Written by Marcia J. Egles. The symptoms of allergic rhinitus allergies were reduced by 2,000 mg of spirulina per day, in a test with 150 patients.
In Western societies an estimated 10% to 25% of the population contends with allergic rhinitis (2), a condition brought on by exposure to allergens such as pollen. Sneezing, itchy nose, and nasal discharge and congestion are its most common symptoms. Avoidance of the allergen is often not possible. Drugs including nasal steroid sprays, anti-histamines, chromolyn sodium (a mast-cell stabilizer) nasal spray, and allergy immunotherapy can be very helpful, but still patients suffer ongoing and frustrating symptoms. The best studied and most effective non-drug therapy may be washing of the nasal passages with a salt water solution (a “ neti pot” can be used) which may clean away allergens and mucous debris (3,4).
A 2007 Turkish study reports that the dietary supplement spirulina may reduce the symptoms of allergic rhinitis (1). Spirulina is a blue-green alga protein and vitamin-rich food supplement. Studies of spirulina have been few. One previous study of patients taking 2000 mg per day of spirulina demonstrated a 32% reduction in the cytokine interleukin-4 which may be important in allergic rhinitis (5).
The Turkish 21-week study, a double-blind placebo controlled trial, investigated the effectiveness of spirulina in patients with allergic rhinitis. A total of 150 actively symptomatic allergic rhinitis adult patients ( average age 30, 58% female) were enrolled in the same study period of June 2006 through February 2007. Patients were excluded if they had other medical conditions, even the ones often associated with allergic rhinitis such as asthma, sinusitis, rhinitis medicamentosa or nasal deformities. The participants had to agree to take no anti-allergy or rhinitis medication during the study.
The patients were randomized into two groups, one group to receive 2,000 mg per day by mouth of spirulina in five tablets, and the other group to receive 5 daily placebo tablets for 21 weeks. The tablets were similar in appearance and identified by code numbers so to keep the placebo group unknown to both the patients and investigators until the end of the study.
The patients recorded weekly diary entries concerning their allergy symptoms of nasal discharge, nasal congestion, sneezing, and itchy nose. For each of the four symptoms each week, they were instructed to grade a score of “zero” for symptoms which were not noticeable, “1” for mild symptoms which were generally noticeable but not bothersome, “2’ for symptoms which were bothersome some of the time, and a “3” for symptoms which were severely bothersome. Of the 150 patients enrolled, 129 adequately completed the 21 weeks. Of the 129, 85 took spirulina and 44 took placebo.
The study reported consistent and significant improvements in each of the four symptoms evaluated when spirulina was compared to placebo. For example, at the start of the study there was no significant difference in mean baseline values of both symptoms and physical findings of both groups (p more than 0.05 which mean non significant correlation). The placebo group rated symptoms at 2.84, standard deviation 0.37 and the spirulina group at 2.74, sd 0.45) After 21 weeks, the sneeze score of the placebo group was 1.91( sd 0.52) and that of the spirulina group was 0.58 ( sd 0.50) (p<0.001) . Similar results were also documented for the nasal discharge, congestion and itching symptoms. The improvements matched by both groups over the 21 weeks may be due to seasonal change or to placebo effect. A direct comparison of the data of the spirulina group, to the placebo group, however, shows a large and steadily increasing improvement trending to no symptoms by the end of the study.
Perhaps the most remarkable finding of the study was the high overall level of treatment satisfaction among those taking spirulina versus the placebo group. At the end of the study, all the patients were asked to rate their state of symptoms on a scale of zero to ten with zero being no relief. The placebo group graded their experience at 3.54 (+/- 1.37) while the spirulina group applauded with a 7.44 (+/- 0.89: p less than 0.001). In addition, the patients that took spirulina rated their satisfaction as 7.21 (+/- 2.01), while the placebo group rated their experience as 3.54 (+/- 1.37) (p less than 0.001).
As expressed by these researchers, spirulina may be a “clinically effective” option for allergic rhinitis and is worthy of further study to investigate its mechanism.
Source: Cingi, Cemal, et al. “The effects of spirulina on allergic rhinitis.” European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology 265.10 (2008): 1219-1223.
© Springer-Verlag 2008
Posted May 24, 2013.
Marcia Egles, MD, graduated from Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in 1986. She completed her residency in Internal Medicine at St. Louis University Hospital. Dr. Egles is certified in Internal Medicine and is a member of the American College of Physicians. She resides in Avon, IN with her husband and two sons.
References:
- Cemal Cingi et al. “ The effects of spirulina on allergic rhinitis,”by Cemal Cingi et al, European Archives Otolarngology 265:1219-1223. 5 Sept. 2007. Doi 10. 1007/S00405-008-0642-8.
- Dykewicz MS, Hamilos DL (February 2010). “Rhinitis and sinusitis”. J. Allergy Clin. Immunol. 125 (2 Suppl 2): S10315. doi:10.1016/j.jaci.2009.12.989. PMID 20176255.
- Rabago, D.; Pasic, T.; Zgierska, A.; Mundt, M.; Barrett, B.; Maberry, R. (2005). “The Efficacy of Hypertonic Saline Nasal Irrigation for Chronic Sinonasal Symptoms”. Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery 133 (1): 3–8. doi:10.1016/j.otohns.2005.03.002. PMID 16025044.
- Brown CL, Graham SM (February 2004). “Nasal irrigations: good or bad?”. Curr Opin Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 12 (1): 9–13. doi:10.1097/00020840-200402000-00004. PMID 14712112.
- Mao TK et al. Effects of a spirulina-based dietary supplement on cytokine production from allergic rhinitis patients, J Med Food 8(1): 27-30.
