Fresh Living Spirulina is a powerful functional superfood that can help naturally overcome health and nutritional challenges.
This page provides links to a few of the 2000+ scientific research studies on boosting health and healing with Spirulina.
SPIRULINA FOR HEALTH + HEALING
Improve and Protect Your Health - Stimulate and Speed Healing
Thousands of research studies confirm the health and healing benefits of Spirulina.
The arrival of unprocessed & unrefined fresh living Spirulina means you can enjoy the performance & healing benefits directly in their purest and most powerful form.
We've summarised & organised Spirulina research by topic for you below.
Spirulina Research by Topic
— Featured Summaries
SPORTS+FITNESS
Runners, cyclists, triathletes — and their coaches — are surprised how living Spirulina measurably boosts performance, endurance and recovery — naturally.
Find out why pro athletes are including fresh living Spirulina in their daily diet.
Science says Spirulina causes our body to burn fat rather than carbs during exercise — it can alleviate 'hidden hunger' to reduce food cravings that drive obesity — and can significantly reduce body weight, appetite, body fat percentage and waist size. Review the research on our dedicated page.
Independent research from around the world confirms that spirulina can make it easier to live with diabetes and manage blood sugar, with a beneficial impact on fasting blood glucose (FBS), triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), very-low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL-C) and the ratio of high-density to low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C/LDL-C).
COVID-19 + ANTIVIRAL
Science says Spirulina boosts the human immune system and protect against flu and illness.
New research shows powerful antiviral properties that can help protect you against COVID-19, influenza, measles, mumps, herpes and even HIV. Review the research on our dedicated page.
SUPPLEMENT REPLACEMENT
Replace your supplements with a natural source of organic vitamins, minerals and so much more.
Spirulina contains almost every nutrient we need, including vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, amino acids, antioxidants & anti-inflammatories, in a living, unprocessed, pure, easy to digest, bioavailable (organic) form.
IRON DEFICIENCY + ANEMIA
Fresh living Spirulina provides living (organic) iron that's 40x easier to absorb than spinach and 8x more than supplements.
Fresh Spirulina has shown remarkable results in combating iron deficiency and anemia.
Athletes use it to increase ferritin levels naturally, which leads to enhanced performance and endurance.
VEGAN + PLANT BASED DIET
Fresh living Spirulina provides raw, living (organic) nutrients that can help vegan and plant-based eaters obtain the complete nutrition they need in order to maintain optimal health and immune function and avoid iron deficiency.
Spirulina Research by Topic
— More Summaries
ALZHEIMER'S
Spirulina may be useful in treating neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinsons disease.
Its powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and iron content protect against oxidative stress and decline of neuron functioning.
It has been shown to prevent memory loss by reducing the deposit of amyloids and reducing oxidative stress.
A selection of relevant studies:
ANTIOXIDANTS
Spirulina is rich in phycocyanin, a beautiful blue pigment, which is a potent antioxidant. Studies indicate that people who eat plenty of antioxidant-rich foods have reduced risk for disease, increased life expectancy, and are better able to handle stress. Protecting your cells from oxidative stress can also enhance performance during exercise, and prevent muscle damage, speeding post-exercise recovery.
ANTI-INFLAMMATORY + ALLERGY
Spirulina contains a blue pigment called phycocyanin that has extensive anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Taking Spirulina prevents the release of histamine by immune cells, which reduces inflammation and is anti-allergy. Spirulina has been shown to protect against allergic rhinitis (hay fever), significantly reducing symptoms such as itching, sneezing and nasal congestion.
CANCER
The antioxidant and immune modulatory properties of Spirulina may play a role in cancer prevention and tumor destruction. Phycocyanin, the blue pigment in Spirulina, is a powerful antioxidant – preventing DNA damage – and has been shown to have anti-tumor effects. Although there have not been a lot of studies done in humans to date, Spirulina is able to prevent carcinogenesis and to reduce tumor size and growth in animals.
A selection of relevant studies:
DETOX + CLEANSE
Spirulina is one of the few substances that has a body of evidence supporting its detoxifying action against heavy metals. It is such a powerful detoxifier that it has been shown to reverse the effects of chronic arsenic poisoning. It is a biosorbent of heavy metals and can significantly reduce the toxicity of arsenic, cadmium, lead and mercury.
A selection of relevant studies:
DIABETES + BLOOD SUGAR
Several studies have shown the beneficial effects of Spirulina for people with diabetes. A daily dose of Spirulina improves insulin sensitivity and lowers blood glucose, triglycerides, LDL and total cholesterol levels, improves blood pressure, and reduces inflammation and oxidative stress.
A selection of relevant studies:
CHRONIC FATIGUE
Spirulina may reduce physical and mental fatigue. In a clinical study testing 17 healthy men, the participants taking Spirulina showed an increase in exercise output and improved performance on a mental fatigue test.
