductions in blood glucose seen are not overly remarkable or noteworthy
Fat Oxidation	Minor	- See study	Nothing remarkable in the one study on fat oxidation rates during exercise.
Inflammation	Minor	Moderate See 2 studies	Some various and uncertain changes in cytokines that are seen as indicators of inflammation; not enough human interventions to draw conclusions.
Insulin Sensitivity	Minor	- See study	Requires more evidence to establish its potency
Risk of Anemia	Minor	- See study	Although there was some promising evidence, it did not appear overly remarkable and requires further evidence.
White Blood Cell Count	Minor	- See study	Minor increase, needs more evidence in a non-aged cohort to assess potency
Red Blood Cell Count	-	- See study	Currently insufficient evidence to support a change in RBC count.
Weight	-	Very High See 2 studies	Currently not enough evidence to support any significant interaction with weight
Liver Fat	Strong	- See study	Although only based on a series of case studies at this moment in time, the reduction of liver fat seen after 3 months was remarkably effective
Liver Enzymes	Notable	Moderate See 2 studies	Preliminary evidence suggests the reduction of liver enzymes correlates with the degree of liver damage somewhat, and this is notable since the reduction of liver fat seen is strongly effective at this moment in time.
Natural Killer Cell Activity	Notable	- See study	NK cell activity against a tumor cell line (K562) increased 40% following a week ingestion of fairly reasonable oral dosing, suggesting that this is a notable increase of possible interest.
Natural Killer Cell Content	Notable	- See study	The increases in mRNA content of natural killer cell content increased 37-55% (NKG2D) and 75% (perforin) which appeared to be dose-dependent, a possibly potent immunostimulatory effect.
Sustained Virologic Response	Notable	- See study	Notably effective as it trended to outperform Milk Thistle, which is a good reference supplement in regards to a sustained virologic response (not the best comparison, however)
Fatigue	-	- See study	Currently no evidence to support an improvement in fatigue symptoms

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NERD Articles

Supplementing spirulina for metabolic maladies

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Frequently Asked Questions and Articles on Spirulina

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Things to Note

Is a Form Of

Other Functions:

Primary Function:

General Health

Caution Notice

Some users may possess allergies to spirulina (infrequent)

May interact with enzymes of drug metabolism

An allergic reaction to spirulina has been reported, although overall frequency of allergic responses or cross-sensitivities are not yet known
Preliminary evidence has suggested a reduction in the activities of the enzymes CYP2C6, CYP1A2, and CYP2E1
The same evidence has noted an upregulation (increase in activity) for both CYP2B1 and CYP3A1

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Spirulina

Spirulina is a non-toxic blue-green algae. It is a source of phycocyanobilin. Preliminary evidence suggests spirulina is remarkably potent at protecting the brain and reducing liver fat.

Summary of Spirulina

Primary information, health benefits, side effects, usage, and other important details

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How to Take

Recommended dosage, active amounts, other details

Human Effect Matrix

NERD Articles

Frequently Asked Questions and Articles on Spirulina

Things to Note

Is a Form Of

Other Functions:

Primary Function:

Caution Notice

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Research Breakdown on Spirulina

1.1History

1.2Sources

1.3Properties

1.4Biological Activity

2.1Toxicity

2.2Side Effects and Adverse Events

2.3Degradation, Adulteration, Contamination

3.1Mineral Detoxification

3.2Phase I Enzyme Interactions

3.3Drug-Drug Interactions

5.1Mechanisms

5.2Neuroprotection and Cognitive Decline

5.3Neurogenesis

5.4Motor Neurons

5.5Depression

6.1Cardiac Function

6.2Hemodynamics

6.3Lipid and Cholesterol Absorption

6.4Blood Lipids and Lipoproteins

7.1Insulin Sensitivity

7.2Blood Glucose and Insulin

7.3Glycation

7.4Diabetes

8.1Mechanisms

8.2Interventions

9.1Mechanisms

9.2Natural Killer Cells

9.3Neutrophils

9.4Arthritis

9.5Allergies

9.6Interventions

10.1General

10.2Interventions

11.1Testosterone

11.2Leptin

12.1General Mutagenicity

12.2Immunological Interactions

12.3Oral

12.4Melanoma

12.5Colon

13.1Muscle Hypertrophy

13.2Power Output

13.3Endurance and Time to Exhaustion

13.4Chronic Fatigue

14.1Interventions

15.1Mechanisms (Hepatoprotection)

15.2Liver Enzymes

15.3Fibrosis

15.4Steatohepatitis (Fatty Liver)

15.5Virology

15.6Anemia

16.1Thymus

16.2Kidneys

16.3Lungs

16.4Testes

17.1Whey Protein

17.2NT-020