hello,

I am having my amalgams out in about 8 weeks and am thinking of a plan to follow after. O was wondeirng if anyone could tell me if spirulina supplement is the same as Algin?

Spirulina is not the same as Algin.

Spirulina is a rich nutritional supplement containing amino acids, vitamins (including B-12) and minerals, whereas Algin is mainly for detox and provides little or no nutritional value.

Hi Russ,
thanks for that. Can I take both? Can I take spirulina before the amalgams come out or does it also mobilise mercury?

Thanks

This post is a little long, but I think everyone will find the information very helpful.

Based on what I've found so far, I'm not 100% certain whether spirulina will mobilize mercury or not. It doesn't appear that it does, since the information I've read doesn't indicate that spirulina is a chelator or binding agent. Instead, spirulina seems to offer more "protective" effects by enhancing the body's antioxidant and liver detoxifying systems.

Here's what I found...

I found a study published in the "Journal of Health Science" in 2005 that showed that a Spirulina extract did provide protection against liver damage caused by "mercuric chloride" toxicity in mice. You can read the complete article here: "Spirulina fusiformis: A Food Supplement Against Mercury Induced Hepatic Toxicity"

The study found that "mercuric chloride" (one of the most toxic forms of mercury) interfered with bile flow and caused cell membrane damage to liver cells. Mercuric chloride also significantly depleted levels of GSH in the liver. GSH (also known as reduced glutathione) plays a primary role in the body's antioxidant defense system and detoxification processes. Because mercury has a high affinity for GSH, it binds to the GSH and subsequently lowers GHS levels in the cells, thus decreasing the cell's antioxidant defenses, which leaves the cells vulnerable to damage.

Giving the Spirulina extract with the "mercurice chloride" was shown to significantly elevate the liver content of GSH and decrease liver cell damage and mercury toxicity.

The protective effects of Spirulina are believed to be due to the presence of beta-carotene, vitamin C, vitamin E, selenium and superoxide dismutase (a powerful antioxidant) in Spirulina.

IMPORTANT: Be sure that the Spirulina you take has been screened for heavy metal contaminants. Spirulina naturally accumulates heavy metals from contaminated waters, so unless you get a product that has been carefully tested, you could end up ingesting more mercury (as well as cadmium, arsenic and lead).

For this very reason, we use Nature's Sunshine Spirulina capsules, as all their products comply with California's Proposition 65 (the strictest standards in the U.S. for protecting people against heavy metal contaminants in foods and dietary supplements).