Spirulina nutrients, health effects and uses in food products
What it found
Spirulina is a rich source of protein, vitamins and minerals, with studies in people and animals linking it to lower cholesterol, blood sugar and blood pressure.
It is also being added to foods like pasta, snacks and drinks.
What they found
Studies in people
Heart health in people
In forty people with high blood pressure, taking 2g of spirulina daily for three months lowered blood pressure and body mass index compared to a placebo. In Greek patients with high blood fats, triglycerides fell by 16.3% and total cholesterol by 8.9%.
Muscle strength in training
Taking spirulina for eight weeks increased muscle strength and endurance during intense training in one study of people.
Animal and lab studies
Gut bacteria changes
In animal tests, low doses of 1.5 g per kg and higher doses of 3.0 g per kg changed the amounts of different gut bacteria in the colon.
Studies in people and animals
Blood sugar control
In men with type 2 diabetes, 2g of spirulina daily improved overall health markers. In diabetic mice, doses of 10 or 15 mg per kg of body weight lowered blood sugar and improved liver and pancreas tissue.
Other findings
Nutrients in spirulina
Spirulina is made up of 60-70% protein and contains essential fats, vitamin B12, iron, calcium and plant pigments. Vitamin C was not found in samples tested around Lake Chad.
Uses in food products
Spirulina is sold as capsules, tablets and powder, and is added to crackers, pasta, ice cream, frozen yogurt and sports drinks. Adding 5, 10 or 20g to pasta raised its protein content but made the protein harder to digest in lab tests.
What the authors conclude
- They say spirulina is a nutrient-rich ingredient that can be added to many food products instead of synthetic chemicals.
- They advise the food industry to keep researching its uses while paying close attention to contamination risks from heavy metals and pesticides.
How it was done
Shoppers are paying more attention to how their diets affect long-term health, and the food industry is looking for algae-based ingredients that add nutrition. The authors wanted to gather what is known about spirulina's nutrients, its possible health benefits and how it is used in food.
The authors gathered and summarised past research on spirulina, including lab tests, animal experiments and trials in people. They looked at its nutrient makeup, its effects on conditions like heart disease and diabetes, and its use as a food ingredient. No new experiments were run for this work.
What it can’t tell you
- Because this work gathers past studies rather than running a single controlled trial, it cannot prove that spirulina directly causes these health improvements in everyday shoppers.
- Some findings come from animals or lab dishes, so they might not happen the same way in people.
- The paper does not measure how much spirulina a person would need to eat in a regular food product to see any effect.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- National University of Medical Sciences (NUMS), Pakistan; Riphah International University, Pakistan; Health Services Academy, Pakistan
The paper
- Title
- Spirulina, an FDA-Approved Functional Food: Worth the Hype?
- Type
- ReviewThe authors read earlier studies and describe what they found. It isn’t a new study.
- Evidence
- Studies in people · animals · lab
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Cite
- Ahmad AMR, Intikhab A, Zafar S, et al (2023). Spirulina, an FDA-Approved Functional Food: Worth the Hype?. Cellular and molecular biology (Noisy-le-Grand, France). doi:10.14715/cmb/2022.69.1.24Free full textPubMed 37213142DOI
Summary written 1 Oct 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error