Several studies have shown that Spirulina enhances physical endurance, reduces lactic acid production, promotes fat burning and reduces muscle damage, allowing people to perform for longer and recover more quickly.
A selection of relevant studies:
GUT HEALTH + MICROBIOME
Spirulina inhibits the growth of ‘bad’ bacteria and stimulates the growth of beneficial gut bacteria, thereby stabilizing the intestinal microbiome, improving gut health and functioning and reducing chronic inflammation. Taking Spirulina together with probiotics makes them more effective. Studies have noted an increase in the abundance of gut bacteria that, among other things, help to reduce blood lipid levels, regulate energy metabolism, improve insulin sensitivity, prevent liver disease, reduce body weight, reduce inflammation and lower cholesterol levels.
A selection of relevant studies:
HEART HEALTH + BLOOD LIPIDS
Spirulina has been shown to have many beneficial cardiovascular effects. Three months of regular consumption of Spirulina lowered blood pressure and arterial stiffness. Several other studies have shown that Spirulina lowers triglyceride, LDL and total cholesterol levels.
A selection of relevant studies:
HIV + GENERAL ANTIVIRAL
The immune-boosting, anti-viral, nutritional and blood sugar regulatory properties of Spirulina are all beneficial to people living with HIV. Compounds in Spirulina have been proven to inhibit the replication of HIV. Daily supplementation with Spirulina has been shown to significantly increase CD4 cell count and reduce viral load. Spirulina is also useful for nutrition management and in regulating insulin-resistance and blood lipid levels in HIV patients.
A selection of relevant studies:
IMMUNE SYSTEM BOOSTING
Spirulina provides micronutrients and active compounds that stimulate the immune system – boosting the number and activity of white blood cells and increasing production of antibodies.
A selection of relevant studies:
MENTAL PERFORMANCE
Spirulina has been shown to improve performance on maths tests, reduce mental fatigue, and improve language and cognitive skills and the intellectual status of school children.
Studies have found that it may prevent memory loss by reducing amyloid deposition.
Spirulina during late pregnancy and early childhood, provides critical micronutrients that improve the future learning, working and thinking performance of children.
A selection of relevant studies:
OLDER ADULTS + AGEING
Spirulina has been shown to boost the immune system and ameliorate anemia in adults over 50. It also protects against liver inflammation, possibly through changing the gut microbiota. There is evidence to suggest that it may reduce the risk of osteoporosis and memory loss. Spirulina is a rich source of zeaxanthin which has been shown to protect against common age-related eye diseases: cataracts and macular degeneration.
A selection of relevant studies:
WEIGHT LOSS + OBESITY
Spirulina supplementation can significantly reduce body weight, body fat percentage and waist circumference. People who took Spirulina daily had a reduction in appetite, significantly lower BMI and lower triglyceride (fat) and cholesterol levels. Two studies on people with mild hyperlipidemia showed that taking Spirulina every day significantly reduced blood cholesterol, TG and LDL levels.
A selection of relevant studies:
Unique Natural Healing Compounds
Click on any heading for more information.
PHYCOCYANIN
Phycocyanin is a blue pigment-protein complex found only in algae. It is a powerful antioxidant and stimulates the immune system and is known to have anti-viral, anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory and cholesterol-lowering properties.
More and more studies show that phycocyanin can block the proliferation of and kill cancer cells in multiple types of cancer including pancreatic cancer.
In addition to anti-cancer benefits, research indicates important antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties with a neuro-protective anti-ageing effect, that it works to protect the heart, liver and kidneys, and may help control or eliminate cataracts.
A selection of relevant studies:
CHLOROPHYLL
Chlorophyll is a green pigment present in green plants and algae. The chlorophyll concentration in Spirulina is 10 x greater than in wheatgrass.
It is a powerful antioxidant — that protects from free radicals that damage cells and DNA — and antimutagenic — that protects against a variety of cancer-causing compounds.
Chlorophyll seems to prevent cancer cells from multiplying.
A selection of relevant studies:
ERGOTHIONEINE
Spirulina is one of nature's richest sources of ergothioneine. Ergothioneine is a rare amino acid with potent antioxidant properties that combats oxidative stress inside cells.
Ergothioneine is unique in that human cells express a highly specific transporter for this molecule, despite it not being made in the body.
With aging, levels of ergothioneine in the body drop. Replenishing the body’s ergothioneine levels may help support healthier aging and improve healthspan.
Modern farming methods have significantly reduced the levels of this ‘longevity vitamin’ ergothioneine in crops.
A selection of relevant studies:
ZEAXANTHIN
Spirulina is a rich source of Zeaxanthin - thought to play a role in prevention and treatment of eye diseases, particularly age-related degeneration and cataracts due to its blue-light filtering and antioxidant properties.
Found in high concentrations in the human eye – it may provide significant protection against damage caused by light striking the retina.
Zeaxanthin may also protect against UV skin damage.
A selection of relevant studies: