Skip to content
DE
Protein

Spirulina

Spirulina is a cyanobacterium, often called blue-green algae, sold as a food or supplement, commonly as powder.

Also listed as Arthrospira maxima, Arthrospira platensis, Blue Green Algae, Spirulina maxima

LongevityCardiovascularEnergyWeight ManagementGut Health

What it is studied for

The strongest rated effects first. Bars show the size of the effect, the letter grades the evidence, and each rating lists the studies behind it.

Oxidative stressLongevityModerateA3 studies
Cholesterol balanceCardiovascularModerateA3 studies
Physical EnergyEnergyModerateBNo linked study
InflammationModerateBNo linked study
Blood pressureCardiovascularModerateBNo linked study
Blood sugarWeight ManagementModerateBNo linked study
All 14 rated effectsGrouped by health goal, with the publications behind each rating

What is spirulina?

Spirulina is a cyanobacterium sold as a food or supplement, commonly as powder. Its history as a food does not remove the need to control contamination during production. 1

Why is it studied for exercise recovery?

Researchers hypothesize that spirulina’s bioactive compounds could limit exercise-related oxidative stress and muscle damage. A review of human exercise studies found this promising rationale had not yet translated into consistent recovery or performance evidence. 2

Key studies

The most recent publications linked to Spirulina's ratings.

The effect of Spirulina supplementation on lipid profile: GRADE-assessed systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of data from randomized controlled trials.2023Antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects of spirulina in exercise and sport: A systematic review2022Spirulina supplementation and oxidative stress and pro‐inflammatory biomarkers: A systematic review and meta‐analysis of controlled clinical trials2021Impact of spirulina supplementation on obesity-related metabolic disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials2021A systematic review and meta-analysis of the impact of Spirulina supplementation on plasma lipid concentrations.2016
All 6 studiesEvery publication linked to Spirulina

Why people take it

Immune Support20.1%
Energy18.1%
Essential Health17.9%
Detox12.5%
Gut Health9.4%
Cognition4.7%

SuppCo community snapshot, 2026-09-28. Reasons for use are not evidence that it works.

Questions people ask

Is spirulina a dependable B12 supplement?

No. Its B12-like compounds are largely unusable by humans. 3

Does its protein content make a small dose a protein meal?

No. A 2 g portion provides about 1.2 g protein using the cited German food-table value. 3

Do all reviews find lower cholesterol?

No. A 2023 review found improvement, while a 2025 review found no significant pooled lipid effect. 4 5

Is every spirulina product equally clean?

No. Contamination is a recognized concern, which is why ANSES emphasizes controlled sourcing. 1

Does an antioxidant effect prove better sports performance?

No. Human performance findings remain inconsistent. 2

Sources