Monday Nov 18, 2013 (foodconsumer.org) -- Serum cholesterol can be lowered easily with spirulina supplements, according to a study in Journal of Food Science and Technology.  The study also found spirulina supplementation led to weight loss.

Amudha Ramamoorthy and S. Premarkumari from Deemed University in India conducted the small trial and found patients with ischemic heart disease and high cholesterol who took 2 or 4 grams of spirulina per day for three months drastically lowered total cholesterol, bad cholesterol, very low density lipoprotein cholesterol, blood fat and caused weight loss, compared with those who did not take spirulina. Spirulina also increased good cholesterol concentrations.

Early work has demonstrated that spirulina supplementation can lower bad cholesterol and raise good cholesterol in animals.  This study shows that spirulina works for humans as well.

For the study, 30 overweight patients aged 40 to 60 years who had blood cholesterol ranging from 250 to 400 mg/dL and 21 out 30 patients also had ischemic heart disease. The high risk patients were mostly non-vegetarians at the age of 46 to 55 years and followed a sedentary lifestyle and ate a high fat diet.

Two groups of patients with 10 in each took either 2 grams or 4 grams of spirulina per day and the third group took placebo as controls all for three months.  Cholesterol and body mass index were measured at baseline and at the end of the study.

The lipid profile or all sorts of bad cholesterol decreased drastically at the end of the study for the better.   The low dose of spirulina was more effective than the higher dose in lowering total cholesterol, triglycerides and increasing good cholesterol.  But the high dose was more effective in lowering bad cholesterol and very low density lipoprotein cholesterol.   Overall, both doses were very effective.

Spirulina is a blue alga that is consumed as healthy food in some regions. It contains highest amounts of proteins compared with all other foods and have a complete nutrition profile including all sorts of vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals. Spirulina is available as a dietary supplement on the Internet.

More details will be released soon. (David Liu PHD).