Fresh Spirulina for Iron Deficiency & Anemia
Protect against iron deficiency and anemia and boost athletic performance with the best natural source of usable iron.
Daily spirulina efficiently provides the iron we need for optimal health.
DANGERS OF ANEMIA: WOMEN, CHILDREN & ELDERS
40% of women and young children, and 1 in 3 of all humans suffer from iron deficiency.
Symptoms include poor health, weakness & fatigue, dizziness, shortness of breath and inability to cope with physical and mental stress.
People over age 65 have increased levels of anemia. Symptoms can be easy to mistake for signs of aging so treatment is essential to prevent serious complications. Source
Women from ages 19 to 50 need twice as much iron as men because they lose blood each month during menstruation. Pregnant women need three times more iron than men to maintain optimal health.
ATHLETES NEED MORE IRON
Athletes need more iron as exercise increases iron losses by up to 70%. More iron = more blood cells = more oxygen transported = better performance, endurance and recovery.
SPIRULINA: THE BEST USABLE IRON SOURCE ON EARTH
Spirulina is the best natural source of usable iron on earth. Our body can assimilate and use 2% of the iron in spinach, 10% of the iron in supplements, and 90% of the iron in Spirulina. Iron absoption from spirulina is 6.5 times higher than from red meat (see the research below).
Fresh spirulina - never heated, never dried - provides up to 8 times more nutrients and up to 20 times more antioxidants, anti-inflammatories, active enzymes, and bioactive compounds than found in dried spirulina powder or tablets.
Independent Research: Spirulina for Iron Deficiency & Anemia
In this research dried spirulina shows spectacular results in preventing and treating iron deficiency and anemia.
Remember that fresh spirulina provides up to 20 times more of the active substances than found in the dried spirulina powder or tablets used in these research studies.
Click on any research heading to see a summary + a link to the original research.
Research: Spirulina Effective Anemia Treatment for Children, Seniors, Runners, NAFLD and HIV Patients - 2017
Spirulina has long been used for treatment of anemia and malnutrition in undernourished children and disease patients.
This review of mutliple research studies reports the positive effects of Spirulina against anemia that have been reported in children, runners, senior citizens, patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and HIV.
See the research: Journal of Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity (Pubmed abstract) - 2017
Research: Spirulina Reduces Anemia in Undernourished Children
550 undernourished children of less than 5 years old were enrolled in this study.
Children treated with spirulina showed significant reductions in anemia.
See the research: Nutrition Journal (PubMed)
Research: Anemia in Severely Malnourished Children Quickly Treated with Iron-Rich Spirulina - 2016
This research was concluded with fifty undernourished children aged 6 to 60 months with anaemia, including 10 (20%) cases of severe anaemia.
78% of the children demonstrated failure to thrive and 84% had growth retardation.
A daily dose of spirulina quickly improved the nutritional status of the treated undernourished children when compared to the control group.
The prevalence of oedema decreased from 64% to 4% with spirulina treatment.
Children treated with daily spirulina showed a significant increase of haemoglobin and haematocrit levels compared to control group.
The prevalence of severe anaemia decreased from 20% to 6% at day 30.
See the research: International Journal of Pediatrics 2016
Research: Spirulina Counters Anemia, Immune System Decline in Seniors
Anemia and immune system decline are commonly found in older subjects.
This research investigated if Spirulina may ameliorate anemia and immune system decline in senior citizens with a history of anemia.
40 volunteers of both sexes with an age of 50 years or older with no history of major chronic diseases were treated daily with spirulina for 12 weeks.
Comprehensive dietary questionnaires, complete cell count (CCC) and indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) enzyme activity (as a sign of immune function) were monitored.
Over the 12-week study period, there was a steady increase in average values of mean corpuscular hemoglobin in subjects of both sexes.
Mean corpuscular volume and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration increased in male participants, and more rapidly in women participants.
Most subjects manifested increased IDO activity – indicating a reduction in immune system decline - and increased white blood cell count.
Read the research: Journal of Cellular & Molecular Immunology (PubMed)
Research: Spirulina More Effective than Supplements in Treating Anemia in Children - 2016
The objective of this study was to assess the impact of nutritional rehabilitation using Spirulina versus vitamins and mineral supplements on the nutritional status, hematological profile, and anemia status of malnourished children less than 5 years of age.
87 malnourished children aged less than 5 years attending an AEI rehabilitation program were enrolled.
