Question:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Super Blue Green Algae – A Green SUPERFOOD~! A "superfood"?  What’s super about it?  Certainly not the nutrition.  There’s almost no vitamins or minerals in it, and the protein can be had much more cheaply in a more absorbable form if you spent the same money on eggs. Here’s a reply to an earlier sales pitch of yours for this algae.  Amino Acid content found in 2 grams of AFA: in mg; Essential: Arginine 76,  Histidine 19,Isoleucine 59,(help s muscle production and liver damage))  Lysine 69, Methionine 15, Phenylalanine 51(elevates mood suppresses  appetite), Thronine 65, Tryptophan 15(natures’s tranquilizer), Valine 64.  Non essential:  Asparagine 95, Alanine 93 lowers cholesterol and curbs appetite., Glutamine  152(detoxifies),Cystine 4,Glycine 59, Proline 57, Serine 59, Tyrosine  35(reduces food cravings, depression and drug withdrawal),Aspartic Acid 15,  Glutamic Acid 8. Yeah, but 2 grams of AFA is eight capsules, or about two dollars worth. For that money, you could buy a dozen eggs that would have quantities of amino acids measured in grams, not milligrams.  Without natural organic vitamins we would find ourselves physically and emotionally drained of energy.  Vitamin content:  B1, B2 B6, B3, B5, Folic Acid, Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid)-5 times more than  Spirulina, B12("energy")Vitamin E, Betacarotene, Biotin, Choline. Note that no quantities are stated here.  On my bottle of Omega Sun, it says six capsules have 36% of the U.S. Recommended Daily Allowance of beta-carotene, 3% of vitamin B-2, 196% of vitamin B-12, and 2% of vitamin E.  For vitamins B-1, B-6, C, niacin, and folic acid, the quantity is less than 2% of U.S. RDA.  There’s almost no vitamin content in the algae!  Today in this modern world of chemically fertilized and over worked topsoil, mineral deficiency is even more likely to occur than vitamin deficiency: Natural minerals do not have to be highly concentrated to contribute to good health- they need only to be absorbed and naturally chelated.  Mineral Content: Boron (bone strengthening),Calcium(lowers cholesterol and  protects against cardiovascular by lowering blood pressure),Chromium (sugar regulator-glucose regulator),Cobalt (repairs nerve tissue), Copper (absorbs  free radicals), Negatively charged Fluoride (protects agents tooth decay and slows down osteoporosis), Iodine (Thyroid gland need to  control metabolism) Needed daily; body can not store it),Iron (Fatigue,  irritability, depression is low enthusiasm are symptoms of iron  deficient anemia), Magnesium ("anti-stress", plays a role in more than 325  different enzyme systems-relaxes bronchial muscles in asthmatics, used to  treat irregular heart beat rythemoids, elevates HDL the good  cholesterol, decreases the platelet thickness which decreases the tendency  of blood clots and cause of high blood pressure, typically deficient in  those who have rheumatoid arthritis, Molybdenum (micro nutrient  ;bioactivate human enzymes associated with longevity enhancement and free  radical absorption. Nickel(needed for growth and reproduction) Potassium  (reduces blood vessel restriction,important to electrolyte and acid based  balance inside human cells .Selenium (increase elastic youthfulness of skin and helpful in removing age spots, may reduce skin cancer, wrinkle reducer.) Silicon; (strengthens the human skin), Zinc(used to activate digestive enzymes that make stomach acids, canker sores are a  sign of iron deficiency, prostate enlargement caused from a lack of zinc. Again, what quantities are we talking about?  According to the label on the bottle of Omega Sun I am holding, six capsules give you 2% of the U.S. RDA of calcium and 3% of the iron.  For chromium, copper, iodine, magnesium, phosphorous, potassium, and zinc, the quantity is less than 2% of U.S. RDA.  There’s almost no mineral content in the algae!  Green Foods such as barley grass, Chlorella, wheat grass juice, and sprouts  lag far behind two most popular blue-green algae, AFA and Spirulina.  Both  are considered green superfood; One of the major differences is simply that  AFA is the greenest superfood known, because Is this really a superfood?  It has almost no vitamins or minerals. No, I think we have to look elsewhere for the cause behind the effects reported by SBGA users.

Would you please start reading about what a superfood is. The superfood that you are referring to is a term that has been used for many moons.As quoted from the Alternative Medicine Digest article Reversing the Immune System: Green Superfoods.       Green vegetable concentrates, such as blue-green algae, spirulina,       wheat grass, watercress, or green magma, contain a wide variety of       vitamins and minerals, as well as various probiotics, or

Question:

NATURAL HEALING FOR OPTIMAL HEALTH Everyone wants to experience optimum health, but how do we actually attain it? The answer can be found in the miraculous cells of our own bodies. All of our 60 trillion cells are perfectly equipped to remove waste and toxins and nourish themselves and build healthy new cells… if they are fed the right quantity, quality, and balance of nutrients. When they receive these nutrient gifts, the result is good health for the whole body. Given optimum nutrition and personal care, our bodies will maintain an optimum level of health. This concept of Natural Healing forms the foundation on which Cell Tech products are based. Cell Tech’s Super Blue Green Algae is unique in all the world! Algae is the fundamental basis of the entire food chain, the foundational nutrient source for creating and renewing all life on earth. And Super Blue Green Algae from Upper Klamath Lake in Southern Oregon is one of this planet’s most powerful food. Many of you know that In 1989, United States scientists at the U. S. National Cancer Institute and U. S. National Institute of Health extracted glycolipids, which are combinations of sugars and fatty acids, from blue-green algae which have been found to be remarkably active against the AIDS virus. The glycolipids extracted from blue-green algae seem to inhibit the growth of the AIDS virus. The research team has not yet learned how the glycolipids inhibit the AIDS virus, simply they do. The report for these findings was published In the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 16 August 1989. At that time, the only drug licensed by The Federal Government against AIDS was Azidothymidine (AZT). Other compounds which hold some promise are, alpha Interferon and Compound Q (an extract from Chinese cucumbers). Glycolipids were extracted from blue-green algae and added to suspension of human white blood cells (T-Cells) attacked by the AIDS virus. The addition of the glycolipids slows and/or halts the action of the AIDS virus. Aphanizomenon flos-aquae has these same glycolipids dispersed throughout Its cells. Glycolipids are found in the cell membranes, and plasma membranes which confine the protoplast of the cell. Glycolipids are especially rich in the heterocyst cells of Aphanizomenon flos-aquae which occur as the 8th to 20th cells in a microscopic filament of this blue-green algae.  The consequences of the discovery of the effect of glycolipids from blue-green algae is not known. What is known, is that Aphanizomenon flos-aquae has considerable glycolipids. Also Aphanizomenon flos-aquae has phosphoglycolipids, sulfonoglycolipids and combinations of carbohydrates which digest glycolipids. Aerobic conditions, which Aphanizomenon flos-aquae provides for itself via the production of oxygen in photosynthesis, promotes the formation of glycolipids. Anaerobiosis probably prevents the hydroxyIation of the aclycones of the glycolipids and the nitrogenase activity of the organism is oxygen sensitive (Rippka & Stanier 1978). Finally, the glycolipids layer surrounds the protoplast of The heterocyst of Aphanizomenon flos-aquae. This has been my choice for years. I am benefiting greatly form adding it to my diet. If you would like to know more about this raw superfood please feel free to ask me specifics. Mary Jane Fisher Cell Tech Independent Distributor {http://www.celltech.com} or call 1-800-800-1300 # 438-736 to give it a try~!

