ReviewJournal of Taibah University Medical Sciences2025
Effects of spirulina supplementation on growth parameters in malnourished children: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Review in Journal of Taibah University Medical Sciences, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
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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
0 citing papers in PubMed.
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Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
11 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Objective: This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of spirulina supplementation in improving growth parameter outcomes among malnourished children. Methods: This study followed a systematic review and meta-analysis design. The inclusion criteria were experimental spirulina supplementation studies in children with chronic malnutrition, which were published in English between 2006 and 2025. Studies involving adult participants, and literature reviews, systematic reviews, and comprehensive reviews were excluded. A comprehensive search was conducted across five electronic databases: PubMed, Scopus, Wiley, ProQuest, and Emerald Insight. The quality of the included studies was assessed with the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Checklist. Data were quantitatively synthesized in Review Manager version 5.4. This review was prospectively registered in PROSPERO (CRD420251069286). Results: Seven studies in 1335 participants met the inclusion criteria. The meta-analysis indicated significant increases in weight (SMD = 0.33, 95 % CI [0.22, 0.45], Conclusion: Spirulina supplementation was found to have significant positive effects on weight and MUAC in children with chronic malnutrition, but no significant improvement in height. These findings support spirulina's potential role as a complementary intervention in nutritional programs targeting undernourished children.
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