A study published in the journal Nutrition Research found that spirulina is beneficial to people with diabetes. In this study, researchers from the University of Western Brittany in France explored the hepatoprotective, antihyperglycemic, and antidiabetic properties of spirulina.

• The researchers looked at the effects of spirulina supplementation on diabetic rats.
• They hypothesized that supplementation with spirulina could help treat diabetes and reduce its complications.
• For the study, the researchers first treated rats with alloxan to induce diabetes.
• They then fed the rats with either five percent spirulina-enriched diet or treated them with insulin every day for 21 days.
• The results showed that both spirulina and insulin treatments caused a significant reduction in fasting blood glucose and an increase in glycogen level.
• Supplementation with spirulina also caused body weight loss and improved liver toxicity indices.
• It also reduced levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, total cholesterol, and triglycerides.
• In addition, spirulina supplementation increased antioxidant activities in the liver of the rats.
• These results suggest that supplementation with spirulina reduced hyperglycemia and oxidative stress in diabetic rats.

In conclusion, supplementing a diet with spirulina can help in the prevention of other health problems associated with diabetes.

Journal Reference:

Gargouri M, Magne C, El Feki A. HYPERGLYCEMIA, OXIDATIVE STRESS, LIVER DAMAGE AND DYSFUNCTION IN ALLOXAN-INDUCED DIABETIC RAT ARE PREVENTED BY SPIRULINA SUPPLEMENTATION. Nutrition Research. November 2016; 36(11):1255-1268. DOI: 10.1016/j.nutres.2016.09.011