SYSTEMATIC REVIEW article
Front. Nutr.
Sec. Nutritional Epidemiology
"Assessing the Impact of Spirulina Supplementation on the Growth of Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis"
Bijaya Kumar Mishra 1
Jaya Singh Kshatri 1
Bharati Kulkarni 2
Swagatika Pati 1
Harshita Dhusiya 1
Dr.Pritimayee Sethy 1
Tanveer Rehman 1
Aparna Mukherjee 3
Srikanta Kanungo 1
Sanghamitra Pati 1,3
1. Regional Medical Research Center (ICMR), Bhubaneswar, India
2. ICMR - National Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad, India
3. Indian Council of Medical Research, New Delhi, India
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Abstract
Abstract Background: Spirulina, a nutrient-dense blue-green microalgae, has been proposed as a sustainable intervention to combat undernutrition in children and adolescents. Despite its nutritional benefits, evidence regarding its impact on overall growth in this population remains limited and inconsistent. This systematic review and meta-analysis synthesizes the available evidence on impact of Spirulina supplementation on the growth of children and adolescents. Methods: Following PRISMA (version 2020) guidelines, we systematically searched five databases (PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, CENTRAL and Google Scholar (till 16th July 2024for experimental studies published in English. Eligible studies assessed the impact of Spirulina supplementation on the growth of children and adolescents (<18 years), with growth-related outcomes such as changes in height, weight, etc. Data extraction and risk of bias assessment were conducted independently. A random-effects meta-analysis was performed using standardized mean differences (SMDs) to pool results. Findings: Of 208 identified studies, 5 met the inclusion criteria, and 2 were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled SMD for weight changes was -0.526 (95% CI: -1.289 to 0.236), indicating no statistically significant effect (p=0.176). Heterogeneity was substantial (I²=99%). Variability in intervention dosage, duration and adherence to supplementation contributed to the observed heterogeneity. Interpretation: Spirulina supplementation did not show a statistically significant impact on growth outcomes in children and adolescents. Further high-quality studies are needed to explain its role as a nutritional intervention.
Summary
Keywords
Children and adolescents, Growth, nutrient, Nutritional supplementation, Spirulina
Received
02 January 2026
Accepted
19 February 2026
Copyright
© 2026 Mishra, Kshatri, Kulkarni, Pati, Dhusiya, Sethy, Rehman, Mukherjee, Kanungo and Pati. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
*Correspondence: Sanghamitra Pati
Disclaimer
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