ArticleDiabetes, metabolic syndrome and obesity : targets and therapy2018
Quantifying the effects of spirulina supplementation on plasma lipid and glucose concentrations, body weight, and blood pressure.
Article in Diabetes, metabolic syndrome and obesity : targets and therapy, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 19 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
19 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Assessing the impact of Spirulina supplementation on the growth of children and adolescents: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Frontiers in nutrition · 2026Pooled it
- Edible Algae Reduce Blood Pressure in Humans: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomised Controlled Trials.Journal of human nutrition and dietetics : the official journal of the British Dietetic Association · 2025Pooled it
- How Do Brown Seaweeds Work on Biomarkers of Dyslipidemia? A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis and Meta-Regression.Marine drugs · 2023Pooled it
- Effect ofNutrients · 2021Pooled it
- Quantifying the Effect of Supplementation with Algae and Its Extracts on Glycolipid Metabolism: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.Nutrients · 2020Pooled it
- Effects of a comprehensive management mode for overweight/obesity based on mobile internet technology and traditional Chinese medicine constitution theory: a randomized controlled trial.Frontiers in nutrition · 2026Trial
- Antioxidant Efficacy of aMarine drugs · 2022Trial
- Marine MicroalgaMarine drugs · 2026Article
- Short-Term Effects of Spirulina Consumption on Glycemic Responses and Blood Pressure in Healthy Young Adults: Results from Two Randomized Clinical Trials.Metabolites · 2022Article
- Trends and Technological Advancements in the Possible Food Applications of Spirulina and Their Health Benefits: A Review.Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) · 2022Review
- Development of spirulina for the manufacture and oral delivery of protein therapeutics.Nature biotechnology · 2022Article
- The effect ofFood science & nutrition · 2022Article
- Supplementation With Spirulina Reduces Infarct Size and Ameliorates Cardiac Function in a Pig Model of STEMI.Frontiers in pharmacology · 2022Article
- Dietary exposure to trace elements (B, Ba, Li, Ni, Sr, and V) and toxic metals (Al, Cd, and Pb) from the consumption of commercial preparations of Spirulina platensis.Environmental science and pollution research international · 2021Article
- A Novel Promising Frontier for Human Health: The Beneficial Effects of Nutraceuticals in Cardiovascular Diseases.International journal of molecular sciences · 2020Review
- Effects of spirulina on weight loss and blood lipids: a review.Open heart · 2020Review
- Systematic Physical Exercise andAntioxidants (Basel, Switzerland) · 2019Article
- Article
- Spirulina supplement and exercise training affect lipid droplets-related genes expression in visceral adipose tissue.Avicenna journal of phytomedicineArticle
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
purposeSpirulina is generally used as a nutraceutical food supplement due to its nutrient profile, lack of toxicity, and therapeutic effects. Clinical trials have investigated the influence of spirulina on metabolic-related risk factors but have yielded conflicting results in humans. Here, we summarize the evidence of the effects of spirulina on serum lipid profile, glucose management, BP, and body weight by conducting a meta-analysis. MATERIALS AND
methodsRelevant studies were retrieved by systematic search of MEDLINE, EMBASE, Scopus databases, and reference lists of relevant original studies from inception to July 2018. Data were extracted following a standardized protocol. Two investigators independently extracted study characteristics, outcomes measures, and appraised methodological quality. Effect sizes were performed using a random-effects model, with weighted mean differences (WMDs) and 95% CIs between the means for the spirulina intervention and control arms. Subgroup analyses were conducted to explore the possible influences of study characteristics. Publication bias and sensitivity analysis were also performed.
resultsA total of 1,868 records were identified of which 12 trials with 14 arms were eligible. The amount of spirulina ranged from 1 to 19 g/d, and intervention durations ranged from 2 to 48 weeks. Overall, data synthesis showed that spirulina supplements significantly lowered total cholesterol (WMD = -36.60 mg/dL; 95% CI: -51.87 to -21.33;
conclusionOur findings provide substantial evidence that spirulina supplementation has favorable effect on select cardiovascular and metabolic biomarkers in humans, including lipid, glucose, and DBP management.
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