Written by Greg Arnold, DC, CSCS. 52 residents in Crete who had dyslipidemia took 1000 mg of spirulina daily for 12 weeks and found a significant decrease in total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
Dyslipidemia is a condition when cholesterol and triglyceride levels are abnormally high. It is a “major modifiable risk factor” for cardiovascular disease, a leading cause of illness and death in developed countries (1, 2) that cost the U.S. healthcare system $444 billion in 2010 and accounts for about $1 of every $6 spent on health care (3).
Now a new study (4) suggests that Spirulina supplementation may help with dyslipidemia. The study involved 52 residents of the country for Crete (32 men, 20 women) aged 37 to 61 who were recently diagnosed with dyslipidemia. They were given 1,000 milligrams of Spirulina per day for 12 weeks (no placebo group was used). Blood samples were drawn before and after the study and each subject had a physical examination to measure their blood pressure, body mass index, and weight.
After 12 weeks, the following results were seen across the entire group as well as men and women:
| Total cholesterol (milligrams/deciliter) | Triglycerides (mg/dL) | LDL Cholesterol (mg/dL) |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Total (52 subjects) | 9% decrease (281.6 to 256.5) | 16.4% decrease (166.3 to 139.1) | 10.1% decrease (211.8 to 190.5) |
| p value | < 0.0001 | < 0.0001 | < 0.0001 |
| Men (32 subjects) | 9% decrease (278.9 to 253.9) | 15.9% decrease (163.6 to 137.7) | 13.8% decrease (208.9 to 180.1) |
| p value | < 0.0001 | < 0.0005 | < 0.0001 |
| Women (20 subjects) | 8.9% decrease (285.9 to 260.5) | 17.2% decrease (170.7 to 141.4) | 9.8% decrease (215.7 to 194.6) |
| p value | 0.0003 | 0.0004 | 0.0018 |
After 12 weeks, the following results were seen across the entire group as well as men and women:
No statistical significance was reached for HDL cholesterol or weight. While total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol levels were still considered “high” according to the National Institutes of Health, Spirulina supplementation was able to lower triglyceride levels in both men and women from “borderline high” (> 150 mg/dL) to “normal” (< 150 mg/dL) (Hopkins).
Despite the use of no placebo group, the researchers stated Spirulina’s ability to produce these lipid decreases in only 12 weeks to be “remarkable”. They did admit “the active ingredients in Spirulina responsible for its [lipid-lowering] activity remain to be identified”, concluded that “Spirulina supplementation at a dose of 1,000 mg daily has powerful [lipid-lowering] effects, especially on the triglyceride concentration in dyslipidemic Cretan outpatients” and stated “the role of Spirulina as a natural food supplement in combating hyperlipidemia, in higher dose and/or in combination with other therapeutic options, should not be overlooked.”
Source: Mazokopakis, Elias E., et al. “The hypolipidaemic effects of Spirulina (Arthrospira platensis) supplementation in a Cretan population: a prospective study.” Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture 94.3 (2014): 432-437.
© 2013 Society of Chemical Industry
Posted April 27, 2015.
Greg Arnold is a Chiropractic Physician practicing in Hauppauge, NY. You can contact Dr. Arnold directly by emailing him at PitchingDoc@msn.com or visiting his web site at www.PitchingDoc.com
References:
- Braunwald E, Shattuck Lecture – Cardiovascular medicine at the turn of the millennium: Triumphs, concerns and opportunities. N Engl J Med 337:1360–1369 (1997)
- Roger VL, Go AS, Lloyd-Jones DM, Benjamin EJ, Berry JD, Borden WB, et al., and the American Heart Association Statistics Committee and Stroke Statistics Subcommittee, Heart disease and stroke statistics – 2012 update: A report from the American Heart Association. Circulation 2012; 125:e2–e220
- “Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention” posted on the CDC website
- Mazokopakis EE. The hypolipidaemic effects of Spirulina (Arthrospira platensis) supplementation in a Cretan population: a prospective study. J Sci Food Agric 2014 Feb;94(3):432-7. doi: 10.1002/jsfa.6261. Epub 2013 Jul 10
- “High Cholesterol (Dyslipidemia)” posted on the Johns Hopkins Meidicine website.
