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Spirulina Supplementation in Postmenopausal Women

The Effect of Spirulina Supplementation on Metabolic Parameters, Body Composition, Depression, and Sleep Quality in Postmenopausal Women: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Status
Not yet recruiting
Phases
Unknown
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT07718399
Enrollment
66
Registered
2026-07-22
Start date
2026-07-01
Completion date
2027-06-01
Last updated
2026-07-22

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Overweight, Postmenopause

Keywords

spirulina, depression, postmenopause, overweight, Sleep Quality, lipid profile, blood glucose, metabolic parameters

Brief summary

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of spirulina supplementation on weight gain associated with menopause, changes in metabolic parameters, sleep quality, and markers of depression in mildly overweight postmenopausal women, and to evaluate the changes that occur in these parameters.

Detailed description

Menopause is defined as the spontaneous and permanent cessation of menstrual bleeding in women due to the loss of ovarian function. The onset of menopause brings about many physiological and psychological symptoms. Certain hormonal changes increase the risk of chronic diseases such as high waist circumference, cardiovascular diseases, obesity, diabetes, and osteoporosis. Spirulina platensis contains approximately 50-70% protein, 15-25% carbohydrates, 6-13% lipids, 4.2-6% nucleic acids, and 2.2-4.8% minerals by dry weight. Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) constitute 1.5-2% of the total lipid content. It is rich in essential amino acids (especially leucine, isoleucine, valine), γ-linolenic acid (36% of total FDA), vitamins (thiamine, niacin, riboflavin, pyridoxine, folic acid, cobalamin, C, D and E), minerals (potassium, calcium, chromium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, selenium, sodium and zinc), pigments (chlorophyll a, xanthophyll, beta-carotene, echinone, myxoxanthophyll, zeaxanthin, canthaxanthin, diathoxanthin, 3-hydroxyechinone, beta-cryptoxanthin and ossilaxanthin, phycobiliprotein, C-phycocyanin, allophycocyanin) and enzymes (lipase, superoxide dismutase, etc.). Many of the beneficial effects of spirulina on health, which contains powerful antioxidants such as carotenoids, chlorophyll, and phycocyanin, stem from its antioxidant properties. Spirulina supplementation is considered effective as a therapeutic tool in the management of multiple interconnected metabolic abnormalities such as dyslipidemia, glucose intolerance, obesity, and hypertension. This study aimed to investigate the effects of spirulina supplementation on weight gain associated with menopause, changes in metabolic parameters, sleep quality, and markers of depression in mildly obese postmenopausal women.

Interventions

DIETARY_SUPPLEMENTSpirulina

Participants will receive 2 g/day spirulina tablets for 8 weeks.

OTHERPlacebo

Participants will receive matching placebo tablets for 8 weeks.

Sponsors

Halic University
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
DOUBLE (Subject, Investigator)

Masking description

While the experimental group will be given spirulina, the control group will be given a placebo; this group assignment will be carried out by a researcher who is unaware of the assignment.

Intervention model description

two groups with a control group and an experimental group

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
FEMALE
Age
45 Years to 65 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes

Inclusion criteria

* Volunteering to participate in the study * Having a body mass index (BMI) between 25 and 29.9 kg/m² * Having no chronic illnesses * Being between the ages of 45 and 65 * Being postmenopausal * Willing to consume the provided supplement * Individuals who can read and write in Turkish and are open to communication.

Exclusion criteria

* Having a chronic condition such as diabetes, hypertension, cancer, metabolic syndrome, chronic kidney disease, dyslipidemia, etc. * Having a congenital metabolic disorder * Being in the experimental group but not taking the supplement regularly * Taking medication to lower blood lipids * Having an allergy to any food * Not being in the postmenopausal period

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Fasting Blood GlucoseBaseline and Week 8Fasting blood glucose (mg/dL) will be measured at baseline and Week 8 to evaluate the effect of spirulina supplementation.
HbA1cBaseline and Week 8HbA1c (%) will be measured at baseline and Week 8 to assess long-term glycemic control.
HOMA-IRBaseline and Week 8Homeostatic Model Assessment for Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR) will be calculated using fasting glucose and fasting insulin measurements obtained at baseline and Week 8.
Total CholesterolBaseline and Week 8Total cholesterol concentration (mg/dL) will be measured at baseline and Week 8.
LDL CholesterolBaseline and Week 8Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol concentration (mg/dL) will be measured at baseline and Week 8.
HDL CholesterolBaseline and Week 8High-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol concentration (mg/dL) will be measured at baseline and Week 8.
TriglyceridesBaseline and Week 8Serum triglyceride concentration (mg/dL) will be measured at baseline and Week 8.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Body WeightBaseline and Week 8Body weight (kg) will be measured at baseline and Week 8.
Body Mass IndexBaseline and Week 8Body mass index (BMI, kg/m²) will be calculated from measured height and body weight and assessed at baseline and Week 8.
Waist CircumferenceBaseline and Week 8Waist circumference (cm) will be measured at baseline and Week 8.
Hip CircumferenceBaseline and Week 8Hip circumference (cm) will be measured at baseline and Week 8.
Mid-Upper Arm CircumferenceBaseline and Week 8Mid-upper arm circumference (cm) will be measured at baseline and Week 8.
Waist-to-Height RatioBaseline and Week 8Waist-to-height ratio will be calculated using waist circumference and height measurements obtained at baseline and Week 8.
Body Fat PercentageBaseline and Week 8Body fat percentage (%) will be assessed using bioelectrical impedance analysis at baseline and Week 8.
Body Fat MassBaseline and Week 8Body fat mass (kg) will be assessed using bioelectrical impedance analysis at baseline and Week 8.
Total Body WaterBaseline and Week 8Total body water (kg) will be assessed using bioelectrical impedance analysis at baseline and Week 8.
Skeletal Muscle MassBaseline and Week 8Skeletal muscle mass (kg) will be assessed using bioelectrical impedance analysis at baseline and Week 8.
The Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21)eight weeksThe Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21) is a 21-item self-report questionnaire used to assess depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms. Each item is scored on a 4-point Likert scale ranging from 0 to 3. Higher scores indicate greater psychological distress. Changes in DASS-21 scores from baseline to Week 8 will be evaluated.
Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI)eight weeksThe Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) consists of a total of 24 questions designed to assess an individual's sleep quality over the past month. Nineteen of these questions are self-report questions answered by the individual; the remaining five are answered by the individual's spouse or roommate. Each component is scored on a scale of 0 to 3. The sum of these component scores yields a total PSQI score ranging from 0 to 21. A score of 0-5 is considered good sleep quality, while a score of 6-21 is considered poor sleep quality.

Countries

Turkey (Türkiye)

Contacts

CONTACTNiran ÇOMAK, Dietitian
niran_cmk@hotmail.com905432670224

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Jul 23, 2026