Benefits of Spirulina And Its Side Effects

Millions of people are having problems and irritations from allergies to dust mites, pet dander, pollen, and many more. Stuffy nose, watery eyes, or itchy throat, are the symptoms of allergies.

Animal studies suggest that spirulina stops the release of histamine, which is responsible for symptoms of allergic rhinitis. According to human studies, spirulina consumption improved symptoms like sneezing, nasal congestion, nasal itching, and nasal discharge when compared to the placebo group.

Chronic arsenic toxicity is a problem worldwide, and according to the World Health Organization, the U.S. is one of the nations that are most severely affected, although it’s an even more serious issue in the Far East, including India, Bangladesh, and Taiwan, where citizens are consuming a high level of arsenic in their drinking water.

The effects can be devastating and can be seen even years after exposure. It’s initially associated with abdominal pain, severe diarrhea, vomiting, and nausea, but peripheral neuropathy and encephalopathy has been linked to it as well. When the affected patients are given a spirulina extract combined with zinc, the participants were found to have a 47% decrease of arsenic in their bodies. Spirulina is also very high in chlorophyll, which helps remove toxins from the blood while strengthening the immune system.

Phycocyanin is a pigment found in the spirulina that scientists have discovered possesses antihypertensive effects (it lowers blood pressure). Japanese researchers claim that this is because consuming the blue-green algae reverses endothelial dysfunction in metabolic syndrome.

Spirulina can also help lower blood cholesterol levels and prevent atherosclerosis. In 2010 research that was published in The Journal of Nutritional Science and Vitaminology, in which rabbits were fed a high cholesterol diet made up of 0.5% cholesterol for a four week period.

And then fed them that same diet, but this time added 1% or 5% spirulina for another eight weeks, researchers found that LDL (or “bad” cholesterol) was reduced by 26% in the group who ate 1% spirulina, and 41% in the group that consumed 5% spirulina. Serum triglycerides and total cholesterol were dramatically reduced as well.

Spirulina may be essential for those with a chronic liver disease as research has shown that it helps to protect against liver cirrhosis, liver damage and liver failure. In the study published in Journal Nutrition, the scientists concluded that spirulina is beneficial for liver health in addition to functioning as an antioxidant, eliminating free radicals, preventing liver damage and chelating harmful metals.

The University of Maryland Medical Center reports: “A number of animal and test-tube studies suggest that spirulina increases the production of antibodies, infection-fighting proteins, and other cells that improve immunity and help ward off infection and chronic illnesses such as cancer.

Research from the Czech Republic noted that Spirulina is (also) rich in tetrapyrrolic compounds closely related to bilirubin molecule, a potent antioxidant, and antiproliferative agent.

When tested on human pancreatic cells, the scientists found that compared to untreated cells, experimental therapeutics significantly decreased proliferation of human pancreatic cancer cell lines in vitro in a dose-dependent manner. Basically, that proved that adding spirulina to one’s diet can help prevent a number of different cancers from developing.

Some animal studies have suggested that consuming spirulina can lower blood sugar levels, in fact, results have even shown that it can outperform some of the most common diabetes medications, like Metformin.

Other research on humans, in which 25 patients with type 2 diabetes took two grams of spirulina each day for two months, experienced significantly lowered blood sugar levels.

Known as allergic rhinitis, spirulina benefits the body by reducing the inflammation that causes people to experience sinus problems, according to numerous studies. (20) Compared to placebo trials, spirulina is effective at reducing itching, nasal discharge, nasal congestion and sneezing.

Regularly consuming protein-rich, nutrient-dense foods like spirulina are known to promote weight loss while lowering fat stores. It does this in a number of ways, including being high in fibre, which is important for keeping one fuller longer and curbing hunger to prevent the temptation to give in to unhealthy snacks.

Additionally, as it takes more energy to metabolize, eating foods high in protein like this one helps to maintain lean tissue while contributing to fat burning. By taking a spoonful of spirulina each day and following a healthy lifestyle, it will help to speed your metabolism and improve weight loss results.