Spirulina as a nutrient source and food ingredient
What it found
Spirulina is rich in protein, vitamins, minerals and pigments, and studies in people suggest it may help with weight, blood pressure and blood sugar.
The authors say more long-term trials are needed.
What they found
Studies in people
Weight and blood pressure
In people who were overweight with high blood pressure, three months of regular spirulina improved BMI, weight and blood pressure. A meta-analysis found spirulina reduced body weight, body fat and waist circumference, especially in obese individuals.
Blood sugar and cholesterol
In people with type 2 diabetes, spirulina as an add-on to metformin gave reasonable long-term blood sugar control. It also reduced systolic and diastolic blood pressure, triglycerides, total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein.
Animal and lab studies
Liver protection in rats
In rats, spirulina prevented liver damage. This may be linked to stronger antioxidant defences and lower inflammation.
Other findings
Protein content
Spirulina contains 55 to 70 percent protein by dry weight, including all essential amino acids. Its protein is 85 to 95 percent digestible.
Vitamins and minerals
Spirulina contains B vitamins, vitamin E, provitamin A, iron, calcium, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium and other minerals. Its iron is 0.45 mg per gram bioavailable.
Food fortification
Spirulina has been added to bread, pasta, biscuits, yoghurt, kefir, sauce and meat products. It increases protein and antioxidant activity, and in dairy products it is usually added at up to 1 to 2 percent, while in grain products it can reach 10 to 20 percent.
What the authors conclude
- They say spirulina is a valuable and sustainable food source with health-promoting potential and great future significance.
- They call for further clinical studies to confirm spirulina's efficacy over longer periods in diverse populations.
- They advise determining optimal supplement doses and treatment durations for specific conditions.
How it was done
With population growth expected and limited resources, alternative food sources are being sought. Spirulina is called the food of the future due to its rich nutritional composition.
The authors reviewed 147 scientific publications, mostly from 2019 to 2023, on spirulina's composition, cultivation, food fortification, use in vegan and vegetarian diets, sustainability, therapeutic uses, limitations and future trends.
What it can’t tell you
- This is a review of other studies, not a new experiment. It cannot prove that spirulina causes any health effect.
- Many findings come from small or short studies in people, so the long-term effects are not known.
- Some results are from animal or lab studies, which cannot show what happens in people.
Who paid
- Conflicts
- The author declares no conflicts of interest.
- Authors work at
- University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Poland
The paper
- Title
- Spirulina-An Invaluable Source of Macro- and Micronutrients with Broad Biological Activity and Application Potential
- 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
- Podgórska-Kryszczuk I (2024). Spirulina-An Invaluable Source of Macro- and Micronutrients with Broad Biological Activity and Application Potential. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland). doi:10.3390/molecules29225387Free full textPubMed 39598773DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error