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Is Spirulina Good For You?

The healthy cyanobacteria

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First published: 19. Jan.2025

Overview

Spirulina is an ancient photosynthesizing green-blue bacteria that is used as a supplement due to its very high content of protein and essential amino acids, trace minerals and vitamins. This article will provide an overview of its health benefits and its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antibiotic properties.

In this Article (Index)

wood spoon and green powdered spirulina
Spirulina.

What is Spirulina?

green spring-shaped spirulina bacteria

Spirulina spring-shaped bacteria.
Source (1)

Spirulina are a type of bacteria that are part of the Arthrospira species and have been incorrectly called "blue-green microalgae", they aren't algae, they are photosynthetic bacteria known as cyanobacteria.

Cyanobacteria get their name from the Greek word kúanos, which means blue, and refers to their bluish-green (cyan) color.

They are minute, and have a spiral (helical) shape that gives them their common name (spirulina). They measure up to 500 mm long (five times the width of a human hair) and 3 to 5 μm in diameter.

Cyanobacteria are the first living beings to produce oxygen from sunlight, and date back to over 2.1 Billion years ago, they may even go as far back as 3.5 Billion years. They have photopigments that can absorb different light wavelenghts of sunligh: carotenoids that have an orange-yellow color, chlorophylls that are green, and phycocyanins that are blue.

Used as food since antiquity

The Aztecs of Mexico harvested spirulina from lake Texcoco, located where Mexico City now stands. The Florentine Codex written in 1569 by the Spanish Franciscan friar Bernardino de Sahagún mentions it and has drawings of it (see image below).

There are some algae that grow on the water, which are called tecuitlatl, acuitlatl, azoquitl, or amomoxtli. They have a light-blue color. They gather it once it is a very thick and heavy. They spread it on the floor over ashes; then they make some patties out of it and eat them roasted. Florentine Codex

drawings in green and black, Spanish and Nahuatl text about spirulina
Spirulina in the Florentine Codex

They were also mentioned by Spanish conquistador Bernal Díaz del Castillo in his memoirs written in 1568. He had taken part of Cortes' conquest of the Aztec empire in 1520. He wrote: "they sell some small loaves that they make with a slime that they gather in that great lake, that they curdle and make into blocks that taste like cheese" (2)

In Lake Chad, Africa, the Kanembou tribe collected spirulina, which they call Dihé and dry it in the sun into cakes, which are crumbled, boiled in water as a key ingredient in a local vegetable, corn, or millet, and meat broth called souce. They also use it as a poultice to heal wounds. (3),(4).

Spirulina is grown and farmed in alkaline lakes in subtropical and temperate parts of the world. The algae is converted into a dry powder by vacuum spray-drying which breaks down some of its nutrients and gives it a bitter taste and fishy smell.

It is sold as tablets, powder, and is consumed in smoothies or stirred into yogurt.
According to the International Energy Agency the global production in 2022 was 10,000 tons (dry product) representing 1.26 g (0.044 oz) per capita.

Chemical Composition and Nutrients

Protein

Spirulina has 60%-70% protein content, with all the necessary essential amino acids, especially valine, leucine, and isoleucine as well as methionine. Its protein content three times higher than the 22% found in legumes like beans or peas. It also has a high digestibility (83%-90%) as compared to pure casein (95.1%).

Carbohydrates

The content of carbohydrates is 15% to 25%.

Fats

The lipids content ranges from 6% to 13% of its dry weight. Palmitic, a saturated fatty acid makes up around 28% of the total fats. Polyunsaturated fatty acids or PUFAs account for 61%: 38% Omega-6 (ω-6) and 23% Omega-3 (ω-3) fatty acids. Monounsaturated fatty acids make up 10%. (5)

Nucleic Acids

It has 4%-6% of nucleic acids. (5)

Minerals and Vitamins

These micronutrients make up 2%–5% of spirulina.

There are several trace minerals in spirulina, it has a very high content of iron (Fe) with between 58 mg to 140 mg per 100 g. It also has potassium (K), calcium (Ca), and phosphorous (P). Other minerals present in lower quantities are magnesium (Mg), manganese (Mn), zinc (Zn) and selenium (Se).

p

A 20g dose of spirulina contains enough vitamin B1, B2, and B3 to cover the daily requirements of an adult. It also contains vitamin B6, and 35μg of vitamin B12 per 100 g of dry product as well as 70 to 170 mg of β-carotene, precursor of vitamin A. (5)

Vegetarians and Vegans

The high content of B-group vitamins make spirulina an interesting supplement for people who do not eat animal-based products and who tend to have deficiencies of vitamin B6. However, most of vitamin B12 found in Spirulina is cobamide, a non-active, pseudo-form that can't be uptaken by humans. It is also known as pseudo-vitamin B12.

