Marine Phytoplankton Side Effects
Marine Phytoplankton Side-Effects or Risks
Marine phytoplankton supplements are marketed by advertising them as very safe. It is said that they have the ability to cure a range of different serious ailments. Manufacturers are often found labeling their supplements as ‘all natural’ and whatnot to attract customers and send the message that their supplements are not harmful in any way. However, marine phytoplankton supplements are not some amazing super-foods as they are claimed to be by their makers. If trusted without caution, using them may create many problems.
A basic risk
The most basic risk that is associated with marine phytoplankton supplements is the risk of the unknown. As horrifying as it may sound, the fact of the matter is that the US Food and Drug Administration does not scrutinize contents present inside supplements very carefully. When it comes to ordinary food items, the agency takes a strong stand, of course, but not when it comes to supplements. Usually, supplements are allowed to be present in the market even when their labels do not mention every single ingredient contained in them. That is dangerous, since there is no way of knowing what exactly a marine phytoplankton supplement really contains. Also, the FDA does not care a lot about the safety of supplements, either. In other words, although most people think that the law is there to protect them from harmful supplements – that is not the case.
The issue of toxin
Scientists often say that the biggest culprit that makes ocean water toxic naturally is phytoplankton. The reason is that, sometimes, phytoplankton species may act in strange ways and end up producing toxins. The condition is usually called Harmful Algae Blood, or HAB. When a part of an ocean gets affected by HAB, it can become so toxic that even eating shellfish found in the region may make humans sick. The significance of this is that it is very much possible for a supplement to contain a small amount of toxic phytoplankton, too.
Lack of reliable information
Not many tests and studies have been carried out on how phytoplankton impacts the human body. Therefore, at this stage, nothing can be said about the safety of the use of phytoplankton supplements with certainty. Everything needs to be based on guesswork.
Phytoplankton supplements are not the most harmful supplements out there, that is for sure. However, at the same time, they are not completely safe by any means.
