Impact of Spirulina as a Nutritional Supplement on the Dietary Intake and Health Status of Adolescent Girls of Shimla Dewan Anjali Associate Professor & Head, Department of Home Science, St. Bede's College, Shimla-2 Online published on 9 April, 2015. Abstract In developing countries, malnutrition is the cause of many harmful consequences for young children like increased risk of mortality, weakened immune system, delayed motor development, diminished cognitive capacity and poor performance in school. The discovery of spirulina marked an important breakthrough in tackling the problem of malnutrition. The present study deals with 200 adolescent girls in the age group of 13–15 years from two Govt. Schools of Shimla belonging to low income group. The subjects were equally divided into Experimental (E) and Control groups (C). The respondents of group E were supplemented with 2 capsules (1gm.) of spirulina after mixing with one serving (40gm.) of wheat besan ladoo daily for six days a week for a period of two months while the group C was given a placebo for the same period. The dietary survey was conducted for three consecutive days by 24 hour recall method before and after supplementation. The results of the study showed that the mean daily intake of cereals, pulses, green leafy vegetables, sugar and jaggery was inadequate in both the groups. The intake of roots and tubers, visible fat exceeded the recommended allowances. Paleness of skin and conjunctiva, dental caries, fatigue were most prevalent among the clinical signs. The prevalence of common ailments was more marked in group C when compared with group E after introducing spirulina in the ladoos. Thus, better nutritional status and health could be attributed to spirulina supplementation. The adolescent girls were encouraged to eat a balanced diet. Top Keywords Spirulina, diet, adolescents, health, supplementation, morbidity. Top |