Topic summary contributed by volunteer(s): Randy
Health food stores sell not-necessarily-so-healthy foods such as kombucha tea which may be associated with life-threatening lactic acidosis, placing people into a coma. Blue-green algae which may contain toxins that damage the brain (although chlorella most likely does not).
We may also want to be wary of health food store employee advice. Studies have shown that health food store employee advice may not only be inaccurate, but also potentially harmful to a person’s well-being (especially in regards to supplements).
For substantiation of any statements of fact from the peer-reviewed medical literature, please see the associated videos below.
The accuracy of medical advice given by staff at natural food stores is compared to that given by staff at community pharmacies, based on the balance of available scientific evidence.
Employees in natural food stores have been caught giving advice that is not only scientifically baseless, but also risky and downright dangerous.
Most health food store supplement aisle employees have little or no training and make wildly dissimilar recommendations. Even when they’re consistent, the levels of active ingredients in supplements may not be. We should not assume the multibillion dollar supplement industry has our best interests any closer to heart than the pharmaceutical industry.
Studies in the U.S. and Canada focus on what advice and supplements natural food store employees would offer a woman suffering from breast cancer.
Growing your own broccoli sprouts is one of the most cost-effective ways to improve your diet.
Potential neurotoxicity is another concern regarding spirulina supplements.
Chlorella does not have the toxins that may be present in blue-green algae supplements and spirulina.
Concerns about spirulina supplements extend to liver toxicity.
The risks associated with these supplements may outweigh the benefits.
