Why some healthy seaweed snacks can be dangerous
Microalgae toxins in food products and impact on human health: a review
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Some algae used in health supplements and seafood can be poisoned by tiny toxic bugs in the water, which make people sick or even cause cancer.
No biological mechanisms were identified in this study. This may be an epidemiological, observational, or survey-based study that reports associations rather than proposing causal biological pathways.
Systematic Reviews & Meta-Analyses
Max 100Randomized Controlled Trials
Max 90Cohort Studies
Max 72Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional Studies
Max 44Case Reports & Case Series
Max 30Expert Opinion & Narrative Reviews
Max 51 / 5
Evidence Score
Based on clinical experience or non-systematic literature reviews. The lowest level of evidence as they are most susceptible to bias and personal perspective.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Some algae used in health supplements and seafood can be poisoned by tiny toxic bugs in the water, which make people sick or even cause cancer.
No biological mechanisms were identified in this study. This may be an epidemiological, observational, or survey-based study that reports associations rather than proposing causal biological pathways.
Systematic Reviews & Meta-Analyses
Max 100Randomized Controlled Trials
Max 90Cohort Studies
Max 72Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional Studies
Max 44Case Reports & Case Series
Max 30Expert Opinion & Narrative Reviews
Max 51 / 5
Evidence Score
Based on clinical experience or non-systematic literature reviews. The lowest level of evidence as they are most susceptible to bias and personal perspective.
Publication
Authors
Withana WATN, Gunarathna DMDI, Dissanayake DMGI, Rathnayake AI, de Zoysa HKS, Waisundara VY
Related Content
Claims (7)
Some tiny ocean algae make a poison that tricks your brain cells into over-firing, which can scramble your memory and even cause seizures or death.
Toxins from certain blue-green algae in water can survive boiling and damage the liver over time, potentially causing cancer.
Certain sea algae make a poison that gets into shellfish and can stop your muscles from working, including those you need to breathe — which can be deadly.
Even though people take algae supplements for health, they can sometimes be polluted with dangerous toxins from other algae that grow with them, which can hurt the liver.
Shellfish like mussels and oysters soak up toxins from algae in the water, and even when the algae aren’t visible, eating these shellfish can still make people sick.