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Algae
Superfood
Algae are simple plants which grow in water. Some
are cultivated and used as concentrated sources of nutrients and
chlorophyll. Many
are rich in protein, beta-carotene and GLA. Some algae may contain
vitamin B12 analogues, but these do not have true vitamin activity.
Varieties of algae which are commonly available as food supplements
include Spirulina, Chlorella, Blue-Green Algae and Pacific Algae.
Spirulina is also promoted as a mild appetite suppressant.
Although sold for their nutrient-dense properties, the quantity
of algae which an individual would need to consume daily to obtain
significant amounts of nutrients from these sources would be a
relatively expensive way of obtaining these nutrients. It is hard to
tell whether the health benefits claimed for these products by some of
their users would also have occurred with ordinary dietary supplements
and/or by dietary improvement alone. Health benefits claimed by users
include intestinal cleansing effects, greater overall energy and
well-being, and increased mental acuity.
Quality control may be a problem for some algae grown outdoors in
open lakes, since there are a number of potential sources of
contamination. Users have occasionally reported problems like hair loss
after beginning to consume some of these products. Deep-sea algae
products (sometimes sold as 'Phyto-Plankton') are thought to be a less
likely candidate for contamination, and, being very rich in
beta-carotene, are often used as an economical form of beta-carotene
supplement.
Availability:
From health food shops.
Alkaloids (see
Secondary plant metabolites)
Alkylglycerols
Alkylglycerols are oil-based chelating agents found
in large amounts in shark liver oil, and also synthesized by the human
body, where they are found in the bone marrow and in breast milk. They
are capable of combining with toxic metals like mercury, and hastening
their removal from tissues. Alkylglycerols differ from ordinary fats by
linking their fatty acids to glycerol with ether bonds instead of ester
bonds.
Research suggests that alkylglycerols may be protective of white
blood cells, especially in situations such as radiotherapy for cancer.
Availability:
Shark liver oil capsules often originate in Sweden and are available
from health shops.
Adapted from the Nutritional Health Bible by Linda Lazarides Download the whole database |
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