In a previous video we saw how spirulina and blue green algae may be Dangerous for our
health due to the potential contamination with something called beta methylamino-L-alanine,
bmaa, which is a destructive neurotoxin.
In light of those findings spirulina supplement companies seemed to take action.
In his April 2019 Q and A Dr Michael Greger was asked again about spirulina and here’s
what he had to say.[Dr Greger] What are my thoughts on spirulina, is it safe to while
pregnant?
I’m not afraid it may not even be safe when you’re not pregnant and that’s because
of neurotoxic compounds that have been found contaminating spirulina supplements on the
shelf and spirulina manufactures say this spirulina does not create this toxin, which
may very well be the case but the way they cultivate spirulina is they basically grow
it outdoors and there’s contamination with other blue green algae for example that do
make these toxins, regardless it’s found on the shelf and so that’s all we really
care about whether or not it came from a contaminate algae or from spirulina itself and so if you’re
looking for a green powder to sprinkle on your popcorn or something I would encourage
you to use chlorella instead where there have not been any toxins found it makes your popcorn
a bright green which kids will love we call it zombie corn in my household![End] There
may also be another serious problem with consuming spirulina, blue green algae and even with
seaweeds like dulse and it’s all to do with vitamin b12 absorption.
So let’s hear as Dr Michael Klaper explains more, [Dr Klaper] This is the B12 molecule
it turns out that a lot of organisms in the plant world make or try to make vitamin B12
for their own needs.
They come close this is a fairly close approximation but to you chemistry geeks out there you will
notice that this pentose with the two nitrogens that’s now been broken open here phosphorus
here that had a hydroxyl group now has a double bonded oxygen to it and this pentose ring
is now been broken open as well so it’s not the same molecule and it doesn’t do
what B12 does it will not keep your brain healthy will not keep your spinal cord healthy.
But what it will do is occupy the receptors sites on your nerve cells so real B12 can’t
get in.
You don’t want to be taking these B12 analogues.
Well it turns out that some sea vegetables make these B12 analogues and for that reason
as I said to get your iodine if you use the sea vegetables do them a couple times a week
but don’t take it on the day that you’re also taking your B12 supplement.
Take your B12 supplement on a Sunday, start adding the sea vegetables to your salad on
Wednesday or Thursday but space it out a little don’t flood your body with these B12 analogues
when you’re trying to get real B12 into your tissues.
Now speaking of B12 analogues surprise surprise there’s a couple of health supplements generally
recognised as good for you that aren’t!
Spirulina and blue green algae anybody taking them I’d suggested you reconsider that strategy
because they are loaded with B12 analogues.
They analysed spirulina tablets and 83% of the molecules that look like B12 were actually
B12 analogues and the same thing with blue green algae.
These B12 analogues pseudo B12 turns out to be the predominate substance and it is definitely
not suitable for vegans and it will block your real B12 from getting in there.
But if you’re taking spirulina or blue green algae and think you’re doing something good
for yourself you’re not, reconsider that.
[End] So what about chlorella?
Well Chlorella is a green algae and not a blue green algae
and a study done conducted in Finland found that chlorella may potentially contain human
bioactive vitamin B12.
The study examined the vitamin B-12 status in long-term adherents of a strict uncooked
vegan diet who were compared with 21 omnivores.
The researchers found that the vegans consuming Chlorella algae had serum vitamin B-12 concentrations
twice as high as the vegans that were not using it.
Six of nine vegans, that were not consuming chlorella, showed slow but consistent deterioration
of vitamin B-12 status over a 2-year observation period.
On the basis of these results, the researchers concluded that chlorella consumed in large
amounts can supply adequate amounts of bio available vitamin B-12.
Other researchers who have looked at chlorella itself directly have found human active B12
in it which would support the Finnish study.
However I think it would be extremely unwise to rely on chlorella for our b12 intake but
it appears that it is not as harmful as spirulina when it comes to blocking B12 absorption.