Blue Green Algae – Superfood or Pond Scum? - Health Canada warned consumers products containing toxins

May 3, 2005

Blue Green Algae – Superfood or Pond Scum?By Wendy PriesnitzIts scientific name is cyanobacteria. It is sold in health food stores as blue green algae. Its supporters claim health benefits, including increased energy, improved memory, greater mental clarity and focus, improved digestion, control of appetite and cravings, heightened immune function, and relief from fatigue, hypoglycemia, PMS, anxiety and depression. It’s even recently been called a cure for Attention Deficit Disorder. Its detractors say it is nothing more than pricey pond scum and the latest bit of natural health care quackery. Debates have raged fiercely for years between the supporters and detractors, and now, the Canadian government has stepped into the fray. In early May 1999, Health Canada warned consumers that products containing blue-green algae may contain toxins harmful to the liver and should not be given to children. While not addressing the benefits of blue green algae (which cannot legally be included on product labels), Health Canada is worried specifically about the safety of some algae products.The basis for the government’s concern is that blue-green algae can be contaminated with toxins known as microcystins. Health Canada characterizes these toxins as dangerous, saying that children may develop serious liver damage.You may have seen blue green algae floating on ponds or small lakes during the summer. For reasons that scientists don’t completely understand, algae can suddenly explode into high-speed growth, or “bloom”. Blue green algae blooms are on the rise world-wide, possibly because of increased use of fertilizers in farming. The chemicals in agricultural runoff provide increased nutrification in the water, promoting more frequent and more extensive algae blooms.Whether or not the algae is contaminated by significant levels of toxins depends on such environmental factors as exposure to sun, depth of the water and the type of minerals in the water. Without scientific testing, there is no way to detect the presence or level of toxins in the algae. While not all algae contain toxins, more algae growth means greater potential for harmful microcystin contamination.There are many blue green algae products sold in Canada, through both retail outlets and direct-sellers. Some of these products are sold in tablet, capsule, or powder forms as food supplements. Many of the manufacturers harvest algae from the same source – Upper Klamath Lake in Oregon, which is said to produce the crème de la crème of all algae. The Upper Klamath algae was first commercialized by an Oregon couple whose company is called Cell Tech, now the largest manufacturer of blue green algae food supplements. Cell Tech sells its products through a multilevel network of distributors and claimed $200 million worth of sales in 1996. The company has trademarked the phrase “Super Blue Green Algae”.There are obviously many satisfied users of blue green algae products (which include spirulina). However, most of the health claims are anecdotal and there is little research about its value as a health product.A 1997 study at the National Cancer Institute in Frederick Maryland reported a newly discovered protein that inactivates HIV, which was isolated from cultures of blue green algae. Another positive study, conducted at Montreal’s Royal Victoria Hospital, is used as a sales tool by Cell Tech distributors.There is also a growing contingent of blue green algae detractors. They say there are no positive benefits to taking the product, that any positive effects are psychosomatic and don’t warrant the risk of contamination. Worse, some say, blue green algae is addictive.There are many reports of new blue green algae users experiencing symptoms like nausea, vomiting, tingling and flatulence. Supporters say that’s part of the detoxification process. Some scientists, however, interpret these side effects differently – as the possible first symptoms of nerve and organ damage. Health Canada says, “Adverse symptoms from long-term use of these products (weeks to months) may not be obvious, but could range from a feeling of general malaise or gastrointestinal discomfort, to jaundice. Children appear to be more sensitive to these toxic effects, which are more likely to present as acute gastrointestinal symptoms (nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, etc.).” The damage could, according to Health Canada, result from microcystin contamination. Microcystin toxicosis may include jaundice, shock, abdominal pain/distention, weakness, nausea/vomiting, severe thirst, rapid/weak pulse and death. Research shows that these toxins may also act as liver tumour promoters in extremely small amounts. A tumour promoter does not initiate cancer formation but helps a previously developed cancer to survive. Because, blue green algae has been used as a food supplement for centuries, without any documented ill effects, some researchers have conjectured that stomach acids may destroy any microcystins. However, scientists reason, because microcystins are so strongly linked to liver cancer, there is no guarantee that the digestive system destroys all the toxin.One area where the scientific research is abundant is in regards to the dangers of the algae when it’s found in municipal water supplies. Provinces and municipalities across Canada put a lot of staff and financial resources into ensuring drinking water is free of microcystins – or at least below the levels that are considered safe for daily consumption.As long ago as 1960, biologists found samples of Klamath Lake algae to be lethal to fish and white mice. In the summer of 1996 an unusual blooming of Microcystis – which produces the toxin microcystin – was detected in Klamath Lake by Cell Tech. Dr. Charles Holmes, a Heritage Senior Scholar at the University of Alberta’s Department of Biochemistry, is one of Canada’s experts on microcystins. In addition to polluting municipal water supplies, he says microcystins are a major danger around the world in kidney dialysis. For instance, in Brazil in 1996, 50 dialysis patients died because of microcystins in treatment water. He has developed a technology to test for microcystins in dialysis water and thus prevent these deaths. Holmes recently conducted an independent sampling to test the level of microcystins in blue green algae products. Of the nine randomly selected samples that were tested, all showed levels of Microcystin-LR that exceeded the levels considered safe for daily consumption by both Health Canada and the World Health Organization. Canada, Great Britain and Australia all require that drinking water contain no more than one ppm of microcystis. The Oregon Health Board (where Klamath Lake is located) has also adopted 1 ppm as the maximum acceptable concentration. Holmes’ findings have been validated by Health Canada, where an additional six products were also tested and found to contain varying levels of microcystin, including one significantly high level. Spirulina has not been found to contain toxins at harmful levels. However, Health Canada says that more thorough analysis is required, since growing conditions are generally unknown. The scientists at Health Canada will be surveying all products containing blue green algae and conducting a risk assessment of them. They estimate the survey will take several months to complete.The health food industry is not happy with the Health Canada’s warning, and the process by which it was released. The Canadian Health Food Association (CHFA) is concerned that the industry wasn’t forewarned about the government’s concern, as has often happened when a mainstream product’s safety is questioned.Additionally, says CHFA President Donna Herringer, Health Canada doesn’t intend to release the names of products tested, or the levels of microcystin toxins found in those products. “This puts a black name on all products even though some products were not tested and even if they were tested may have been below Health Canada guidelines and therefore would not pose a problem to consumers.”In a recent response to the Health Canada warning, Cell Tech states that “in the entire history of our company and the millions of dollars of sales and the hundreds of thousands of customers, there has never been an illness linked with any of our products.” The company concedes the strain of algae found in its products can be deadly but said no toxins have ever been discovered in the algae in Upper Klamath Lake. A company brochure says the articles questioning the purity of the products “have legitimate, but in the light of close examination, unnecessarily excessive concerns about the algae’s safety.”In a letter sent to its distributors after the Health Canada warning, Cell Tech says, “[The company] tests both its harvest and its product to be sure regulatory guidelines are enforced and there is no microcystin contamination of our products.” Cell Tech claims that it welcomes the Health Canada investigation. However, it laments the fact that its good record was not reported in the Health Canada press release. It says that for the past five years it “has been working in co-operation with the world’s leading algologists and several federal and state agencies to develop industry standards based on our own quality control and demands for purity.” Cell Tech says, “To cause people to doubt the experience of their own bodies is like yelling fire in a crowded theatre when there is no threat of fire: it’s irresponsible.” Whether or not they’re correct that there is no threat remains to be seen. Wendy Priesnitz is the Editor of Natural Life Magazine and a journalist with 25 years of experience. She is has also authored nine books and is a popular keynote speaker at conferences across North America.