Investigating the effects of spirulina plantensis as a functional food
Investigating the effects of spirulina plantensis as a functional food
Mohammad Mehdi Khaleghi,1Zahra Jokar,2Fatemeh Mohajer,3Tuba Zendehboudi,4Neda Baghban,5,*
1. Student Research and Technology Committee, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Bushehr, Iran 2. The Persian Gulf Marine Biotechnology Research Center, The Persian Gulf Biomedical Sciences Research Institute, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Bushehr, Iran 3. The Persian Gulf Marine Biotechnology Research Center, The Persian Gulf Biomedical Sciences Research Institute, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Bushehr, Iran 4. The Persian Gulf Marine Biotechnology Research Center, The Persian Gulf Biomedical Sciences Research Institute, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Bushehr, Iran 5. The Persian Gulf Marine Biotechnology Research Center, The Persian Gulf Biomedical Sciences Research Institute, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Bushehr, Iran
Introduction: Spirulina algae is a potential functional food due to its valuable nutritional content, including proteins, essential amino acids, minerals, vitamins, and antioxidant compounds. It is used as a sustainable strategy to prevent protein energy malnutrition in humans and animals. Spirulina is used in many functional foods available on the market, such as yogurt, drinks, pasta, and supplements, alone or in combination with other natural ingredients. This research aims to assess the effects of spirulina algae to determine how well these products work as a source of functional foods.
Methods: Spirulina plantensis, Arthrospira platensis, and functional food were the keywords used in searches for this review study. Since 2017, we have reviewed several databases, including Google Scholar, PubMed, and Scopus. The most pertinent articles were examined after assessing the data's quality and studies were included if they investigated the effects of Spirulina platensis on human health outcomes.
Results: Arthrospira platensis, also known as spirulina, has various properties that make it a potential functional food. It has been found to have potential reducing effects on chronic diseases such as blood pressure, blood lipids, and high blood sugar, and may be useful in preventing metabolic syndrome. It also improves the growth of probiotics, has antimicrobial and antioxidant activity, reduces inflammation without inhibiting innate immune defenses, and has various other health benefits such as aiding weight gain, treating anemia and malnutrition, preventing muscle atrophy, and promoting muscle regeneration. Spirulina has also been used to enhance the nutritional value of bread and replace artificial additives in the dairy industry. However, caution should be exercised as there are some noticeable side effects such as insomnia, stomach issues, liver toxicity, and autoimmune hepatitis, especially in patients being treated with certain medications.
Conclusion: Spirulina platensis shows promise as a functional food with potential health benefits. However, further research is needed to determine the optimal dose and duration of supplementation and to better understand the mechanisms underlying the observed effects. Spirulina platensis may be a useful dietary supplement for individuals seeking to improve their health, but more research is needed before specific recommendations can be made.