What is spirulina?

What are spirulina's side-effects and drawbacks?

While most spirulina products are safe, there have been reports of contamination with toxic microcystins from other bacteria. It is advisable to ensure that any spirulina products have been throughly tested for safety before consumption. In general, spirulina is safe and adverse events aren't common in clinical trials.

What else is Spirulina known as?

Note that Spirulina is also known as:
Arthrospira maxima
Arthrospira platensis
Dosage information
Medical disclaimer

The dose of spirulina used in studies examining its effects vary greatly. In general, 1-8 g per day of spirulina has been shown to have some effect. The specific doses depend on the condition its being used for:

For cholesterol, doses in the range of 1-8 g per day may be impactful
For muscle performance, doses of 2-7.5 g per day have been used
For blood glucose control, very mild effects have been seen with 2 g per day
Blood pressure may be affected at doses of 3.5-4.5 g per day
Effects for fatty liver have been seen at doses of 4.5 g per day
Spirulina is about 20% C-phycocyanin by weight, and about 1% phycocyanobilin by weight. The dosage range of 200mg/kg C-phycocyanin (1g/kg spirulina) converted to human equivalent doses from rats is approximately:

11.0g for a 150lb person

14.5g for a 200lb person

18.2g for a 250lb person

Further research is needed to determine whether spirulina should be taken once a day, or in smaller doses, multiple times per day.

It is not recommended to exceed the highest dose mentioned above, as no clear benefits have been noted beyond that level.