What Side-Effects Can Marine Phytoplankton Cause?

Even though marine scientists have studied phytoplankton for many decades, it is not yet known what side-effects can be caused by a supplement that uses phytoplankton as its main ingredient. What is known, however, is that there are a number of risks associated with consuming a supplement based on phytoplankton!

Here, we take a look at the real reason why side-effects triggered by marine phytoplankton supplements remain a mystery still, as well as what risks are associated with relying on them.

Not yet understood

The reason why side-effects caused by phytoplankton supplements are still unknown is because not many experiments have been carried out to study side-effects. Of course, there have been countless studies documenting how phytoplankton impacts the oceans or the environment, but not enough documenting its interaction with the human body. The few studies that have taken this aspect into account till this point did not come from reputed and/or reliable sources.

Real risks abound

There are two primary risks associated with trusting a phytoplankton supplement to cure a disease, or ailment.

First of all, government agencies in America do not make it mandatory for supplement manufacturers to list all the ingredients present in their supplements. Since the same rule governs marine phytoplankton supplements, many manufacturers feel entitled not to list everything present in their products. That means, patients who consume those supplements have no way of knowing what they are really consuming, and how their action will impact their body in the long run. The simple truth is that most supplements contain ingredients that can interact with basic functions of the human body in one way, or another – not every interaction tends to be positive and beneficial.

The second problem is that not all phytoplankton found in the sea tends to be healthy. Many a times, phytoplankton may turn toxic, and when that happens, even consuming shellfish found in the nearby waters may prove to be harmful to humans. The reason this is important is because there is always the possibility of some toxic phytoplankton present in a supplement.

In short, phytoplankton side-effects are still unknown. Additionally, the problem with marine phytoplankton supplements is that they remain a kind of mystery. This is the reason why many physicians shy away from recommending them, even if asked by their patients repeatedly to do so. That out of the way, there are people who claim that these supplements assure them positive results.