article · International Journal of Pediatrics
A prospective study evaluated the impact of Spirulina supplementation on undernourished children aged six to 60 months. The trial assessed 50 children divided into an intervention group of 16 participants who received 10 grams of Spirulina daily alongside a local nutritional centre diet, and a control group of 34 participants receiving only the local diet. Health status was evaluated on day zero, day 15, and day 30. Children receiving Spirulina achieved significant increases in both weight-for-age and weight-for-height Z scores. By day 15, the intervention group demonstrated statistically significant improvements in mean corpuscular volume, total proteins, and albumin levels compared to the control group. By day 30, significant improvements extended to all measured parameters. The results demonstrate that daily Spirulina supplementation rapidly and significantly improves the nutritional recovery of undernourished children.
Childhood malnutrition remains widespread, yet data on effective algae-based interventions have been limited. Because Spirulina provides essential amino acids, rare lipids, minerals, and vitamins, showing that it can produce measurable improvements in weight and biochemical markers within 15 to 30 days offers a clear dietary approach for treating undernutrition in community health settings.
The findings present applied clinical evidence for incorporating Spirulina into supplementary feeding programmes and therapeutic food products. Potential users include nutrition centres, public health organisations, and food manufacturers developing targeted supplements for undernourished children. Because the study tested a direct dietary addition in a real-world setting, the approach is near-market, though practical uptake depends on product sourcing, formulation, and distribution protocols.
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<i>Aim</i>. Despite high levels of malnutrition, there is still very little information on the nutritional benefits of <i>Spirulina</i>, a natural alga that provides essential amino acids, rare essential lipids, and numerous minerals and vitamins, to undernourished children in the world. <i>Methods</i>. We carried out a prospective study of 50 children aged between six and 60 months. The intervention group consisted of 16 children who received 10 g of <i>Spirulina</i> daily, as well as the local diet administered by the nutritional centre, and the control group of 34 children who just received the local diet. Both groups of children were assessed on day zero, day 15, and day 30. <i>Results</i>. After treatment, the weight-for-age <i>Z</i> scores and weight-for-height <i>Z</i> scores increased significantly in the intervention group. At day 15, there was a statistically significant difference between the mean corpuscular volume, total proteins, and albumin (<i>p</i> < 0.05) in both groups, in favour of the intervention group, and at day 30, this difference extended to all of the studied parameters (<i>p</i> < 0.05). <i>Conclusion</i>. This study found that the nutritional status of undernourished children who received <i>Spirulina</i> supplements as well as the local diet administered by the nutritional centre improved quickly and significantly.
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DOI: 10.1155/2016/1296414
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