Frequently asked questions (FAQ's) about Blue Green Algae:
Q: "What makes Blue Green Algae so special?"
A: There are so many answers to that question, it is hard to choose just one or two!
First, all blue-green algae are very special. Sharing features of plant, animal and bacterial kingdoms, they are an extraordinarily versatile, vital species. For example, blue-green algae are the most efficient photosynthesizers on the planet, making them the richest dietary source of chlorophyll ( Blue Green Algae contains two to three times the chlorophyll of alfalfa!).
The Klamath Lake ecology, with its mountain-fed water and super-rich abundance of minerals and other vital nutrients, provides this particular blue-green algae with the opportunity to flourish and become the very best that It can be. Pound for pound, Klamath Lake is the richest biomass producer anywhere on Earth.
The Algae's extraordinary nutritional profile- with its minerals, vitamins, "complete protein" amino acid profile and other features - is another way of explaining the unique quality of Blue Green Algae; so is the careful attention to processing that the company puts into the algae after it is harvested.
But ultimately, none of these answers matters so much as your answer. How do you feel when you eat Blue Green Algae ? If adding only a spoonful or less of any food -perhaps one-tenth of one percent of your entire diet- can create such dramatic change... then that food must be very special, indeed!
Q: "Why does it take such a small amount of Algae to make such a difference in the way I feel? Does it contain "megadoses" of nutrients ?"
A: Good question. No, there are no "megadoses" of anything. Blue Green Algae is not an extract or formula, but a whole, naturally balanced food source. It is not that it contains a lot of any one nutrient - but that it contains small amounts of so many vital, essential nutrients in balanced, complexed and easily assimilable forms.
Q: "How is Blue Green Algae different from other algae, like Chlorella, Spirulina and other 'green foods' like wheat grass, barley grass or alfalfa?"
A: Spirulina and Chlorella are both freshwater algae. Spirulina is a blue-green, while Chlorella is a green algae, which means it has an indigestible cellulose cell wall that must be processed so we can use it. However, the crucial difference is that both S pirulina and Chlorella are cultivated in man-made environments under artificially controlled conditions, while Blue Green Algae is harvested from the wild in ideal conditions provided by Nature.
The sprout and grass types of "green foods" are popular as rich sources of chlorophyll and for other properties - but they are only as good as the water in which they are grown. They're not nearly so rich as Blue Green Algae. What's more, they are not algae, and do not contain many of Blue Green Algae's special features, such as its unique amino acid profile.
We encourage you to try them all and compare for yourself.
Q: "Why is Klamath Lake the only source for naturally grown, wild blue green algae?"
A: In the past, blue green algae was harvested from nature in other parts of the globe, notably in parts of South America, Central America and Africa, as well as from Klamath Lake. Today, Klamath Lake is the only major lake that produces significant amounts of edible blue green algae in an accessible and usable environment.
Q: "What benefits can I expect to gain?"
A: That really depends on your state of health and overall balance when you begin eating the Algae. The Algae provides the raw materials your body needs to create and maintain balance - so what benefits you will experience depends on what "balance" is for you .
The most commonly reported benefits, naturally, are those of the most general kind - such as "improved mood and overall feeling of well being, better and more consistent energy, sharper and clearer thinking, improved concentration and memory..."
It is impossible to say exactly what you will experience. But one thing we can say for sure - the benefits you will experience will be yours - and the only way you'll know what they are is to use the Algae and experience them!
Q: "Are there any medically proven health benefits?"
A: Since Blue Green Algae is a food, and not a drug or medicine, we do not promote it as having specific, proven effects on any health conditions. However, there is recently published scientific research which demonstrated specific immune system results.
However, the "bottom line", no matter how much scientific corroboration appears, will always be your own personal experience - your own Algae Story.
Q: "Why is Blue Green Algae freeze-dried ?"
A: Once removed from its natural environment, freshwater algae must be processed in some way to prevent spoilage and loss of valuable nutrients. Freeze-drying, while it is a more expensive method, allows us to remove the water from the Algae cells and retain their nutrients in a natural state. Other methods of processing could destroy the enzymes and vitamins, alter the assimilation of minerals and deplete the vitality of the chlorophyll.
Q: "Why is Blue Green Algae called a 'brain food '?"
A: Blue Green Algae contains amino acids that help build needed neuropeptides to feed the nervous system's delicate neuro-transmitters. It also contains essential B vitamins and lipids (fats) that are needed for the nerves and brain to function optimally.
Q: "What happens if my brain does not get the nutrients found in Blue Green Algae?"
A: The sciences of neurophysiology and neurochemistry are some of the most exciting new frontiers in the study of life and health. Researchers have found that a lack of certain nutrients to the brain can cause severe mental and emotional imbalances. A constant "marginal" state of brain/nerve nutrition deficiency can manifest as irritability, depression, loss of memory, lack of mental energy and focus.
In fact, it was through his work as a teacher of children - where he began to notice a steady decline in students' ability to concentrate - that gave Daryl Kollman the impetus to begin the search that ultimately led to Blue Green Algae from Upper Klamath Lake Oregon.
Q: "How and when should I eat Blue Green Algae?"
A: We suggest consuming Blue Green Algae with juice or water, before or soon after a meal (usually breakfast, lunch or both). It also can be sprinkled on food as a condiment, and it may be added to other dishes. Some people also bake the Algae into bread or muffins, or add it to soups; however, cooking the Algae is normally not the best way to use it, since high heat can destroy some of its more sensitive nutrients
.Q: "How do I know which products to use?"
A: Alpha Algae, which is the complete, whole cell, generally has more influence on your overall health and physical well being. Omega Algae usually has a more specific effect on your mood and mental/emotional well being. Some people prefer more of one or of the other; some vary the amount of each depending on whether they require more physical or more mental energy at the time.
The Sure Start program suggests that you start with Omega Algae ; most people who eat Blue Green Algae regularly use both Alpha Algae and Omega Algae together.
Whether you prefer capsules or tablets is simply a choice of convenience and preference - the Algae in both is identical. The capsules are suitable for vegetarians. Some people like the tablets because their size is smaller even though they contain the same amount of algae as the capsules.
The Blue Green Enzymes and Blue Green Acidophilus are also included in some of the specials since they help the body to absorb and utilize the nutrients in the Algae as well as those in the rest of your food. They are exceptionally high quality digestive aid products that include small amounts of the Algae to potentize or amplify the effects of the food enzymes and probiotics. They are ideal complements to your Algae consumption and the rest of your diet, under any situation.
Q: "How much should I consume?"
A: An easy question to answer is, "How much should I start with ?" The Sure Start program is the perfect way to introduce this nutritional power-house to your body and gradually discover the daily amount that works best for you.
How much Algae should you eat once you've completed the first three weeks of the Sure Start program? That's impossible for us to say, because the answer varies so widely from person to person.
Follow the guidelines given. Allow some time to feel how the Algae interacts with your system and fits into your daily life - and really listen to your body . Be open for some wonderful things to happen - you're in for a treat!
Q: "Does it matter what the rest of my diet is?"
A: Yes... and no.
"No" - that is, Blue Green Algae, Acidophilus and Enzymes will help you use your existing diet more efficiently, more effectively and more completely, regardless of what that diet is.
"Yes" - that is, if one-tenth of one percent of your diet can make this much difference ,wouldn't you like the other 99.9 percent to be the best that it can be, too? If you do not pay attention to this aspect of your life already, we do encourage you to follow sound principles of sensible, natural eating. These include:
Q: "How do I know Blue Green Algae is safe?"