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This has been my choice for years. I am benefiting greatly form adding it to my diet. If you would like to know more about this raw superfood please feel free to ask me specifics.

When are you going to respond to my exposure of the false characterization of this "superfood" in one of your earlier postings?  To refresh your memory, I have appended my response to the sales pitch you posted.  Amino Acid content found in 2 grams of AFA: in mg; Essential: Arginine 76,  Histidine 19,Isoleucine 59,(help s muscle production and liver damage))  Lysine 69, Methionine 15, Phenylalanine 51(elevates mood suppresses  appetite), Thronine 65, Tryptophan 15(natures’s tranquilizer), Valine 64.  Non essential:  Asparagine 95, Alanine 93 lowers cholesterol and curbs appetite., Glutamine  152(detoxifies),Cystine 4,Glycine 59, Proline 57, Serine 59, Tyrosine  35(reduces food cravings, depression and drug withdrawal),Aspartic Acid 15,  Glutamic Acid 8.

Yeah, but 2 grams of AFA is eight capsules, or about two dollars worth. For that money, you could buy a dozen eggs that would have quantities of amino acids measured in grams, not milligrams.  Without natural organic vitamins we would find ourselves physically and emotionally drained of energy.  Vitamin content:  B1, B2 B6, B3, B5, Folic Acid, Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid)-5 times more than  Spirulina, B12("energy")Vitamin E, Betacarotene, Biotin, Choline.

Note that no quantities are stated here.  On my bottle of Omega Sun, it says six capsules have 36% of the U.S. Recommended Daily Allowance of beta-carotene, 3% of vitamin B-2, 196% of vitamin B-12, and 2% of vitamin E.  For vitamins B-1, B-6, C, niacin, and folic acid, the quantity is less than 2% of U.S. RDA.  There’s almost no vitamin content in the algae! – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text –  Today in this modern world of chemically fertilized and over worked topsoil, mineral deficiency is even more likely to occur than vitamin deficiency: Natural minerals do not have to be highly concentrated to contribute to good health- they need only to be absorbed and naturally chelated.  Mineral Content: Boron (bone strengthening),Calcium(lowers cholesterol and  protects against cardiovascular by lowering blood pressure),Chromium (sugar      regulator-glucose regulator),Cobalt (repairs nerve tissue), Copper (absorbs  free radicals), Negatively charged Fluoride (protects agents      tooth decay and slows down osteoporosis), Iodine (Thyroid gland need to  control metabolism) Needed daily; body can not store it),Iron (Fatigue,  irritability, depression is low enthusiasm are symptoms of iron  deficient anemia), Magnesium ("anti-stress", plays a role in more than 325  different enzyme systems-relaxes bronchial muscles in asthmatics, used to  treat irregular heart beat rythemoids, elevates HDL the good  cholesterol, decreases the platelet thickness which decreases the tendency  of blood clots and cause of high blood pressure, typically deficient in  those who have rheumatoid arthritis, Molybdenum (micro nutrient  ;bioactivate human enzymes associated with longevity enhancement and free  radical absorption. Nickel(needed for growth and reproduction) Potassium  (reduces blood vessel restriction,important to electrolyte and acid based  balance inside human cells .Selenium (increase elastic youthfulness      of skin and helpful in removing age spots, may reduce skin cancer, wrinkle      reducer.) Silicon; (strengthens the human skin), Zinc(used to activate      digestive enzymes that make stomach acids, canker sores are a  sign of iron deficiency, prostate enlargement caused from a lack of zinc.

Again, what quantities are we talking about?  According to the label on the bottle of Omega Sun I am holding, six capsules give you 2% of the U.S. RDA of calcium and 3% of the iron.  For chromium, copper, iodine, magnesium, phosphorous, potassium, and zinc, the quantity is less than 2% of U.S. RDA.  There’s almost no mineral content in the algae!  Green Foods such as barley grass, Chlorella, wheat grass juice, and sprouts  lag far behind two most popular blue-green algae, AFA and Spirulina.  Both  are considered green superfood; One of the major differences is simply that  AFA is the greenest superfood known, because

Is this really a superfood?  It has almost no vitamins or minerals. No, I think we have to look elsewhere for the cause behind the effects reported by SBGA users.

Response:

Everyone wants to experience optimum health, but how do we actually attain it? The answer can be found in the miraculous cells of our own bodies. All of our 60 trillion cells are perfectly equipped to remove waste and toxins and nourish themselves and build healthy new cells…

