2.2. Protocol
2.2.1. Randomization, Treatment Allocation and Follow-Up
Subjects were allocated to treatment groups by simple randomization. Pieces of paper were marked
“spirulina” or “soya beans” and then sealed. These papers were put in a box in equal numbers. Each
subject blindly selected a sealed piece of paper from the ballot box at random and then handed it to the
person in charge of treatment allocation who then recorded the treatment group in a register that he
kept confidential and then administered the appropriate treatment to the subject. At every point in time,
the sealed papers were always in equal numbers in the box so as to give each subject a 50% chance of
belonging to either group. When the first group was completed, all the remaining subjects were
allocated to the second group.
Spirulina was supplied by Antenna Technologies (Geneva, Switzerland) and soya beans were
obtained from TANTY Ltd. (Yaounde, Cameroon). This spirulina was grown in the Republic of
Equator and then packaged in Switzerland.