Definition: "An ergogenic aid is any substance or phenomenon that enhances performance "
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02.04.2022 |
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A few spirulina tablets a day lower your blood pressure by 4 to 5 points
Supplementation with the microalgae spirulina can lower both systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure by more than 4 points. Polish scientists come to that conclusion in a meta-study published in Nutrients.
Study
The doses tested ranged from 1 to 8 grams of spirulina per day. The duration of administration ranged from 2 to 12 weeks.
Spirulina contains ingredients that can lower blood pressure in animal experiments. Phycocyanin is one of them. Phycocyanin can indirectly increase the activity of nitric oxide in arterial walls, making them more flexible and theoretically reducing blood pressure. With their meta-study, the Poles wanted to find out whether this also works in humans.
Results
Click on the figure below for a larger version.
Doses greater than 2 grams per day, and spirulina cycles longer than 12 weeks appeared to be more effective than smaller doses and shorter courses at first sight, but these differences were not statistically significant.
Spirulina supplementation reduced diastolic blood pressure - the blood pressure between two contractions of the heart muscle - by 4.3 points.
Click on the table below for a larger version.
In their meta-analysis, the researchers used a 'difficult' study. When the Poles omitted that study, spirulina was found to suddenly lower diastolic blood pressure by 7 points. That is the number the Poles mention in their abstract.
Kinda cheating.
Conclusion
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