Groups of 30 children: Vitamin and Mineral group (A) treated daily with selected vitamins and mineral supplements; and Spirulina group (B) were treated daily with Spirulina.
After 12 weeks the Spirulina group showed significant increase in weight and height compared to the supplement group.
Spirulina treatment was more effective at increasing the ferritin and iron levels.
Spirulina treated children showed significant improvement in Haemoglobin, Mean Corpuscle Volume, and Mean Corpuscular Haemoglobin.
Conclusions: The results showed that Spirulina was more effective in treating malnutrition and anemia than supplements.
Read the research: Journal of Maternal and Pediatric Nutrition 2016
Research: Spirulina Boosts Hematological Parameters and Performance of Indian Marathon Runners
Exercise is known to increase oxidative stress and affect haem status, which in turn affects performance.
Endurance athletes experience hematological disturbances due to mechanical hemolysis, intestinal bleeding, haematuria, sweating, iron deficiency and poor iron absorption.
Poor hematological status increases cardiac output to maintain oxygen delivery to tissues, decreases the blood gas transport and muscle enzyme activity.
This research studied 8 male runners aged 24 to 26y competing in the Pune International Marathon 21 Km race.
Two weeks prior to the race the runners were treated with Spirulina and antioxidants.
After 2 weeks of treatment a significant improvement in Hb, PCV and RBC was seen prior to the race - and levels were only marginally reduced after the race.
The remarkable improvement in hematological parameters can be ascribed to the antioxidant effects of spirulina.
Read the article: Journal of Human Ecology
Research: Spirulina Treatment Reduces Anemia in Ulcerative Colitis Patients - 2023
This clinical trial evaluated spirulina treatment effect on serum iron, ferritin, anemia parameters, and fecal occult blood test (FOBT) in adults with ulcerative colitis (UC).
Eighty participants with UC were treated with either spirulina or placebo in a double-blinded clinical trial for eight weeks.
Results indicated significantly increased serum iron and mean corpuscular volume after eight weeks of spirulina treatment compared to the placebo group.
Red blood cell count and hematocrit were significantly lower in the placebo group.
Eight weeks of spirulina treatment improved anemia parameters in adults with ulcerative colitis compared to the placebo.
See the research: Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2023
Research: Spirulina Reduces Anemia, Increases Quality of Life in NAFLD Patients
This study was conducted to determine the effects of Spirulina on Cretan patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).
Anemia is common in NAFLD patients.
Fifteen adult Cretan outpatients with NAFLD were treated with spirulina daily for six months.
Height, weight, waist circumference, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, complete blood count, biochemical assessments, homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) index, health-related quality of life and abdominal sonographic findings were measured before and after Spirulina treatment.
Results: After the 6-month treatment period, the mean levels of aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, gamma-glutamyl transferase, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, total cholesterol, and the ratio of total cholesterol to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol were significantly decreased, whereas the mean levels of high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol and hemoglobin were significantly increased.
Spirulina treatment also resulted in a 8.1% reduction in weight and 19.6% reduction in HOMA-IR index, and a significant improvement in health-related quality of life scale.
See the research: Annals of Gastroenterology (PubMed)
Research: Spirulina Treatment Corrects Anemia in HIV-Positive Patients
Fifty two HIV positive patients naïve of, but eligible for antiretroviral treatment (ART) were enrolled and randomly assigned to two groups.
The first group received spirulina (Group A) as a food supplement and the second received soya beans (Group B).
Patients were initiated into ART simultaneously with food supplements auto-administered daily according to body weight for 12 weeks.
62% of the study participants corrected their anaemia. Subjects on spirulina were better off than subjects on soya beans.
Spirulina is known to be rich in iron and this result suggests the positive impact that it could have on the prevention and long-term treatment of anaemia in HIV infected and malnourished patients.
See the research: Journal of Nutrition and Metabolic Insights (PubMed Central)
Research Review: Spirulina During Pregnancy and Lactation Corrects Anemia in Mother & Child - 2018
Spirulina is widely used in treating nutritional deficiencies, recovering from malnutrition, immune enhancement and in correcting iron anemia.
It stimulates hematopoiesis, especially erythropoiesis, and meets all international food quality criteria.
Spirulina treatment during pregnancy and lactation may be of great potential value as it contains all hematopoietic nutrients that will ultimately benefit both mother and fetus.