Not all toxins.  Some bind tightly to liver enzymes and accumulate. The algae you are selling contains these toxins.  Here’s a file of information on those toxins. THE MICROCYSTINS MEMORANDUM Copyright 1997 Mark Thorson Super Blue Green (registered trademark, Cell Tech brand) algae is the species known as _Aphanizomenon_flos-aquae_. The remainder of this file is divided into five parts: I.    What are microcystins? II.   Where do microcystins come from? III.  What do microcystins do? IV.   Is any level of microcystins safe? V.    How can algae users protect against microcystins? PART I.  What are microcystins? Quoting from _Toxicon_, volume 32, number 12, "Use of a Colorimetric Protein Phosphatase Inhibition Assay and Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay for the Study of Microcystins and Nodularins.", by An and Carmichael, 1994, pages 1495 and 1496: "Microcystins are monocyclic heptapeptide liver toxins produced by species of cyanobacteria within the genera _Microcystis_, _Anabaena_, _Oscillatoria_, and _Nostoc_ (Carmichael, 1992).  The toxins contain two variable L-amino acids plus three D-amino acids plus the unusual amino acids, N-methyldehydroalanine and 3-amino-9-methoxy- 10-phenyl-2,6,8-trimethyl-deca-4(E)6(E)-dienoic acid (Adda) (Reinhart _et_al_, 1988)." [A peptide is a small protein.  A heptapeptide is a protein composed of seven amino acids.  Monocyclic means it's a one-ring loop.  A microcystin is a seven-member ring of amino acids, containing three D-amino acids and two weird amino acids, neither kind normally being found in human food.  Amino acids can have two mirror-image forms, called D and L.  All amino acids used to build proteins in the human body are L-amino acids, except glycine which is reflection-symmetric (i.e. neither D nor L).  D-amino acids are nutritionally inert, and they may contribute towards the ability of microcystins to survive the digestive process intact and get absorbed.] Quoting from page 1497: "Recently, both microcystin and nodularin have been found to be potent inhibitors of protein phosphatase types 1 and 2A (Yoshizawa _et_al_, 1990) as well as tumor promoters in laboratory animals (Nishiwaka-Matsushima _et_al_, 1992b;  Falconer, 1991).  They are also suspected to be involved with promotion of primary liver cancer in humans exposed to long-term low doses of these cyclic peptide toxins through drinking water (Carmichael, 1994; Yu, 1989)." PART II.  Where do microcystins come from? Quoting from "A Cell Tech Statement Regarding _Microcystis_ in Klamath and Agency Lakes", Cell Tech press release, September 1996: "Cell Tech also closely monitors algal blooms in Klamath and Agency Lakes by regularly performing species identification and quantification." "Our test results indicate that there is currently a high level of _Microcystis_aeruginosa_ in certain parts of the lake, particularly Agency Lake." [Cell Tech claims their standard is no more than 1% non-_Aphanizomenon_ species in SBGA.] Quoting from "A Message from Christian Drapeau", a file "Microcystins are regularly found, but only in non- significant amounts (specifically, 0.1-0.2 mcg/g of SBGA)." Quoting from a posting made on May 25, 1997, From Wright State University, Dept. of Bio. Sciences, 10/28/96. (513-873-2655 FAX: 513-873-3320) ELISA assay for … microcystins: Measurable levels of microsystin or nodularin were found in samples QA-9638 – QA-9643 (ug/g): 638    1.1 639    0.4 640     1.3 641     1.0 642     1.7 643     0.7 [Note that these numbers are about ten times higher than those admitted in the previous quote.] Quoting from "Response to Vegetarian Times", a letter from Marta Kollman, October 31, 1996, available on Cell Tech’s fax-on-demand service (800/565-5092) as document #151: "We know from rigorous testing over the years that _Microcystis_ has always existed in Klamath Lake at very low levels." [But how low is low enough?  Read on!] PART III.  What do microcystins do? Quoting from _Journal_of_Cancer_Research_and_Clinical_ _Oncology_, volume 118, "Liver Tumor Promotion by the Cyanobacterial Peptide Toxin Microcystin-LR", by Nishiwaki-Matsushima, Ohta, Nishiwaki, Suganuma, Kohyama, Ishikawa, Carmichael, and Fujiki, 1992, page 421: "In two experiments, we found that microcystin-LR has a potent tumor-promoting activity in rat liver initiated with diethylnitrosamine (DEN) below the concentrations that do not release aminotransferase (transaminase) from the liver into the blood serum.  Microcystin acts on the liver through the okadaic acid pathway and is one of the strongest liver tumor promoters found to date." [DEN is a carcinogen used to seed cancer foci in the experimental animals.  Once seeded, the experiment measured the promotion of these cancer foci by various suspected tumor promoters.  Release of aminotransferase into the blood would be a sign of an acutely hepatotoxic reaction, which microcystins may cause.  This set of experiments found potent liver tumor promotion at levels below those which are acutely or sub-acutely toxic to the liver, as indicated by the lack of release of aminotransferase.] Quoting from page 423: "The mechanism of action of microcystin in liver cells is similar to that of okadaic acid, and therefore most likely expressed through the okadaic pathway.  We have found that the okadaic pathway, involving inhibition of protein phosphatase 1 and 2A activities, is a general mechanism of tumor promotion in various organs." [Inhibition of PP1 and PP2A ain't good!] PART IV.  Is any level of microcystins safe? Quoting from _Biochemical_Journal_, volume 306, "Inhibition of Specific Binding of Okadaic Acid to Protein Phosphatase 2A by Microcystin-LR, Calyculin-A and Tautomycin:  Method of Analysis of Interactions of Tight-Binding Ligands with Target Protein", by Takai, Sakai, Nagai, Mieskes, Isobe, Isono, and Yasumoto, 1995, page 662: "Of the protein phosphatase inhibitors examined, microcystin-LR exhibited the highest affinity to PP2A." "Of the inhibitors examined, it was also microcystin-LR that exhibited the highest affinity for PP1." [A tight-binding ligand is a molecule that holds on to a binding site of an enzyme so strongly it seldom lets go.  In this paper, the rate constants for binding of toxins to PP2A were about 10 to 100 billion times greater than their dissociation constants.] [That's a big difference in favor of binding!  For all practical purposes, binding is irreversible.  Even at low levels of exposure, the PP1 and PP2A enzymes suck up the toxin and keep it.  Can any long-term exposure be safe, if liver enzymes are accumulating the toxin?] Quoting from _Biochemical_and_Biophysical_Research_ _Communications_, volume 216, number 1, "_In_Vivo_ and _in_Vitro_ Binding of Microcystin to Protein Phosphatases 1 and 2A", by Runnegar, Berndt, Kong, Lee, and Zhang, 1995, page 162: "Microcystins are normally cell impermeant, but they accumulate in the liver by specific carrier-mediated transport in hepatocytes which results in PP inhibition and toxicity." [Hepatocytes are liver cells.  Microcystins accumulate in liver cells.] Quoting from pages 167 and 168: "We have shown that microcystin, a potent and specific inhibitor of PP1 and PP2A activity, is covalently bound to both PP1 and PP2A catalytic subunits in hepatocytes incubated with the toxin." [This paper explains why the binding of microcystins to liver enzymes is virtually irreversible.  Most molecules bind to enzymes because of close fit.  The enzyme will have a pocket shaped like the molecule, and the molecule will fit into that pocket like a key fitting into a lock. Microcystins are unusual in that they form covalent bonds to their binding sites on liver enzymes.  This is like a key which not only fits the lock, but also proceeds to weld itself to the lock.] PART V.  How can algae users protect against microcystins? Cell Tech claims to use sophisticated biochemical tests that can monitor the level of microcystins in the algae harvested from Klamath Lake.  Cell Tech says every batch is tested to ensure it is "below guideline levels" of microcystins.  But to my knowledge, Cell Tech has never stated publicly what these levels are.  They’re not zero, obviously, or Cell Tech would say they’re zero.  And how did Cell Tech establish these guideline levels?  What literature can Cell Tech cite that says these levels are safe? SBGA users who are concerned about the possibility of exposure to microcystins should ask their upline these questions.

