Dear Janis:
   Looked in Complete Book of Alternative Nutrition, Rodale Press, 1997.
"There has been precious little medical research done on spirulina, so
wether it does for people whatit does for mice and rats is still unkown."..
   The book does site spirulina as high in B12, so even the analogue issue
is not widely known.  Makes me a little suspicious of the other info in the
book.
"Sprulina may have one of the highest nutrient concentrations of any food
in the world. ...." Besides being 60-70 % protein, ...large quantities of
beta-carotene...some researcher say it's the richest nonanimal source of
B12..."
"So far, researchers haev concluded that wile they know the nutritional
benefits of spirulina, they still don't know what benefits it provides
above and beyond those of a healthy, well-balanced diet.  Most experts
don't think it is worth the money."

   Anyway, that said, I take it daily.  If we wait untill research approves
of everything, __________(you fill in the blanks)!

   Running a search function on a nutritional program for iron, I came up
with:
comparing 100 grams,veges & fruit:  potato with skin, dried apricots, dreid
peaches, spinach, jerusalem artichokes, beet greens, currents, sprouted
lentils.  The same essential foods came up with a serving size portion
defined in the search.
   Same search, included legumes: soybeans raw, tofu, white beans, cowpeas,
mung beans, all these listed before the veges above.  I find the only beans
really palatable in any quanitity raw and aprouted from this list are the
mung, although a few soybeans thrown in are good.
   To increase the absorption of iron, include vitamin C in the same meal.
>From Alternative Nutrition "consuming 75 milligrams of C - about the amount
foundin a kiwifruit, a glass of orange juice, a cup of caulifower- at each
meal can triple the amount of iron absorped from your food."

  Hope this helps.
Lisa Walford

At 08:38 AM 4/30/98 -0400, you wrote:
>Folks,
>
>Another concern of mine has been raised by the spirulina B-12 discussion.  I
>had been advised to take spirulina  as well as liver (or dessicated liver)
>to increase the available iron in order to raise by red blood count, which
>is low.  The spirulina is easier to deal with than the liver.  But I wonder
>if it is really effective, as the iron in it is  not really iron but
>something that the body thinks is iron; and this sounds suspiciously like an
>analogue.  Anyway, I'm concerned, and want to find ways to increase my RBC.
>
>I've also heard that the iron in spinach and swiss chard is poorly absorbed
>because of oxalic acid.  Is this true?  and if so, which greens are best for
>human consumption?
>
>Janis ([log in to unmask])
>
>                           Janis C. Bell
>320 Oakland Park Avenue               Visiting Scholar
>Columbus, OH 43214                       Art History OSU
>home tel: 614 447-8983 fax: 614 447-8783                   [log in to unmask]
>           Associate professor, Kenyon College, on leave
>                      alternate e-mail:  [log in to unmask]
>
>
Lisa Walford      [log in to unmask]
www.walford.com   longevity, nutrition, diet software