Spirulina side effects

Spirulina is known to be relatively safe even in high doses and is considered nontoxic to humans and free of serious side effects. There are however some potential dangers related to spirulina intake, so you may want to read through this article to get a better overview. On this page we also cover spirulina dosage, as the subjects are somewhat related.

Although there are thousands of scientific papers on spirulina, clinical research on high intake in humans is scarce. If you are new to spirulina it is important to know that some adverse effects could manifest depending on dosage, quality, personal biochemistry, if you have any pre-consisting conditions (when taking medicine you should always consult your physician first – read on to see who should NOT take spirulina) as well as the level of environmental contaminants in your system (this is because spirulina can have a passing detox effect).

How to avoid side effects from spirulina

The first thing you should do before buying a spirulina supplement is to look for well established and trusted brands that provide you with relevant information about production and quality and safety to reduce your risk of adverse effects (visit our buy spirulina page for help).

Even with the best supplement on hand you might still experience some passing “side effects” from spirulina as it takes effect in your organism. More than often this is actually a healthy sign of a detoxification process that easily can be mistaken for a “side effect”. The unease of the body releasing toxins usually passes within days or just a few weeks. But we aware, in rare cases some people may have an allergic reaction to spirulina and should discontinue the use immediately.

A detox effect effect however, is often the result of either environmental toxins in your body like heavy metals or gut related health challenges. If you are new to spirulina consider starting at a gram the first day and build up slowly with increments of no more than 1 gram a day until you reach your desired daily dosage.

If you feel any discomfort reduce your intake to a comfortable level and stay there for a few days or a week before attempting to increase your dosage again. If discomforts like headaches, stomach pains, nausea and vomiting, increased heartbeat or weakness persist it can be signs of product contamination. In this case you should stop intake immediately and consult your healthcare professional. Any server reactions of unusual discomfort should put you on alert and remember to seek professional help sooner rather than later to be on the safe side.

Spirulina detox side effects

Potentially benign side effects when taking spirulina can be light and passing fever, light headaches, some stool discolouration, provocation of migraines and light stomach upset. These symptoms can be signs of the detoxification process that can take place and / or the enzymatic and probiotic effects on the digestive system.

Spirulina have in numerous animal studies shown the ability to help the organism expel heavy metals. Small clinical trials have also shown similar effects, in particular, a human trial shows that spirulina together with zinc supplementation can help the body reduce arsenic buildup (if you eat rice without washing it well first, in particular brown rice, you may want to try spirulina for a arsenic detox).

Contrary to what many people believe there are actually studies that clearly show that detoxification of the body takes place. Several species of animals in the wild have also been shown to eat things like clay to deal with toxins in their diet, so detox is most definitely a real thing that can provide real health benefits, but also some discomfort.

With natural remedies and superfoods like spirulina user experiences and patient observations made by doctors and natural therapists needs to be taken into consideration together with scientific research. Doing so helps to better understand the potential health benefits of what can be considered natural medicine and superfood. And when it comes to detoxification with spirulina the internet are filled with personal experiences, as well as observations by a range of healthcare providers, both from alternative and traditional practices.

This does not mean that spirulina will help everyone detox, but for those that do experience detox symptoms it is good to know that it is a real benefit and that symptoms should diminish by reducing the intake over a few days. Mild detox symptoms do not cause any persistent health concerns, but if in doubt you should always consult your healthcare provider.

One last observation regarding detoxification side effects concerns pregnancy. Although it is true that spirulina is a rich source of important nutrients that are highly beneficial for a good start in life, it may be untimely to go through a detox when with child. A more sound strategy would be to start taking spirulina in good time before you get pregnant. Another concern of course is the potential of contaminants in low quality products.

Advice may vary from source to source as to the potential dangers vs benefits of taking spirulina when expecting a baby. In case you opt to take the superfood, extra attention should into selection of the right brand and to start on a low dosage.

Autoimmune side effects

People with immune related disorders may also experience side effects that provoke or increase the frequency of symptoms and the severity of the given condition. Although studies show potential benefits to some allergy sufferers it is still not unlikely that spirulina could increase the discomfort and severity of autoimmune symptoms.

The situation is a bit different for asthma and allergy patients who are more likely to benefit from taking spirulina. Studies show that even though spirulina may strengthen the immune response it may be beneficial for these conditions and help reduce symptoms. Other autoimmune conditions could have more individual outcomes, so you only option would have to be to try and see if it works for you or not.