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Question:

How does this all relate to Spirulina?  I tried some of that a few years back and was depressed for days afterwards!   Is that a similar algae or totaly different? CAUTION: I’m no doctor, I only tell computers what to do. Nothing in this document should be construed as medical advice. For long lasting relief, consult a doctor  who practices orthomolecular medicine.   Ask, and I’ll recommend mine. subject being REQ, the message being a single line:     RFCsend  your-email-address (Do substitute your email address in the line above…) My opinions are subject to the availability of information. I learn new things each day, and so may change my opinions. —

Response:

Spirulina is a blue-green algae.  Most of it that you can buy at your local health store is raised in a clinical environment (like in Arizona) and is fed chemicals/minerals. The thread is on aphanizomenon flos aquae, which is another variant of blue-green algae.  It is raised in a natural environment. About the part of being depressed… well most health products put us through some kind of purification process…. maybe it was something else? It would be interesting to see if the same thing would happen today. Paul Fernandez Cell Tech Distributor

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those considering consuming blue green algae, Aphanizomenon flos-aquae (abbreviated as AFA below), may find the following edited excerpts from a recent post (titled Algae Pro & Con) of interest. (from Notes section of post) 3. Samples of AFA collected in 1968 and 1970 from Klamath Lake, Oregon (current source for some of the algae supplements on the market) were cultured in a laboratory. The cultures were tested by bioassay and found to be toxic! Reference: John H. Gentile, "Blue-Green and Green Algae Toxins", ch. 2 of "Microbial Toxins", edited by Samuel J. Ali and others, vol. VII, Academic Press, 1971; see pgs. 39-40. 4. Sasner et al. discuss toxic blooms of AFA in Lake Kezar, New Hampshire, in the 60’s and 70’s, with attendant fish kills. Reference: Sasner et al., "Studies on Aphanizomenon and Microsystis Toxins", in "Seafood Toxins", edited by Edward P. Ragelis; American Chemical Society Symposium Series, 1984; see pgs. 391-406. 5. Interesting information from the EPA report (note 2) is as follows. (from note 2:  A Status Report on Planktonic Cyanobacteria (Blue-Green Algae) and their Toxins, W. W. Carmichael, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Report EPA/600R-92/079, June 1992). * From Table 5, Case Report: toxic cyanobacteria (blue-green algae); reports of toxic cyanobacteria where AFA was found in samples: Sept 1989        McDonald Lake, Colville Indian Reservation, Washington (pg 27) Aug  1984        Canyon Ferry Reservoir, Montana                        (pg 30) Sept 1981        Lake Lahonton, Nevada                                  (pg 30) Aug  1980        Moore’s Pond, Durham, New Hampshire                    (pg 31) July 1980        Nelson Reservoir, Montana                              (pg 31) Jul-Aug 1977     Hebgen Lake, Montana                                   (pg 31) Readers are encouraged to read the posting cited, and, more importantly, the references cited therein.

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please send me all the info you have on this algae superfood…and MLM report thanks.

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please send me all the info you have on this algae superfood…and MLM report thanks.

Here you go: The "SUPER BLUE GREEN ALGAE" from Klamath lake lives under conditions which can also foster the growth of highly toxic cyanobacteria.  Even if some of the material lacks cyanobacterial toxins, that is no guarantee that future samples will lack this toxicity.  The conditions that allow non-toxic algae to thrive are identical to the conditions ideal for the growth of toxic species. The tests to definitively identify cyanobacterial toxins are quite sophisticated and expensive.  The company marketing "SUPER BLUE GREEN ALGAE" uses _Daphnia_ (a.k.a. the water flea) to check for toxicity.  Unfortunately, _Daphnia_ doesn’t have a liver or lungs, which are the organ systems most directly affected by cyanobacterial toxins in humans. Remember the epidemic of eosinophilic myalgia caused by L-tryptophan supplements?  While the causes of that epidemic remain unclear, it is believed to have been the result of some sort of weird biochemical contaminant in the tryptophan.  Dried prokaryotic microalgae are a witches brew of weird biochemicals. But perhaps the best test is to trust your own body.  Over the millenia, taste and smell have evolved to tell you what is safe and what is unsafe. Fresh fruit and vegetables smell good.  Roasted meat smells good. Rotten meat smells bad.  Shit smells bad.  Corpses smell bad.  Freshly baked bread smells good. Smell the algae.  Taste the algae.  If it doesn’t smell and taste good, perhaps your body is trying to tell you something. Before you put one of these biological cesspools in your mouth, please read "The Toxins of Cyanobacteria" in the January 1994 issue of _Scientific_American_.  Here are a few quotes: "In 1972, soon after I arrived in Gorham’s laboratory, Carol S. Huber and Oliver E. Edwards, working in Edward’s laboratory at the National Research Council, determined the chemical structure of a cyanobacterial toxin for the first time.  Derived from _A._flos-aquae_, and named anatoxin-a, it turned out to be an alkaloid–one of thousands of nitrogen-rich compounds that have potent biological, usually neurological, effects.  So far species from seven of 12 cyanobacterial genera involved in animal deaths have been cultured.  Interestingly, none of the 12 genera grow attached to rocks or vegetation;  all are planktonic, floating in the water as single cells or filaments.  Most produce more than one type of toxin." "The toxins that have been studied intensively to date belong to one of two groups, defined by the symptoms they have produced in animals. Some, such as anatoxin-a, are neurotoxins.  They interfere with the functioning of the nervous system and often cause death within minutes, by leading to the paralysis of the respiratory muscles." "Other cyanobacterial poisons, such as those produced by Francis’s _N._spumigena_ are hepatotoxins.  They damage the liver and kill animals by causing blood to pool in the liver.  This pooling can lead to fatal circulatory shock within a few hours, or, by interfering with normal liver function, it can lead over several days to death by liver failure." "Anatoxin-a is deadly because it cannot be degraded by acetylcholinesterase or by any other enzyme in eukaryotic cells. … Unfortunately, no one has succeeded in producing an antidote to anatoxin-a.  Hence the only practical way for farmers or other concerned individuals to prevent deaths is to recognize that a toxic waterbloom may be developing and to find an alternative water supply for the animals until the bloom is eliminated."