Read the research: Frontiers in Neuroscience 2018
Research: Spirulina an Excellent Bioavailable Source of Iron for Anemic, Pregnant Women - 2021
Spirulina has 12 times higher levels of iron than that of any other food and is also rich in magnesium, potassium and other trace elements.
Iron scarcity is most common among women in their generative years.
Iron in some nutritional supplements is not appropriately absorbed, however in Spirulina is better absorbed than ferrous sulfate and other supplements.
Spirulina is a highly bioavailable source of iron in anemic pregnant women.
Read the research: Journal of Microbial Bioactives (Page 5) 2021
Research: Iron Absorption 6.5 x Higher from Spirulina than Beef
Iron deficiency, one of the most important nutritional problems in the world, can be caused not only by foods deficient in iron but also by poor availability of dietary iron.
The aim of this study was to examine the iron availability from spirulina.
We compared iron spirulina availability with those of beef, yeast, wheat flour, and iron sulfate plus ascorbic acid as a reference.
Results showed a 27% higher ferritin formation from beef and spirulina digests than from the other sources.
Iron availability per microgram of iron showed spirulina to be 6.5 times more available than meat.
Read the research: Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry (PubMed)
Research: Spirulina Works to Prevent Anemia and Build Lasting Health in Young Children
Spirulina can be used at any age from infancy through pregnancy to senior life, but its value is especially important in young growing children – during weaning and the pre-school period (from 1 to 6 years).
Spirulina offers remarkable health benefits to children.
It is rich in beta-carotene that can overcome eye problems caused by vitamin A deficiency, it provides the daily dietary requirement of beta-carotene which can help prevent blindness and eye diseases.
The protein and B-vitamin complex makes a major nutritional improvement in an infant’s diet.
It is the only food source other than breast milk containing substantial amounts of essential fatty acid, essential amino acids, and GLA that help to regulate the entire hormone system.
Spirulina also works to correct anemia and weight loss in HIV-infected children, and even more quickly in HIV-negative undernourished children.
The weaning period is the most critical phase of an infant’s life.
During this period mother’s milk is not generally adequate to cover the nutritional requirements and support body growth.
Breast milk alone cannot support the nutrition and other needs of the growing infant.
Spirulina contains 62 % protein - higher than any other natural food – including all the essential amino acids in fairly high amounts.
Spirulina contains essential minerals like calcium, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, iron, and zinc as well as complete vitamin B groups and many important anti-oxidants which protect cells.
It is the richest natural source of vitamin E and beta-carotene.
The protein and B-vitamin complex in spirulina makes a major nutritional improvement in an infant’s diet.
It is the only food source other than breast milk containing substantial amounts of essential fatty acids, essential amino acids and GLA that helps to regulate the hormone system.
Spirulina helps to build tissue growth, improve vision and strengthen the immune system thereby improving resistance to chronic infections, and improve the ability to heal and ability to concentrate in children.
Our research confirms that Spirulina can be safely administered to babies without any risk.
See the research: Journal of Food and Dairy Sciences
This is a small selection of hundreds of independent research studies confirming how spirulina provides the iron we need for optimal health.
Dosage: Fresh Spirulina for Iron Deficiency & Anemia
Analysis of spirulina studies research confirms that larger spirulina doses over longer periods consistently provide the best results.
As spirulina is a naturally grown functional food, there is no known dosage limit - In the United States 30-day fresh spirulina fasting is popular for detox and health improvement.
Fresh Spirulina Dosage for Iron Deficiency and Anemia
Most people who consume SPRU for this purpose find that one to two portions (SP-1 to SP-2) daily provide excellent results for healthy adults and children.
People with serious iron deficiency, athletes in training, and preganant and postpartum women may wish to increase their dosage to SP-3 to SP-5 while monitoring their iron levels with blood tests
Almost any dose of fresh spirulina will provide more benefits than shown in most of the above research studies that have been conducted with dried spirulina.
Comprehensive Fresh Spirulina Dosage Guide
Visit our fresh spirulina dosage guide page to discover:
- How we measure fresh spirulina dosage
- A table with recommended doses
- SPRU products and their portion sizes
- Why you should stop your supplements
- How to get started with fresh spirulina
- Getting started with a fresh spirulina fast
- Can you take too much SPRU?
- When to vary your dosage
- Dosage for illness and speicla cases
- What times to SPRU
- Comparing fresh spirulina to supplements
- Comparing fresh to dried spirulina
Fresh Spirulina for Iron Deficiency & Anemia