Blue Green Algae Toxic?

Question

I discovered a site today that uses blue green algae to apparently heal sick pets including given by mouth, I'm not so sure it correct, as I was under the impression that blue green algae was highly toxic to all animals and even going into water with this can make you extremelly ill and sometimes death?
Here the website i got my doubts on
http://www.shirleys-wellness-cafe.com/glycocases.htm

Does anyone know?

This is the site that says it toxic
http://brg.cma.nsw.gov.au/index.php?page=blue-green-algae

Answer 1

Health Risks
Some species of cyanobacteria (i.e.Bluegreen algae )produce neurotoxins, hepatotoxins, cytotoxins, and endotoxins, making them dangerous to animals and humans. Several cases of human poisoning have been documented but a lack of knowledge prevents an accurate assessment of the risks.

For more information click on the links below and Cross check with related links ==

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bluegreen_algae

http://www.nalms.org/Resources/BlueGreenInitiative/Overview.htm

Answer 2

I don't know much about the medical applications of blue green algae but that first site looks a little shady to me, like they are trying to sell you on the idea of the algae supplement with no real discussion of the alternatives or harmful side effects.

Have a look at this site for comparison.
http://www.wellnessletter.com/html/ds/dsBlueGreenAlgae.php

It is from toxic substances that we derive some of our most potent medicines so perhaps one day blue green algae will do the same. When that happens I would hope it undergoes proper medical testing, rather than testimonials from people that know nothing about medicine and is sold with warnings on the bottle. ; )

Answer 3

I suspect that the cyanobacteria being used is spirulina, which is also found in the vitamin section of stores as an herbal supplement (meant for human consumption). It's reported uses don't get good reviews in medical studies, however: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/patient-spirulina.html

But I can see the reason for your concern, because many types of the cyanobacteria are toxic.