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: But perhaps the best test is to trust your own body.  Over the : millenia, taste and smell have evolved to tell you what is safe and : what is unsafe. Fresh fruit and vegetables smell good.  Roasted meat : smells good. Rotten meat smells bad.  Shit smells bad.  Corpses : smell bad.  Freshly baked bread smells good. :   : Smell the algae.  Taste the algae.  If it doesn’t smell and taste : good, perhaps your body is trying to tell you something. B vitamins don’t taste or smell good. And you appear to argue that if you don’t like the flavor of something, it may not be good for you. Well, Americans apparently don’t like the flavor of vegetables, but you will have a hard time selling the idea that this is ‘their body telling them something.’

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Realize that the dogs still bark, as the bus continues to go by… some people waste alot of time trying to pass on untruths pretending to know something. Be careful about what you read.  Cell Tech’s home page is at {http://www.celltech.com}.

Can you cite even one untruth in any of the files I post? Please do.  I will either correct the error or explain why it is not an error. Can you deny that there is a cancer-promoting chemical in the algae?  Here is a file of information on that subject. THE MICROCYSTINS MEMORANDUM Copyright 1997 Mark Thorson Super Blue Green (registered trademark, Cell Tech brand) algae is the species known as _Aphanizomenon_flos-aquae_. The remainder of this file is divided into five parts: I.    What are microcystins? II.   Where do microcystins come from? III.  What do microcystins do? IV.   Is any level of microcystins safe? V.    How can algae users protect against microcystins? PART I.  What are microcystins? Quoting from _Toxicon_, volume 32, number 12, "Use of a Colorimetric Protein Phosphatase Inhibition Assay and Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay for the Study of Microcystins and Nodularins.", by An and Carmichael, 1994, pages 1495 and 1496: "Microcystins are monocyclic heptapeptide liver toxins produced by species of cyanobacteria within the genera _Microcystis_, _Anabaena_, _Oscillatoria_, and _Nostoc_ (Carmichael, 1992).  The toxins contain two variable L-amino acids plus three D-amino acids plus the unusual amino acids, N-methyldehydroalanine and 3-amino-9-methoxy- 10-phenyl-2,6,8-trimethyl-deca-4(E)6(E)-dienoic acid (Adda) (Reinhart _et_al_, 1988)." [A peptide is a small protein.  A heptapeptide is a protein with seven amino acids.  Monocyclic means it's a one-ring loop.  A microcystin is a seven-member ring of amino acids, two of which are weird amino acids not normally found in food.] Quoting from page 1497: "Recently, both microcystin and nodularin have been found to be potent inhibitors of protein phosphatase types 1 and 2A (Yoshizawa _et_al_, 1990) as well as tumor promoters in laboratory animals (Nishiwaka-Matsushima _et_al_, 1992b;  Falconer, 1991).  They are also suspected to be involved with promotion of primary liver cancer in humans exposed to long-term low doses of these cyclic peptide toxins through drinking water (Carmichael, 1994; Yu, 1989)." PART II.  Where do microcystins come from? Quoting from "A Cell Tech Statement Regarding _Microcystis_ in Klamath and Agency Lakes", Cell Tech press release, September 1996: "Cell Tech also closely monitors algal blooms in Klamath and Agency Lakes by regularly performing species identification and quantification." "Our test results indicate that there is currently a high level of _Microcystis_aeruginosa_ in certain parts of the lake, particularly Agency Lake." [Cell Tech claims their standard is no more than 1% non-_Aphanizomenon_ species in SBGA.] Quoting from "A Message from Christian Drapeau", a file "Microcystins are regularly found, but only in non- significant amounts (specifically, 0.1-0.2 mcg/g of SBGA)." Quoting from "Response to Vegetarian Times", a letter from Marta Kollman, October 31, 1996, available on Cell Tech’s fax-on-demand service (800/565-5092) as document #151: "We know from rigorous testing over the years that _Microcystis_ has always existed in Klamath Lake at very low levels." [But how low is low enough?  Read on!] PART III.  What do microcystins do? Quoting from _Journal_of_Cancer_Research_and_Clinical_ _Oncology_, volume 118, "Liver Tumor Promotion by the Cyanobacterial Peptide Toxin Microcystin-LR", by Nishiwaki-Matsushima, Ohta, Nishiwaki, Suganuma, Kohyama, Ishikawa, Carmichael, and Fujiki, 1992, page 421: "In two experiments, we found that microcystin-LR has a potent tumor-promoting activity in rat liver initiated with diethylnitrosamine (DEN) below the concentrations that do not release aminotransferase (transaminase) from the liver into the blood serum.  Microcystin acts on the liver through the okadaic acid pathway and is one of the strongest liver tumor promoters found to date." [DEN is a carcinogen used to seed cancer foci in the experimental animals.  Once seeded, the experiment measured the promotion of these cancer foci by various suspected tumor promoters.  Release of aminotransferase into the blood would be a sign of an acutely hepatotoxic reaction, which microcystins may cause.  This set of experiments found potent liver tumor promotion at levels below those which are acutely or sub-acutely toxic to the liver, as indicated by the lack of release of aminotransferase.] Quoting from page 423: "The mechanism of action of microcystin in liver cells is similar to that of okadaic acid, and therefore most likely expressed through the okadaic pathway.  We have found that the okadaic pathway, involving inhibition of protein phosphatase 1 and 2A activities, is a general mechanism of tumor promotion in various organs." [Inhibition of PP1 and PP2A ain't good!] PART IV.  Is any level of microcystins safe? Quoting from _Biochemical_Journal_, volume 306, "Inhibition of Specific Binding of Okadaic Acid to Protein Phosphatase 2A by Microcystin-LR, Calyculin-A and Tautomycin:  Method of Analysis of Interactions of Tight-Binding Ligands with Target Protein", by Takai, Sakai, Nagai, Mieskes, Isobe, Isono, and Yasumoto, 1995, page 662: "Of the protein phosphatase inhibitors examined, microcystin-LR exhibited the highest affinity to PP2A." [A tight-binding ligand is a molecule that holds on to a binding site of an enzyme so strongly it seldom lets go.  In this paper, the rate constants for binding of toxins to PP2A were about 10 to 100 billion times greater than their dissociation constants.] [That's a big difference in favor of binding!  For all practical purposes, binding is irreversible.  Even at low levels of exposure, the PP2A enzyme sucks up the toxin and keeps it.  Can any long-term exposure be safe, if liver enzymes are accumulating the toxin?] Quoting from _Biochemical_and_Biophysical_Research_ _Communications_, volume 216, number 1, "_In_Vivo_ and _in_Vitro_ Binding of Microcystin to Protein Phosphatases 1 and 2A", by Runnegar, Berndt, Kong, Lee, and Zhang, 1995, pages 167 and 168: "We have shown that microcystin, a potent and specific inhibitor of PP1 and PP2A activity, is covalently bound to both PP1 and PP2A catalytic subunits in hepatocytes incubated with the toxin." [A hepatocyte is a liver cell.] [This paper explains why the binding of microcystins to liver enzymes is virtually irreversible.  Most molecules bind to enzymes because of close fit.  The enzyme will have a pocket shaped like the molecule, and the molecule will fit into that pocket like a key fitting into a lock. Microcystins are unusual in that they form covalent bonds to their binding sites on liver enzymes.  This is like a key which not only fits the lock, but also proceeds to weld itself to the lock.] PART V.  How can algae users protect against microcystins? Cell Tech claims to use sophisticated biochemical tests that can monitor the level of microcystins in the algae harvested from Klamath Lake.  Cell Tech says every batch is tested to ensure it is "below guideline levels" of microcystins.  But to my knowledge, Cell Tech has never stated publicly what these levels are.  They’re not zero, obviously, or Cell Tech would say they’re zero.  And how did Cell Tech establish these guideline levels?  What literature can Cell Tech cite that says these levels are safe? SBGA users who are concerned about the possibility of exposure to microcystins should ask their upline these questions.

