Question
What’s the deal with Spirulina? I remember it was in “Hot Stuff” back in the day. It’s been around forever, but I’m not sure if that’s a good thing?
Opinions?
Answer
Spirulina has been around seemingly for eternity, on the supplement market or otherwise.
Commonly referred to as a blue-green algae, its one of the oldest lifeforms on Earth.
Spirulina grows in both fresh and saltwater sources and is known for its high protein and micronutrient content. So what’s it good for?
Metabolic syndrome is currently on the rise and obesity (and all of its downsides) is certainly causative.
While there are several other supplements being evaluated for lipid lowering and weight loss effects, benefits from spirulina are not limited to those but also extend to its antiviral, anticancer, antioxidant, antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, cardioprotective and immunity boosting properties.
Weight Loss
Also, several clinical and preclinical trials have been conducted to test the benefits of spirulina on weight loss.
Multiple studies in humans have found the following benefits: Anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, fat loss, particularly visceral fat. Better lipid profile, lower blood sugar, cancer prevention and many others.
Impressively, these clinical trials on humans using spirulina include: Healthy patients, as well as those with screwed up lipids, hypertension, post ischaemic heart disease, diabetes and kidney issues.
When you look at the human data in its totality, you find the following.
Other Benefits
Spirulina seems to improve several well-established CVD risk factors including hyper-lipidaemia and seems to provide benefits around other elements of weight loss.
As a whole though, supplementing spirulina in gram amounts per day (1-5g) may improve lipid profiles, particularly by reducing Total cholesterol, TG and LDL and improving HDL, aiding weight loss and reducing BMI.
Spirulina also seems to improve insulin resistance, antioxidant/anti-inflammatory properties, blood glucose and blood pressure.
It also shows dose dependent anti-viral properties in both test tubes and animal studiess, and the human equivalent dosages aren’t all that large (400mg to 2g/day).
So while the anti-viral benefits aren’t at the same level human research on Vitamin D is just yet, it does show that it has a lot of potential in this area.
Here’s the big thing about Spirulina though, and why I give it a thumbs up: It’s cost to benefit ratio.
I just rattled off quite a few benefits this stuff may impart (diseased or not). To get them, it’s quite the bargain IMO.
A bottle of 90 caps, 500mg full spectrum Spirulina can be had for between just $5 and $10 – so price shouldn’t be a barrier for most.
BOTTOM LINE
At that price and for what it does, it’s an acceptable gamble IMO. I am a believer in deep green superfoods, so this is something I certainly think is worth a shot.
