![Sample our Bioscience journals, sign in here to start your access, Latest two full volumes FREE to you for 14 days]({"type":"image" , "src" : "/sda/5925/TOC-Subject-Sample-2021-Bioscience.jpg"})
Abstract
Spirulina (Arthrospira platensis) is a cyanobacterium associated with multiple health benefits. Cardiometabolic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, and diabetes are prevalent yet usually preventable non-communicable diseases. Modifiable risk factors for cardiometabolic diseases include excessive body weight, body inflammation, atherogenic lipid profile, and imbalanced glucose metabolism. This review explores the effects of spirulina on cardiometabolic diseases risk factors. Spirulina was effective in reducing body weight, body mass index, and waist circumference, with a potential dose-dependent effect. It also decreased interleukin 6, an important biomarker of body inflammation, by inhibiting NADPH oxidase enzyme, and lowering insulin resistance. spirulina supplementation also reduced triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and increased high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Additionally, spirulina reduced fasting blood sugar and post-prandial blood sugar and increased insulin sensitivity, but no effect was observed on glycated hemoglobin A1c. The diverse nutrients, such as phycocyanin, gamma-linolenic acid, and vitamin B12, present in spirulina contribute to its cardiometabolic benefits. The doses used are heterogeneous for most studies, ranging from 1 to 8 grams daily, but most studies administered spirulina for 3 months to observe an effect. The collective evidence suggests that spirulina supplements may help improve risk factors for cardiometabolic diseases, thus, preventing its development. However, due to the heterogeneity of the results, more randomized clinical trials are needed to draw robust conclusions about spirulina’s therapeutic potential in ameliorating risk factors for cardiometabolic diseases and fully elucidate the mechanisms by which it exerts its effects.
Acknowledgment
Open Access funding provided by the Qatar National Library.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.
Additional information
Funding
Notes on contributors
Sara Sokary
Sara Sokary hold an MSc in Human nutrition from Qatar University.
Hiba Bawadi
Hiba Bawadi is a professor in human nutrition and dietetics and is the director of strategic development at QU-HEALTH. She is also the head of clinical training at the College of Health Sciences. She got her PhD from Louisiana State University in 2004 then moved to Jordan University of Science and Technology then joined Qatar University in In 2014. She published over 80 peer-reviewed articles.
Zain Zaki Zakaria
Zain Zaki Zakaria, MSc, PhD is the Section Head of Clinical Appointment. He holds an MSc in Medical Laboratory Science from the university of Jordan and a PhD in molecular biology from Qatar university.
Maha Al-Asmakh
Maha Al-Asmakh is an associate professor and is currently the Head of the Department of Biomedical Sciences at the College of Health Sciences at Qatar University. She has a bachelor’s degree in biomedical sciences (with honors) from Qatar University and a master’s degree in human reproductive biology from Imperial College London. She received her doctorate from Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, Sweden and is certified by the American Board of Cytopathology from the American Society of Clinical Pathology. She is currently an educator specializing in teaching courses on embryology and developmental biology at the College of Health Sciences. Her expertise in the field of research has also resulted in many scientific publications.