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I received a flyer in the mail that said that Spirulina was Super blue Green Algae just another name for it? _Spirulina_ is a type of blue-green algae, but it is not the famous algae harvested from Klamath Lake.  _Spirulina_ is not known to produce the cocaine analog drug, anatoxin-a.

Realize that the dogs still bark, as the bus continues to go by… some people waste alot of time trying to pass on untruths pretending to know something. Be careful about what you read.  Cell Tech’s home page is at {http://www.celltech.com}. Super Blue Green Algae is the "Best" superfood on Earth! "With this in mind, the argument that the energy felt by people eating Super Blue Green

Question:

A Closer Look At the World of Super Nutrition  A strenuous two hour workout can use up to about 90% of the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) of w Leucine. The depletion, in turn, contributes to fatigue and diminished athletic performance. Amino acids are the building blocks of protein. What may help? Eat six to ten grams of protein 45 minutes before your training session, and again within 30 minutes after you have finished. Super "Sun" Smoothies is particularly helpful in providing a superior vegetable protein source with a balanced amino acid profile. One half scoop of the Smoothie provides about 8 grams of easily assimilable protein. Another option is to eat a few Alpha Sun7 capsules before and after a training session, following the same guidelines mentioned previously.         Not only is the body able to use whole proteins and peptide fragments in algae more readily than amino acid that have been isolated, but the glucose in the algae also facilitates amino acid absorption.         There is another key element in this nutritional equation: Enzymes. Enzymes serve as concierge (guards) vital to unlocking the nutrients in our food. They are protein catalysts, able to bring about chemical reactions without themselves undergoing change in the process.          In short, whether you are a triathlete or merely a weekend warrior, good nutrition should be part of your training regime.

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Hey, mjfalgae, when are you going to rebut my response to an earlier posting of yours?  To refresh your memory, I’ve attached a copy of it.  Amino Acid content found in 2 grams of AFA: in mg; Essential: Arginine 76,  Histidine 19,Isoleucine 59,(help s muscle production and liver damage))  Lysine 69, Methionine 15, Phenylalanine 51(elevates mood suppresses  appetite), Thronine 65, Tryptophan 15(natures’s tranquilizer), Valine 64.  Non essential:  Asparagine 95, Alanine 93 lowers cholesterol and curbs appetite., Glutamine  152(detoxifies),Cystine 4,Glycine 59, Proline 57, Serine 59, Tyrosine  35(reduces food cravings, depression and drug withdrawal),Aspartic Acid 15,  Glutamic Acid 8.

Yeah, but 2 grams of AFA is eight capsules, or about two dollars worth. For that money, you could buy a dozen eggs that would have quantities of amino acids measured in grams, not milligrams.  Without natural organic vitamins we would find ourselves physically and emotionally drained of energy.  Vitamin content:  B1, B2 B6, B3, B5, Folic Acid, Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid)-5 times more than  Spirulina, B12("energy")Vitamin E, Betacarotene, Biotin, Choline.

Note that no quantities are stated here.  On my bottle of Omega Sun, it says six capsules have 36% of the U.S. Recommended Daily Allowance of beta-carotene, 3% of vitamin B-2, 196% of vitamin B-12, and 2% of vitamin E.  For vitamins B-1, B-6, C, niacin, and folic acid, the quantity is less than 2% of U.S. RDA.  There’s almost no vitamin content in the algae! – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text –  Today in this modern world of chemically fertilized and over worked topsoil, mineral deficiency is even more likely to occur than vitamin deficiency: Natural minerals do not have to be highly concentrated to contribute to good health- they need only to be absorbed and naturally chelated.  Mineral Content: Boron (bone strengthening),Calcium(lowers cholesterol and  protects against cardiovascular by lowering blood pressure),Chromium (sugar      regulator-glucose regulator),Cobalt (repairs nerve tissue), Copper (absorbs  free radicals), Negatively charged Fluoride (protects agents      tooth decay and slows down osteoporosis), Iodine (Thyroid gland need to  control metabolism) Needed daily; body can not store it),Iron (Fatigue,  irritability, depression is low enthusiasm are symptoms of iron  deficient anemia), Magnesium ("anti-stress", plays a role in more than 325  different enzyme systems-relaxes bronchial muscles in asthmatics, used to  treat irregular heart beat rythemoids, elevates HDL the good  cholesterol, decreases the platelet thickness which decreases the tendency  of blood clots and cause of high blood pressure, typically deficient in  those who have rheumatoid arthritis, Molybdenum (micro nutrient  ;bioactivate human enzymes associated with longevity enhancement and free  radical absorption. Nickel(needed for growth and reproduction) Potassium  (reduces blood vessel restriction,important to electrolyte and acid based  balance inside human cells .Selenium (increase elastic youthfulness      of skin and helpful in removing age spots, may reduce skin cancer, wrinkle      reducer.) Silicon; (strengthens the human skin), Zinc(used to activate      digestive enzymes that make stomach acids, canker sores are a  sign of iron deficiency, prostate enlargement caused from a lack of zinc.