If you experience an increase in discomfort it could still be related to detox or just a sign that spirulina is having an effect on your organism. Sometimes a supplement taking effect in the organism can lead to a mild and passing side effect that should fade within days or weeks. Some actually consider this a healthy sign. But if adverse effects continue it may be a clear sign that spirulina is not for you, at least not for now.

Always be cautious if you experience server discomfort or unusual symptoms. Do not hesitate to seek professional health advice, it is always better to be safe than sorry.

Low-quality spirulina can promote serious side effects

Spirulina from polluted sources can lead to severe side effects by building up excess levels of lead, mercury and cadmium in your system. Low-quality spirulina can also easily become contaminated by animal hairs, insect fragments, bird droppings, etc.

On the bright side a 2013 study looking at heavy metal concentration in 25 major spirulina food supplements found that all of them where within the daily intake levels for human consumption. Samples were analysed from some of the biggest spirulina manufacturers from USA, Canada, Japan, United Kingdom, India, New Zealand and Australia.

When it comes to spirulina we can’t say this enough: Choose a reputable brand and buy from a trustable store or online store. We list some of them on our Buy Spirulina Online page.

Adverse effects from cyanotoxins in spirulina

Contamination by other cyanobacteria and poorly monitored production and lack of sufficient quality control can also lead to the presence of hepatotoxic microcystins (affecting mainly the liver) and neurotoxic anatoxin-a, cyanotoxins produced by several cyanobacteria species, but according to research normally not by spirulina.

Cyanotoxins in “controlled” spirulina production do occur, although it is really more of a problem associated with harvesting spirulina from lakes. A few brands have been found to contain some cyanotoxins (we have not yet been able to find a scientific paper that mention the brands in question) and could represent a health issue by affecting the liver, nerve cells, cells in general, act as irritants and potentially also be carcinogenic (provoking cancer).

As far as we know none of the big trustable brands have been found to contain cyanotoxins at a level that should be a cause for alarm. If you know of any research paper showing otherwise we would greatly appreciate if you contact us so we can update our information. Any reliable information we can find about cyanotoxins and specific and relevant spirulina brands will be added to this page.

You always want to make sure that you get high-quality spirulina nutrition from quality supplements sold by reputable stores or online shops. To help you we have created a list of some of the very best online shops that sell high quality supplements and offer great customer service. We intend to expand our list of online shops as we update the website going forward. We will list both supplement shops that deliver worldwide, as well as some that only sell spirulina to a specific country or region, so come back on a regular basis to stay updated.

Blue-green algae side effects

There are several species of blue-green algae and most of them are known to produce cyanotoxins. If you see blue-green algae on a supplement label without any specification of what species our general advice is to not take that supplement. If you find anything else in terms of blue-green algae on the product label than the two types of spirulina, Arthrospira platensis and Arthrospira maxima, you should be cautious and seek more information before taking any supplement.

Aphanizomenon flos-aquae, or just A. flos-aquae, is one blue-green algae that is sold as a supplement and have been found to contain cyanotoxins, thus helping to promote the idea that spirulina is unsafe, simply because spirulina is the main reference for blue-green algae.

Research seems to indicate that when spirulina supplements are found to contain cyanotoxins it is due to contamination by other species of blue-green algae (actually refers to cyanobacteria, and not true algae). It may also be that spirulina can accumulate toxins if contaminated by true algae as well as other species of cyanobacteria / blue-green algae. So you may also want to be cautious about taking spirulina or algae supplements harvested from lakes.

Spirulina dosage

Scientists say up to 50 grams of spirulina per day could be safe, but the recommended dosage usually varies between 1 to 10 grams per day depending on purpose and desired health benefit.

Taking as little as 1 to 2 grams per day over time can have some positive effects. Mild to moderate reduction in blood sugar levels have been observed even and this low dosage. Studies on pre-cancerous lesions (OMF) in the mouth found effects when taking only a gram per day over a year. In one study the 45% of the spirulina group had complete regression, while placebo group only 7%.

The dosage commonly suggested is 3 grams and some additional health benefits have been observed around that mark. Spirulina has a strong anti-inflammatory effect and studies show that 2 to 3 grams may be beneficial to reduce symptoms of dust and pollen allergies and the inflammation in nasal airways. Studies also indicate a boost to the immune system, particular in elderly.

At 4 to 5 grams spirulina may be beneficial to reduce fatty liver, lower LDL and triglyceride levels, reduce blood pressure and perhaps even increase nitric oxide (NO) production. If shown that spirulina helps to promote the production of nitric oxide (in Brazil a rat study is under way), a powerful signalling molecule the help blood vessels relax and dilate, it unlocks the door to many other potential health benefits in the body. Besides heart health and distribution of nutrients in the body, nitric oxide can also help treat erectile dysfunction provided it’s not a direct result of already low blood pressure.

