Pregnancy comes with a lot of dos and don’ts. Everything — from eating sushi and sitting in a hot tub to sleeping on your stomach and using dietary supplements like spirulina — seems to come with a warning label full of possible risks.
But if you’re pregnant and wondering whether you can have spirulina, which is generally considered safe and beneficial for people who aren’t pregnant, we’ve got all the deets here.
What is spirulina?
Spirulina is a type of cyanobacteria, a microscopic organism found naturally in all types of water. It’s often referred to as blue-green algae, and some countries have used spirulina for years as a food source.
Many people include spirulina in their diet because it’s packed with nutrients that can positively affect overall health. It also contains a healthy dose of plant protein, which is often lacking from heavily processed and sugar-filled diets.
Is spirulina safe to consume during pregnancy?
If you’re looking for evidence supporting the safety of spirulina during pregnancy, you might come up empty-handed.
“The experts aren’t in agreement on the safety of spirulina during pregnancy because there haven’t been many studies conducted in humans,” says Nicole Avena-Blanchard, PhD, an assistant professor of neuroscience at Mount Sinai Medical School in New York and author of “What to Eat When You’re Pregnant.”
Because of this, Avena-Blanchard says it’s best to talk with your doctor before using spirulina.