More bad news for SBGA advocates.

Regards,

David
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http://www.canoe.com/TopStories/algae_may5.html

Wednesday, May 5, 1999

Warning issued on blue-green algae products
 EDMONTON (CP) -- Citing high toxin levels, Health Canada is urging
adults to cut back on food supplements containing blue-green algae and
to stop giving them to kids.

 "Due to the potential health risk, consumers who choose to use
products
containing blue-green algae, especially those from natural lakes,
should
do so only for a short period of time, as required, and discontinue
their
use in children," said Health Canada in a release Wednesday.

 Products containing blue-green algae are sold in pharmacies and
health
food stores as food supplements in tablet, capsule or powder form.

 The advisory was prompted by the findings of Dr. Charles Holmes, a
researcher at the University of Alberta.

 He said he found some blue-green algae supplements had toxin levels
that exceeded safety levels set out by Health Canada.

 The toxins, called microcystins, accumulate in the liver and can
cause
serious damage over time. Not all algae produce microcystins, so all
products would have to be tested.

 "It's targeted specifically to the liver, where it causes massive
liver
failure, liver hemorrhage and in severe cases, would cause death,"
Holmes
said.

 Children are considered to be at greater risk for liver and
gastrointestinal damage due to their lower weight.

 The algae are bacteria that grow in shallow, warm, water. They
naturally
produce toxins as part of their metabolic process. They can be
harvested
from outdoor ponds or natural lakes.

 Some of the blue-algae food supplement products are marketed to treat
children with Attention Deficit Disorder, or ADD, but Health Canada
spokeswoman JoAnne Ford said there is no evidence that such products
work
against ADD.

 Ford said Holmes' findings have prompted Health Canada to do a
national
survey to determine which and how many products contain the blue-green
algae. Health Canada will also test products to determine toxin
levels.
The survey is to take several months.