Super Blue Green Algae
"The Green Revolution Food Product"
Vitamin B-12 & The Algae The Final Word
Presented by Victoria & Written by an Upliner
Today, I address one of the most important, nutritional issues of our time: Vitamin B-12. A deficiency of this vitamin is a rather widespread problem for 2 reasons. The first is that Vitamin B-12 is only present in animal foods; and therefore, vegetarian or near-vegetarian diets tend to lead to deficiency. The second is that as people grow older, they become less capable of absorbing Vitamin B-12 because they produce less of a stomach secretion known as "intrinsic factor," which is necessary for the absorption of this vitamin. Both of these factors can be compounded when you have elderly people following vegetarian or near-vegetarian diets.
Vitamin B-12 is required for DNA synthesis, and a deficiency of it is manifested mainly in 2 ways: (1) a failure of the red blood cells to mature resulting in "pernicious anemia" and (2) damage to nerve cells resulting in "combined system degeneration" in which both the motor and sensory nerves break down. Sometimes, the anemia is only slight, especially when the diet is high in folic acid, as vegetarian diets tend to be. But whether mild or severe, this anemia is always reversible. The nerve damage, however, is often permanent because nerve cells have so little ability to regenerate. And, sad to say, irreversible nerve damage is often the first sign alerting the person to the existence of the problem. This is definitely a condition you would rather prevent than try to remedy later! It is important to realize that the early stages of this degeneration may not be accompanied by any signs, symptoms, or weaknesses. A general sense of well-being may prevail. Yet, below the surface, a subtle deterioration is taking place that can ultimately ruin life. Unfortunately, I have been consulted in several cases that had already reached tragic proportions.
There are 2 ways of determining a person's Vitamin B-12 status. The first is to check the level of Vitamin B-12 in the blood: the normal range is 200 to 1000 picograms per milliliter (abbreviated: "pg/ml"). The second is to check for the presence of methylmalonic acid in the blood and urine. Methylmalonic acid is an intermediary metabolite that accumulates when Vitamin B-12 is lacking. Most of the time, only the blood Vitamin B-12 is ordered because it is much cheaper to perform.
It is not uncommon to find below-normal levels of Vitamin B-12 in unsupplemented vegetarians. And it is not uncommon to find below-normal levels in the elderly, whether or not they are vegetarians, because of atrophy of the stomach lining and the absence of intrinsic factor (as discussed above), and because many elderly people simply do not eat well.
Is it necessary to do something about a low Vitamin B-12 level, even if there are no symptoms present? The answer is: "Absolutely YES!" You do not want to wait until irreversible nerve damage is present before you take action. No one should live with a low blood level of Vitamin B-12 without taking immediate and decisive action to bring it up.
How can you secure Vitamin B-12? You could eat large amounts of meat, particularly organ meats; but you would also be ingesting large amounts of animal fat and cholesterol. Obviously, that is not an option for vegetarians; and it is not a good idea for anyone. Egg yolks contain a fair amount of Vitamin B-12, but they are too rich in saturated fat and cholesterol. Milk products contain only marginal amounts of B-12.
One reasonable option would be to take an ordinary Vitamin B-12 supplement. These are safe and effective. However, Vitamin B-12 (which is technically known as "cobalamin") has to be stabilized with cyanide gas in order to be made into a supplement. This forms a new compound known as "cyanocobalamin," which is very stable. However, once ingested, the body has to split off the cyanide; and free cyanide is certainly not good for anyone! The only reason it does not cause major harm is because the amount is so small.
The only other option (and what I consider to be the superlative option) is to eat Super Blue Green Algae. SBGA is the only naturally occurring and cyanide-free source of Vitamin B-12 on this planet that I know of. Don't be fooled into thinking that Spirulina is just as good. Spirulina contains an "analogue" of Vitamin B-12, which means that it has a compound which closely resembles Vitamin B-12 but which is not usable by the human body. Neither does Barley Green contain any Vitamin B-12. Only SBGA contains active, usable Vitamin B-12 that is proven to be effective in human nutrition!
Before my Algae Days and as a vegetarian, my level of Vitamin B-12 sank to 75, which is well below the normal range. I started taking ordinary Vitamin B-12 supplements. And my level rose into the 200 range, which is just within normal limits. But then I found out about SBGA; and since adding it to my diet, my level has risen to above 500, which is right in the middle of the normal range and higher than it has ever been before.
Every gram of SBGA (4 tablets) contains 8 micrograms of Vitamin B-12, which is over twice the recommended daily allowance. It appears to be highly absorbable. I have found SBGA to be very effective at maintaining and restoring optimal levels of Vitamin B-12. However, be aware that in cases of severe and protracted deficiency, it may be necessary to go on Vitamin B-12 shots temporarily in order to rapidly replace liver stores of the Vitamin. And, where people have serious gastric or intestinal diseases or after they have had extensive abdominal surgery, it may be necessary for them to go on Vitamin B-12 shots permanently. When in doubt, the advice of a qualified health care professional should be sought. For the vast majority of Health Seekers, however, the good news is that SBGA is not only adequate, it is far and away the best alternative they have to maintain their B-12 status.