Again, what quantities are we talking about?  According to the label on the bottle of Omega Sun I am holding, six capsules give you 2% of the U.S. RDA of calcium and 3% of the iron.  For chromium, copper, iodine, magnesium, phosphorous, potassium, and zinc, the quantity is less than 2% of U.S. RDA.  There’s almost no mineral content in the algae!  Green Foods such as barley grass, Chlorella, wheat grass juice, and sprouts  lag far behind two most popular blue-green algae, AFA and Spirulina.  Both  are considered green superfood; One of the major differences is simply that  AFA is the greenest superfood known, because

Is this really a superfood?  It has almost no vitamins or minerals. No, I think we have to look elsewhere for the cause behind the effects reported by SBGA users.

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I would like to know what is kelp, in what food is it found and what does it do to the body.  Does it help to burn fat or what helps to burn fat and lose weight.

Kelp is a type of seaweed.  It is used as food in the Orient, especially in Japan under the name _kombu_.  It is used in soups, salads, and other preparations. Because it grows in the ocean, which has an abundance of all the elements, it is a rich source of minerals and has been promoted as superior to land plants which are dependent on the soils in which they are grown.  Kelp is particularly rich in iodine, which is a necessary nutrient that is lacking in the diets of some regions.  Small amounts of iodine are added to salt to avoid goiter, an enlargement of the thyroid gland in the neck caused by iodine deficiency.  If you don’t eat iodized salt, kelp or other forms of seaweed could be a healthful addition to your diet. It doesn’t help burn fat more than other vegetables do, but it is low in calories, which would make it a nourishing part of a low-calorie diet.

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What is ALGAE?  "Karl J. Abrams; Algae To The Rescue"Book second edition  Reprinted with permission. I would like to share with you some information that I have recently researched on algae and different types.  Numerous people are confused or simply do not know "what algae is or it’s content". I have prepared this information to educate and share the knowledge about the best "100 % natural whole-food" on earth!  Enjoy the reading, I hope to have inspired & interested you in consuming the best"superfood" for obtaining optimum nutrition, health, and energy! Types of algae Brown Algae: the largest of the algae.  Seaweed or Kelp Red Algae: is coastal seaweed types.  Tropical waters.  Harvested in Asia as a food source. Green Algae: 7000 different species of green algae.  Chlorella; used as food and antibiotics in many parts of the world. Digestive problems with Chlorella is often reported because of its outer cell wall is made of nondigestible cellulose. All Chlorella growing companies today process their algae so that the cell wall is disrupted. Proto coccus; inedible uni-cellar green algae found on slippery rocks and damp tree trunks. Filamentous colonies of "pond scum" found in stagnant fresh-water ponds and lakes. Plankton; are made of green algae (desmids) and drift in vast colonies near surface of ocean water. Those that photosynthesize are called phytoplankton; those that do not are called zooplankton. Blue-Green Algae: simplest of the algae.  "Primitive – ancient bacteria with a characteristic green pigment (chlorophyll) that enable them to carry Photosynthesis."One particular species of blue-green algae, Aphanizomenon flos-aquae or AFA.  Blooming for the past 7,000 years in Upper Klamath Lake in southern Oregon. Just after the time when retreating glaciers carved out a shallow lake fed by seventeen pure and pristine rivers and streams as well as an underground water system fed by Crater Lake. The pure water availability of Crater Lake – the deepest (3,000 feet!) Yet clearest lake in North America- and the vast mineral contents of Upper Klamath Lake were brought together and made AFA algae through a cataclysmic volcanic eruption at about the same time as the lakes formation. Nearby Mount Mazama erupted with a force estimated by geologist to be hundreds of times greater than any eruption of the twentieth century. The mineral content deep with in the earth surfaced explosively through the air for hundreds of miles, providing topsoil of the Cascade Mountains with incredibly rich and diverse minerals. Yearly since then the rains have washed the minerals directly into the wide area of Upper Klamath Lake, building a nutrient dense and muddy lake bed sediment ranging between 30-40 feet deep. In this lake we have what is probably the last of earth’s pure and wild superfood, and enough of it to substantially help nourish the inhabitants of the Western Hemisphere. The high alkalinity of Upper Klamath lake (pH = 9 to 11) insures the health of our AFA.         AFA is a living periodic chart of synergistic bioelements that no human chemical laboratory could ever synthetically duplicate.         AFA has over 64 micronutrients, two amino acids; aspartic and arginine work together to biostimulate          the thymus gland and enhance our ability to resist infection. Biostimulation may even cause this gland to shrink as we grow older as a result there is an increased production of healthy white blood cells. Greatly boosting the immune system and can be helpful in chronic fatigue syndrome or the prevention of cancer.  The arginine amino acid also biostimulates the pituitary gland to produce hormones that signal the liver to synthesize detoxifying and liver protecting proteins.         AFA is 25% carbohydrate; found mostly in the covering called the cell wall.         AFA small size, low molecular weight and non association with cellulose makes AFA’s amino acids idea for digestion and assimilation.         Amino Acid content found in 2 grams of AFA: in mg; Essential: Arginine 76, Histidine 19, Isoleucine 59,(help s muscle production and liver damage)) Lysine 69, Methionine 15, Phenylalanine 51(elevates mood suppresses appetite), Thronine 65, Tryptophan 15(natures’s tranquilizer), Valine 64.  Non essential: Asparagine 95, Alanine 93 lowers cholesterol and curbs appetite., Glutamine 152(detoxifies), Cystine 4, Glycine 59, Proline 57, Serine 59, Tyrosine 35(reduces food cravings, depression and drug withdrawal), Aspartic Acid 15, Glutamic Acid 8.         Without natural organic vitamins we would find ourselves physically and emotionally drained of energy.         Vitamin content:         B1, B2 B6, B3, B5, Folic Acid, Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid)-5 times more than Spirulina, B12 ("energy") Vitamin E, Betacarotene, Biotin, Choline.         Today in this modern world of chemically fertilized and over worked topsoil, mineral deficiency is even more likely to occur than vitamin deficiency: Natural minerals do not have to be highly concentrated to contribute to good health- they need only to be absorbed and naturally chelated.         Mineral Content: Boron (bone strengthening),Calcium(lowers cholesterol and protects against cardiovascular by lowering blood pressure),Chromium (sugar regulator-glucose regulator), Cobalt (repairs nerve tissue), Copper (absorbs free radicals), Negatively charged Fluoride (protects agents tooth decay and slows down osteoporosis), Iodine (Thyroid gland need to control metabolism) Needed daily; body can not store it),Iron (Fatigue, irritability, depression is low enthusiasm are symptoms of iron deficient anemia), Magnesium ("anti-stress", plays a role in more than 325 different enzyme systems- relaxes bronchial muscles in asthmatics, used to treat irregular heart beat rythemoids, elevates HDL the good cholesterol, decreases the platelet thickness which decreases the tendency of blood clots and cause of high blood pressure, typically deficient in those who have rheumatoid arthritis, Molybdenum (micro nutrient ;bioactivate human enzymes associated with longevity enhancement and free radical absorption.  Nickel(needed for growth and reproduction) Potassium (reduces blood vessel restriction, important to electrolyte and acid based balance inside human cells .Selenium (increase elastic youthfulness of skin and helpful in removing age spots, may reduce skin cancer, wrinkle reducer.) Silicon; (strengthens the human skin), Zinc(used to activate digestive enzymes that make stomach acids, canker sores are a sign of iron deficiency, prostate enlargement caused from a lack of zinc.         Green Foods such as barley grass, Chlorella, wheat grass juice, and sprouts lag far behind two most popular blue-green algae, AFA and Spirulina.  Both are considered green superfood; One of the major differences is simply that AFA is the greenest superfood known, because it has the most chlorophyll.  A ten gram portion of AFA contains 300 mg of chlorophyll, whereas a ten gram portion of Spirulina has only 115 mg.         Spirulina is grown in concrete or plastic ponds with a "salinity factor" (sodium chloride salt content) often greater than 100 times that of AFA algae.  Spirulina’s nutrient content is a direct reflection of the substances that have been artificially added to it in the form of mineral(and other) supplements.  AFA algae is harvested from it’s own mineral rich and natural Upper Klamath Lake habitat.  Giving AFA a 40% more calcium and 100% more chromium than does Spirulina.  Spirulina is a tropical algae and AFA is a heartier cold climate species.  When Spirulina is sun-dried or spray dried its "net protein utilization"( expressed as percent assimilation) is typically half that of AFA algae which has been freeze dried and flash frozen.

