The effect of Spirulina supplementation on blood haemoglobin levels of anaemic adult girls

The present study was designed to investigate the effect of supplementation of spray dried Spirulina powder on blood haemoglobin levels in young anaem ic girls of ages ranging from 18-22 years. They were screened for their ant hropometric measurements, clinical signs and symptoms related to anaemia an d blood haemoglobin levels. Blood haemoglobin levels less than 12 g/dl were used to find the prevalence of anaemia. Diets of 20 anaemic girls were sup plemented with 5 g of spray dried Spirulina powder daily for a period of 30 days and the blood haemoglobin levels were estimated at the end of the stu dy period. Supplementation was carried out in two forms - in the form of sy rup and in the form of parathas. The prevalence of anaemia in the girls was 28.2%. The diets of these girls revealed deficit intakes of calories and i ron, while the intakes of phytates and oxalates were found to be high. A me an increase of 1.17 g/dl i.e., 10.33% in the blood haemoglobin levels was s een in all the anaemic subjects after supplementing Spirulina tor 30 days. A mean increase in the blood haemoglobin levels by 1.32 g/dl i.e.. 11.65% w as seen in those girls supplemented with Spirulina in the form of syrup, wh ile a mean increase of 0.88 g/dl i.e.. 7.72% was seen in those supplemented with Spirulina as parathas. This increase could be due to the absence of i nhibitors of iron absorption - oxalates and phytates in the syrup, which we re otherwise present in the parathas. It was concluded that supplementation of Spirulina had beneficial effect on the haemoglobin levels and could be effectively used to combat iron deficiency anaemia.