In animal studies, spirulina has demonstrated promise for the management or prevention of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), but more research in humans is needed to confirm this effect.
In mice, spirulina has demonstrated the ability to both prevent and reduce the incidence of fatty liver in mouse models of NAFLD, although these studies have generally used much higher doses of spirulina than are recommended for humans.[1][2][3] In people with NAFLD, both a series of case studies including three people and an uncontrolled study including fifteen people found that spirulina supplementation significantly reduced liver enzymes. Nevertheless, ultrasound assessments didn’t consistently find improvements in NAFLD.[4][5]
References
- ^Jarouliya U, Zacharia JA, Kumar P, Bisen PS, Prasad GBAlleviation of metabolic abnormalities induced by excessive fructose administration in Wistar rats by Spirulina maxima.Indian J Med Res.(2012-Mar)
- ^Fujimoto M, Tsuneyama K, Fujimoto T, Selmi C, Gershwin ME, Shimada YSpirulina improves non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, visceral fat macrophage aggregation, and serum leptin in a mouse model of metabolic syndromeDig Liver Dis.(2012 Sep)
- ^Blé-Castillo JL, Rodríguez-Hernández A, Miranda-Zamora R, Juárez-Oropeza MA, Díaz-Zagoya JCArthrospira maxima prevents the acute fatty liver induced by the administration of simvastatin, ethanol and a hypercholesterolemic diet to mice.Life Sci.(2002-Apr-19)
- ^Ferreira-Hermosillo A, Torres-Duran PV, Juarez-Oropeza MAHepatoprotective effects of Spirulina maxima in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: a case seriesJ Med Case Rep.(2010 Apr 7)
- ^Elias E Mazokopakis, Maria G Papadomanolaki, Andreas A Fousteris, Dimitrios A Kotsiris, Ioannis M Lampadakis, Emmanuel S GanotakisThe hepatoprotective and hypolipidemic effects of Spirulina ( Arthrospira platensis) supplementation in a Cretan population with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: a prospective pilot studyAnn Gastroenterol.(2014)