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Hi I would like to know what is kelp, in what food is it found and what does it do to the body.  Does it help to burn fat or what helps to burn fat and lose weight. Thank you Desparate

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Question:

just one of those people that keeps us on our toes…" and proceeded to sign me up for a radioactive iodine treatment to destroy my thyroid. Other facts: I am a 25 year old female in otherwise perfect health.  I exercise almost everyday by walking 2-5 miles at 4.2 mph.  I’m 5′7" and 150 pounds but it’s bone and muscle.  I don’t consume drugs, alcohol, caffiene, or sweets.  I don’t even eat red meat!  I don’t want to go through with this procedure if it’s unecessary.  Please help! Kara

Why on earth didn’t he tell you you could take thyroid suppressant instead, and your system could eventually balance out?  Go find another endocrinologist and get tested for Graves’ disease, and even then, balk if that one insists you have no option but to have your thyroid destroyed.  No one your age should have to consider spending the next 60 years taking pills.  One of my sisters suffered from Graves for several years and after a number of life changes and alternative treatment, no longer needs thyroid medication of any kind.   If you want more information, feel free to e-mail me. MEB

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I apologize a head of time for the length of this but I wanted you to have all the facts.  Please let me know your opinions.   Thank you, thank you.  -Kara

I don’t want to go through with this procedure [radio-iodine thyroid ablation] if it’s unecessary.  Please help! Kara

   Hopefully your doc has done other tests to safisfy himself that you have Graves’ disease.  If you do, you can try to stay on anti-thyroid drugs for a while, hoping it will go away.  That’s possible, but unlikely.  If it doesn’t, you either have to stay on these drugs for the rest of your life, or get your thyroid destroyed.  I wish there were other options, but there aren’t.      Don’t worry, however– it’s easy to live without a thyroid.  The replacement pills are cheap and free of side-effect.  Radio-iodine has been used for 40 years, and carries only slight risk.  None of this is nice, but it all beats the alternatives.  Fortunately, you can wait until you are good and ready before you have the treatment. Eventually, however, you’ll probably get there.                                              Steve Harris, M.D.

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I apologize a head of time for the length of this but I wanted you to have all the facts.  Please let me know your opinions.   Thank you, thank you.  -Kara – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Anyway.  I’ve had a heart murmur since birth.  About a year ago, I started getting DepoProvera shots as birth control.  I gained weight, began having tremors in my hands, fast heart beats, and faintness. I thought it was strange so I quit caffiene and decided to go off the Depo (which takes three months to get out of the system).  About a month later, I was lying in bed and my heart started to beat irregularly and felt like an animal was trying to escape from my chest.  It went on for about 20 minutes.  Nothing like that had ever happened before.  There was no dizzyness or other symptoms accompanying the tachacardia but it still sacred the bejeezus out of me.  At 5am the next morning, the exact same thing happened agian, this time lasting for about a half an hour.   I got up to shower and go to the hospital but while in the shower, I suddenly felt really hot and then blacked out!  Needless to say, I rushed to the hospital.  I’ve always been very healthy and my family has no history of heart disease.  I’m not even overweight!   This is when I got referred to the doctor at Roger WIlliams hospital.   He tested me and found a FreeT3 cell toxicity and a very slightly low THC count.  That’s it.  I had no other symptoms.  He said, "Oh, you’re just one of those people that keeps us on our toes…" and proceeded to sign me up for a radioactive iodine treatment to destroy my thyroid.  

Other facts: I am a 25 year old female in otherwise perfect health.  I exercise almost everyday by walking 2-5 miles at 4.2 mph.  I’m 5′7" and 150 pounds but it’s bone and muscle.  I don’t consume drugs, alcohol, caffiene, or sweets.  I don’t even eat red meat!  I don’t want to go through with this procedure if it’s unecessary.  Please help! Kara

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