Effect of spirulina supplementation on the nutrient intake and anthropometry of school girls

Sixty girls of Ludhiana aged between 7–9 years belonging to low-middle income group were selected from Govt. Senior Secondary School, PAU. The subjects were equally divided into two groups viz. Experimental (E) and Control (C) groups. The average per capita income was Rs. 837/- and Rs. 869/month in groups E and C respectively. Subjects of E group were supplemented with two capsules (1g) of Spirulina after mixing in one serving (30g) of Panjiri daily for five days a week for a period of two months. An improvement in height, weight and mid upper arm circumference (MUAC) at T₂ was recorded in E group, though non-significant. According to Gomez classification of weight for age, 30 percent of the respondents in E group were in normal category at T₁ but this percentage increased to 43.3 per cent at T₂ showing an improvement in the anthropometric parameters. So, better anthropometry among subjects of E group at T₂ could be attributed to Spirulina supplementation.