Spirulina: a Safe, Effective Way to Manage Cholesterol
This tiny supplement could be a big help to you if you have cholesterol problems.
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide. It may count for an astounding 31.9% of all deaths. One of the leading causes of cardiovascular disease is dyslipidemia. You have dyslipidemia if you have bad levels of fats: the bad ones are too high and the good ones are too low.
That means that to avoid cardiovascular disease, you want to get your levels of triglycerides and the bad LDL cholesterol down and your levels of the good HDL cholesterol up. It turns out that a safe little microalga can do all that.
Spirulina is a blue-green algae that is loaded in antioxidants, protein and other nutrients. It is a nutrient powerhouse.
A just published systematic review and meta-analysis of 20 controlled studies has clearly shown that spirulina significantly reduces LDL cholesterol, total cholesterol and triglycerides while it significantly raises HDL cholesterol. That’s all good news for your heart. The researchers point out that the benefit crossed the line of the minimal clinically important difference, meaning it was not just statistically significant, but clinically significant: it can really make a difference.
Taking at least 4g a day seemed to produce the best results for HDL cholesterol, and at least 6g a day seemed to produce the best results for triglycerides.
Spirulina has been shown in several toxicology studies to be safe.
Now that all the research has been put together, spirulina can be included on the list of strategies for naturally and safely improving cholesterol.
Pharmacological Research. July 2023;193:106802
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For much more on natural help for cholesterol, see our book The Family Naturopathic Encyclopedia.
For comprehensive natural help with cholesterol and heart health, make an appointment to see Linda Woolven now. Linda’s clinic is now open for virtual appointments.
The Natural Path is intended for educational purposes only and is in no way intended for self-diagnosis or self-treatment. For health problems, consult a qualified health practitioner for a comprehensive program.