The effect of Spirulina supplementation on lipid profile: GRADE-assessed systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of data from randomized controlled trials

source extracted confidence: high 2026-04-09
#humans #cardiovascular-diseases #cholesterol-ldl #dietary-supplements #randomized-controlled-trials-as-topic

The effect of Spirulina supplementation on lipid profile: GRADE-assessed systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of data from randomized controlled trials

Rahnama et al., 2023 | Pharmacol Res | Meta Analysis

Citation

Rahnama Iman, Arabi Seyyed Mostafa, ... Sahebkar Amirhossein. The effect of Spirulina supplementation on lipid profile: GRADE-assessed systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of data from randomized controlled trials. Pharmacol Res. 2023-Jul;193:106802. doi:10.1016/j.phrs.2023.106802

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are one of the most important causes of death worldwide. Dyslipidemia is one of the main causal risk factors for CVD that can be controlled by modifying lifestyle, which entails the use of healthy diets containing functional foods. The present study was conducted to summarize the effects of Spirulina on the lipid profile in previous randomized controlled trials. METHODS: MEDLINE, Scopus, Clarivate Analytics Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library databases were searched systematically until January 2023, for clinical interventions that investigated the effect of Spirulina supplementation on plasma lipid profile concentrations. RESULTS: ooled results of 20 studies (with 23 arms and 1076 participants) indicated that Spirulina intervention significantly reduced LDL-C (SMD: -0.6, 95% CI: -0.9, -0.2, P<0.05), TC (SMD: -0.6, 95% CI: -0.9, -0.2, P<0.05) and TG (SMD: -0.6, 95% CI: -0.9, -0.2, P<0.05) levels while HDL-C levels were significantly increased (SMD: 0.3, 95% CI: 0.0, 0.6, P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The findings of the present meta-analysis and review show the usefulness of supplementing with Spirulina in improving serum levels of TC, TG, LDL-C, and HDL-C.

Key Findings

ooled results of 20 studies (with 23 arms and 1076 participants) indicated that Spirulina intervention significantly reduced LDL-C (SMD: -0.6, 95% CI: -0.9, -0.2, P<0.05), TC (SMD: -0.6, 95% CI: -0.9, -0.2, P<0.05) and TG (SMD: -0.6, 95% CI: -0.9, -0.2, P<0.05) levels while HDL-C levels were significantly increased (SMD: 0.3, 95% CI: 0.0, 0.6, P<0.05).

Outcomes Measured

  • Requires manual extraction

Population

Field Value
Population healthy diets
Sample Size 1076
Age Range See abstract
Condition See abstract

MeSH Terms

  • Humans
  • Cardiovascular Diseases
  • Cholesterol, LDL
  • Dietary Supplements
  • Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
  • Spirulina

Evidence Classification

  • Level: Meta Analysis
  • Publication Types: Journal Article, Meta-Analysis, Systematic Review
  • Vertical: spirulina-metabolic

Provenance

Source extracted via PubMed E-utilities API on 2026-04-09