Compound library
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Browse medicines, supplements, herbs, and health foods. Each profile brings community reports and linked research into one clear view.
Browse medicines, supplements, herbs, and health foods. Each profile brings community reports and linked research into one clear view.
Blue-green microalgae (Arthrospira) consumed as a dried whole-food powder; its phycocyanin and protein content have been studied in human trials for effects on blood lipids, glycated haemoglobin and immune markers.
31 of 37 results reported a benefit, from 5 published studies.
5 studies, including a review of trials
These are the figures the studies reported, not a prediction for any one person. Where several studies measured the same thing in the same unit, we show a simple average and say so. Every individual result is listed below.
See every resultInsulin resistance, pre-diabetes, type 2 diabetes, and metabolic syndrome.
Also known as: Arthrospira platensis, Arthrospira maxima
Every published result for this pair, extracted and audited.
These charts group published studies by what they reported and how they were run — green marks studies that reported a benefit for this pairing. Tiers run from pooled analyses of many trials (strongest) to one-off observational reports.
Direction of reported outcomes for Spirulina in blood sugar control.
Study designs behind these findings.
Hand-selected PubMed studies, linked to the originals.
Ordered by strength of evidence, then result direction.
01Adjunctive berberine for schizophrenia with metabolic syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysisXie K, et al. · Frontiers in psychiatry · 2026PMID 42433212 ↗02The Effect of Berberine Supplementation on Glycemic Control and Inflammatory Biomarkers in Metabolic Disorders: An Umbrella Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled TrialsNazari A, et al. · Clinical therapeutics · 2024PMID 38016844 ↗03Effect of Fenugreek on Hyperglycemia: A Systematic Review and Meta-AnalysisShabil M, et al. · Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) · 2023PMID 36837450 ↗04Effect of saffron and fenugreek on lowering blood glucose: A systematic review with meta-analysisCorreia AGDS, et al. · Phytotherapy research : PTR · 2023PMID 36992660 ↗Be the first to share what you noticed with Spirulina for blood sugar control. Why counts start empty.
Every measured outcome, one row per finding - numbers exactly as reported.
| Study | Design | n | Duration | Outcome measured | Reported result | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PMID 40289965 2025 | Meta-analysis | 168 to 279 | - | Blood pressure (BP) | reported qualitatively | No benefit |
| PMID 40289965 2025 | Meta-analysis | 101 to 299 | - | Diastolic blood pressure | -0.42 (95% CI: -0.81 to -0.02; p = 0.04) | Benefit |
| PMID 40289965 2025 | Meta-analysis | 168 to 279 | - | Lipemia | reported qualitatively | No benefit |
| PMID 40289965 2025 | Meta-analysis | 101 to 299 | - | Lipemia indexes | reported qualitatively | No benefit |
| PMID 40289965 2025 | Meta-analysis | 101 to 299 | - | Total cholesterol | -0.17 (95% CI: -0.39 to 0.06; p = 0.15) | No benefit |
| PMID 40953712 2025 | Meta-analysis | 35 trials | - | BMI | -0.58 kg/m² (P = 0.001) | Benefit |
| PMID 40953712 2025 | Meta-analysis | 35 trials | - | DBP | -3.09 mmHg (P < 0.001) | Benefit |
| PMID 40953712 2025 | Meta-analysis | 35 trials | - | FBG | -5.51 (mg/dl) (P = 0.001) | Benefit |
| PMID 40953712 2025 | Meta-analysis | 35 trials | - | HDL-C | 1.9 (mg/dl) (P < 0.001) | Benefit |
| PMID 40953712 2025 | Meta-analysis | 35 trials | - | HOMA-IR | -0.68 (P < 0.001) | Benefit |
| PMID 40953712 2025 | Meta-analysis | 35 trials | - | hs-CRP | -0.86 mg/L (P = 0.002) | Benefit |
| PMID 40953712 2025 | Meta-analysis | 35 trials | - | IL-6 | -0.58 pg/ml (P < 0.001) | Benefit |
| PMID 40953712 2025 | Meta-analysis | 35 trials | - | insulin | -0.86 (ng/ml) (P = 0.002) | Benefit |
| PMID 40953712 2025 | Meta-analysis | 35 trials | - | LDL-C | -7.69 (mg/dl) (P < 0.001) | Benefit |
| PMID 40953712 2025 | Meta-analysis | 35 trials | - | SBP | -3.85 mmHg (P = 0.002) | Benefit |
| PMID 40953712 2025 | Meta-analysis | 35 trials | - | TC | -11.5 (mg/dl) (P < 0.001) | Benefit |
| PMID 40953712 2025 | Meta-analysis | 35 trials | - | TG | -14.75 (mg/dl) (P < 0.001) | Benefit |
| PMID 40953712 2025 | Meta-analysis | 35 trials | - | TNF-α | -0.46 pg/ml (P = 0.01) | Benefit |
| PMID 40953712 2025 | Meta-analysis | 35 trials | - | weight | -1.78 kg (P = 0.003) | Benefit |
| PMID 34538515 2022 | Meta-analysis | - | - | fasting blood sugar (FBS) | (0.63- 2.90-) 1.77- | Benefit |
| PMID 34538515 2022 | Meta-analysis | - | - | glycated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1C) | (1.04 ، 2.23-) 0.59- | No benefit |
| PMID 34538515 2022 | Meta-analysis | - | - | high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) | (3.86 ، 0.67) 2.27 | Benefit |
| PMID 34538515 2022 | Meta-analysis | - | - | low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) | reported qualitatively | No benefit |
| PMID 34538515 2022 | Meta-analysis | - | - | total cholesterol (TC) | (0.46- ، 4.61-) 2.54- | Benefit |
| PMID 34538515 2022 | Meta-analysis | - | - | triglycerides (TG) | (0.89- ، 6.54-) 3.71- | Benefit |
| PMID 31359513 2019 | Meta-analysis | - | - | fasting plasma glucose (FPG) | -10.31 (95% confidence interval, CI [-16.21, -4.42]) | Benefit |
| PMID 31359513 2019 | Meta-analysis | - | - | high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) | 1.42 (95% CI [0.16, 2.68]) | Benefit |
| PMID 31359513 2019 | Meta-analysis | - | - | insulin concentrations | -0.53 (95% CI [-0.62, -0.44]) | Benefit |
| PMID 31359513 2019 | Meta-analysis | - | - | low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) | -19.02 (95% CI [-36.27, -1.78]) | Benefit |
| PMID 31359513 2019 | Meta-analysis | - | - | total cholesterol | -20.50 (95% CI [-38.25, -2.74]) | Benefit |
| PMID 31359513 2019 | Meta-analysis | - | - | very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL-C) | -6.72 (95% CI [-9.19, -4.26]) | Benefit |
| PMID 36598187 2023 | Randomised trial | Sixty | three months | FBS | ↓ 24.94 mg/dL (p < 001) | Benefit |
| PMID 36598187 2023 | Randomised trial | Sixty | three months | HbA1c | ↓1.43 (p < 0.001) | Benefit |
| PMID 36598187 2023 | Randomised trial | Sixty | three months | HDL-C | ↑3 mg/dL (p < 0.001) | Benefit |
| PMID 36598187 2023 | Randomised trial | Sixty | three months | LDL-C | ↓38.4 mg/dL (p < 0.001) | Benefit |
| PMID 36598187 2023 | Randomised trial | Sixty | three months | TG | reported qualitatively (p < 0.001) | Benefit |
| PMID 36598187 2023 | Randomised trial | Sixty | three months | Total cholesterol (TC) | ↓41.36 mg/dL (p < 0.001) | Benefit |