Is spirulina safe during pregnancy?

What does the evidence say about spirulina during pregnancy?

1. Spirulina is a fresh-water blue-green alga valued for protein, B vitamins, vitamin E, chlorophyll, beta-carotene, and iron, but products grown in uncontrolled conditions can carry heavy metals and other contaminants picked up from the water they grow in. 1
2. Spirulina products can also be contaminated with a different blue-green algae species, Microcystis aeruginosa, which produces liver-toxic compounds called microcystins, and no data exist on whether any component of spirulina passes into breast milk. 1
3. Testing of commercial spirulina and chlorella supplements found every sample met EU limits for lead and cadmium, but some products used up to 56 percent of the tolerable weekly intake for aluminum, showing real quality differences between brands of the same supplement. 2
4. FDA has documented microcystin contamination in blue-green algae dietary supplements seriously enough to issue product recalls, since the toxin can cause liver and kidney damage at significant levels and has caused tumors in laboratory animals. 3
5. Dietary supplements including spirulina do not go through FDA review for safety before they reach store shelves, and NCCIH specifically notes that many supplements have not been studied in pregnant or nursing women, which is why a healthcare provider conversation belongs before starting one. 4

Is spirulina safe in each trimester?

• First trimester. If nausea already has your stomach unsettled, spirulina's minor side effects like bloating, upset stomach, and gas are worth knowing about before you start. This is also the trimester to bring any new supplement up with your provider, since organ development is happening quickly and spirulina has no pregnancy safety data behind it.
• Second trimester. Nothing about spirulina's contamination risk changes by trimester: a product's growing conditions determine whether it carries heavy metals or microcystins, not how far along you are. If you are already taking it, ask your provider about a brand with third-party contaminant testing.
• Third trimester. There is still no human pregnancy research to point to at this stage either. If spirulina is part of your routine for its iron or protein content, a standard prenatal and a varied diet cover the same ground with a much longer track record.