Spirulina's Health Benefits

Summary

Research has shown that spirulina has numerous health benefits. It acts as an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibiotic (antibacterial and anti-viral), immunomodulatory and anticancer. Which make it effective against high blood lipids, obesity, allergies, and diabetes. (5)

green pills of spirulina
Spirulina pills

Cholesterol and Triglycerides

A meta-analysis of 20 studies with 1,076 participants showed that supplementing with spirulina reduced the blood levels of LDL cholesterol ("bad" cholesterol), and triglycerides, the "good cholesterol" while HDL-C levels were significantly increased." (8)

Diabetes

A 2022 study (9) showed that spirulina can reduce fastwing, postprandial blood glucose and HbA-1C levels in patients with diabetes. It also reduced blood pressure by 4%.

Antiallergic

Spirulina modulates the production of cytokines as shown by a randomized study where patients with Allergic Rhinitis (AR) were given either a placebo or spirulina for 12 weeks. An intake of 2 g/day reduced interleukin IL-4, a cytokine, by 32% conferring "protective effects of Spirulina towards allergic rhinitis." (6)

Another study investigating allergic rhinitis (AR) used the same dosage (2 g per day) in the treatment group and an antiallergic (cetirizine, 10 mg per day) in the placebo or control group. After 2 months the group taking spirulina "improved significantly compared to those seen in the control group after intervention. Sleep condition, daily working and social activity improved significantly in the experimental group... Furthermore,... after 1 month of treatment, the levels of interleukin (IL)-1α, IL-1β and IL-4 were all significantly lower, and IL-10 levels were significantly higher in the experimental group, compared to those in the control group. In conclusion, spirulina is more effective than cetirizine in improving cardinal symptoms of AR patients. Furthermore, spirulina can be considered as an alternative treatment in patients with AR." (7)

Heart Disease

A 2024 study (10) confirmed that the blood lipids-lowering effect and antioxidant properties of spirulina coupled to its anti-inflammatory effects and antihypertensive properties help lower the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD): "Fully supporting the use of Spirulina as a potential preventive compound able to counteract the onset and progression of CVDs."

References and Further Reading

Florentine Codex. Available at Digital Florentine Codex/Códice Florentino Digital, edited by Kim N. Richter and Alicia Maria Houtrouw, "Book 11: Earthly Things", fol. 69r, Getty Research Institute, 2023. https://florentinecodex.getty.edu/en/book/11/folio/69r Accessed 19 January 2025

(1) Sinetova MA, Kupriyanova EV, Los DA., (2024). Spirulina/Arthrospira/Limnospira—Three Names of the Single Organism. Foods. 2024; 13(17):2762. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13172762

(2) Bernal Díaz del Castillo. Historia Verdadera de la Conquista de Nueva España. Madrid, en la Imprenta del Reyno, 1632

(3) Gromek W, Koidej N, Kurowski M, Majsiak E., (2024). Spirulina (Arthrospira platensis): Antiallergic Agent or Hidden Allergen? A Literature Review. Foods. 2024; 13(7):1052. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13071052

(4) Barsanti, L., Gualtieri, P., (2005). Algae: Anatomy, Biochemistry, and Biotechnology. United Kingdom: CRC Press. p 254

(5) Chaouachi M, Vincent S, Groussard C., (2024). A Review of the Health-Promoting Properties of Spirulina with a Focus on athletes' Performance and Recovery. J Diet Suppl. 2024;21(2):210-241. doi: 10.1080/19390211.2023.2208663. Epub 2023 May 4. PMID: 37143238

(6) Mao, T K., et al., (2005). Effects of a Spirulina-based Dietary Supplement On Cytokine Production From Allergic Rhinitis Patients. Journal of Medicinal Food, vol. 8, no. 1, 2005, pp. 27-30.

(7) Nourollahian M, Rasoulian B, Gafari A, Anoushiravani M, Jabari F, Bakhshaee M., (2020). Clinical comparison of the efficacy of spirulina platensis and cetirizine for treatment of allergic rhinitis.Acta Otorhinolaryngol Ital. 2020 Jun;40(3):224-229. doi: 10.14639/0392-100X-N0139. PMID: 32773785

(8) Iman Rahnama, et al., (2023). The effect of Spirulina supplementation on lipid profile: GRADE-assessed systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of data from randomized controlled trials. Pharmacological Research, Vol 193, 106802, ISSN 1043-6618, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.phrs.2023.106802.

(9) Lympaki, F., et al., (2022). Short-Term Effectsof Spirulina Consumption on Glycemic Responses and Blood Pressure in Healthy Young Adults: Results from Two Randomized Clinical Trials. Metabolites. 12(12), 1180. https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo12121180

(10) Prete, V., Abate, A. C., Pietro, D., Lucia, D., Vecchione, C., & Carrizzo, A., (2024). Beneficial Effects of Spirulina Supplementation in the Management of Cardiovascular Diseases. Nutrients, 16(5). DOI: 10.3390/nu16050642

About this Article

Is Spirulina Good For You?, A. Whittall

©2025 Fit-and-Well.com. First Published: 19.Jan.2025. Update scheduled for 19.Jan.2028. https://www.fit-and-well.com/fitness/spirulina.html

Tags: spirulina, diabetes, allergies, heart, cholesterol, supplements

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