From 6 to 8 grams spirulina may help to increase muscle performance in athletes, be beneficial for type 3 diabetics and protect LDL cholesterol from being oxidised, increase levels of antioxidant enzymes in the blood and reduce markers of oxidative damage.

There are not many studies looking at 10 grams of spirulina or more per day, but still some dedicated users take up to 10 grams or more. Usually this type of dosage is seen in people with high activity levels and in professional athletes, and often as a result of experimenting with diet and nutrition to find the optimal combination for personal performance.

How much spirulina do I need?

The “right” dosage for you depends on a great number of things, but if you are in good health following the general 3 gram a day recommendation may be a good place to start. Remember that taking as little as 1 gram over time can give you long-term health benefits, including the prebiotic effects of spirulina that over time will help stimulate the growth of healthy microorganisms in the gut.

If you are like us you want to secure as many health benefits as possible without overdoing it, which could land you on somewhere between 3 to 5 grams a day. Looking over the science 5 grams a day seems to give most of the benefits.

If you suffer from cancer or other serious disease were spirulina can be beneficial, reaching towards 7 to 8 grams a day might be something to consider. But remember to consult your healthcare provider, especially if you take any medicines.

And the last thing to keep in mind is that often the best supplements you take is the ones that help your overall health and longevity over time without necessarily giving you a noticeable effect. Most people wait for a health problem to arise and then look for a supplement that can help remedy the health challenge, but the best thing you can do for your health and wellbeing is to follow a preventive healthcare strategy.

Give your body the nutrients it needs to protect and heal itself and be on the plus side with your nutritional intake, especially when it is in a natural a food based form. That is how you stay healthier throughout life. It might not be a guarantee, but it sure gives you the upper hand when facing lives many potential health challenges.

Spirulina during pregnancy and to children

For children and pregnant women spirulina is both recommended, and advised against. There are potential benefits and potential dangers, which makes it all the more important to buy a reputable brand should you decide to take spirulina pregnancy or give it to your children.

There have been some rare cases of miscarriage were spirulina has been singled out as the likely cause, but that could be difficult to prove and could also be due to heavy metal content, cyanotoxins, or some other type of contamination. We have yet to see any brand associated with adverse effects during pregnancy, but it is certainly something to be aware of. We recommend to consult with your healthcare provider before taking spirulina when when pregnant or breastfeeding.

As we mentioned under “Spirulina detox side effects” it is not advisable to detox while you are pregnant. This can potentially release some of the toxins in your body into the blood stream as they are expelled from the body. So if you decide to start with spirulina after becoming pregnant starting with as little as 500mg could be a smart strategy, and only increase with increments of half a gram every few days to slowly reach desired dosage.

If you want to give spirulina to your child you should keep in mind that children under 8 years or so should in general not take capsules or tablets. Be on the safe side and dissolve in food or beverage that is under 48 degrees celsius to avoid damaging the enzymes. If you give spirulina powder to a child you should consider dissolving it first to avoid it getting powder stuck in the throat. For children under 10 years 200 milligrams to 2 grams a day may be a good range depending on age and needs.

Who should not take spirulina?

People who suffer from a rare metabolic condition called phenylketonuria (PKU) cannot metabolise phenylalanine, so with spirulina’s extremely rich amino acid content intake should be avoided.

If you take medications you should always consult a knowledgeable healthcare provider to make sure there are no know interactions with any supplement you consider taking.

Spirulina is in particular thought to be at risk of interacting with immunosuppressant drugs, as research shows it is likely to boost immunity. But there are to our knowledge no studies or official guidelines regarding this, just a general recommendation to be cautious, which we hope you are. The same goes for auto immune conditions, spirulina may make symptoms worse, although positive effects have been reported on dust and pollen allergies as well asthma.

If you are an insulin dependent diabetic or type 2 diabetic you should consider consulting your physician before taking spirulina. The same goes for anyone who might be predisposed to gout (also known as podagra or uric acid arthropathy).

A 2006 study on mice shows that intake of spirulina potentially can decrease bone mineral density under estrogen-deficient conditions.

High-quality spirulina is considered relatively safe and even recommended during pregnancy by some healthcare professionals. Although animal studies are promising, no human research has looked into possible side effects during pregnancy, so consulting your physician is always advisable.

If you know of any information missing in this segment we greatly appreciate if you can let us know by email so we can look into it and see if an update is needed to complete our overview, thank you.