Spirulina

Low protein source

For instance, it’s claimed that spirulina is a rich source of protein. True, the plant contains 62 - 68% protein but you’ll spend less by eating white fish which has 97% protein, chicken (80%) or white lean beef (79%). Moreover, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said most spirulina products provide only negligible amounts of protein when taken as directed by their labels. Some products advertised as spirulina have no spirulina at all.

Another sales pitch is that spirulina is packed with vitamins. But nutritionists say you’ll get more vitamins from broccoli and other green vegetables.

Dieters may be enticed by ads which say spirulina only has 3.9 calories per gram. They may be surprised to know that sugar contains 4 calories to the gram while bread has only 2 calories per gram. Both are cheaper than spirulina.

Contaminated

Because it has a considerable amount of vitamin B12, spirulina is usually recommended to strict vegetarians who can’t get this vitamin from plant sources. But Dr. Varro Tyler, a world renowned authority on herbs at Purdue University, said spirulina’s vitamin B12 content is due mainly to contamination with insect or animal fecal matter. This is not surprising since spirulina grows in open lakes and ponds and is not thoroughly washed before it’s dried.

In Health Schemes, Scams and Frauds, Dr. Stephen Barrett, a psychiatrist and board member of the National Council Against Health Fraud, Inc. said an FDA analysis of one popular product called Blue Green Manna contained "15 whole or equivalent adult flies, 164 adult fly fragments, 41 whole or equivalent maggots, 59 maggot fragments, one ant, five ant fragments, one adult cicada, one cicada pupa, 763 insect fragments, nine ticks, four mites, 1,000 ostracods, two rat or mouse hairs, four bird feathers, six bird-feather barbules, and 10,500 water fleas." Some strains of spirulina also have toxins that can cause nausea, diarrhea and throat infections.

"In test animals injection of the toxic algae causes tumors, and larger doses can cause death within minutes. Batches of contaminated spirulina have been seized by the FDA. Since the toxins are not routinely tested for by all manufacturers, it would seem that using the algae is like playing Russian roulette," according to nutritionist Kurt Butler in A Consumer’s Guide to Alternative Medicine.

Spirulina promoters are apparently aware of this but tell their customers that these side effects are signs that their products are working and "cleansing" the body. In truth, you’re probably poisoning yourself without knowing it.

To protect consumers, US law enforcement agencies have taken actions against several multilevel companies making fraudulent claims about spirulina. One American distributor was fined $225,000 by California authorities for false and misleading advertising.

most food is loaded with fun stuff like this. the fda's standards are pretty low.

Good god, I'm glad I avoided that smoothie!

Tell me, how trustworthy are the FDA, really? I hear they tend to let the likes of Mcdonalds get away with all sorts of crap. Do they tend to be negative about alternative remedies if they're likely to damage the profits of drug companies?

(genuine question, I'm not being sarky).

Still...maggot shit...I'm not liking the sound of spirulina.

I don't think the above link had anything to do with the FDA. Check it out and then do some Googling. I almost bought into this stuff a couple years ago. My mother DID and got very sick from it.

yup. i think they're largely responsible for the general sense of wariness directed at alternative medicine. i mean, why do you think those brands are unregulated? because they're taking a political stance against the effectiveness and healthfulness of stuff like antibiotics.

bag of shit, i'm happily ignoring you.

T-shirt slogan of the year?

Although I'm not a fish, this would put me off.

OTM. The FDA is full of fecal matter.

x-post to Lauren

I'll sum up that side of the argument, then: "everything's bad for you, we all die in the end might as well enjoy life while you're here, etc."

This means it's even higher in protein!!

I buy those superfood juices all the time, I had one today... they have other good stuff, though quite possibly in trivial amounts.