Author: Cadace Calloway Whiting
Source: Digital Journal
May 30, 2012

"The consumption of shark cartilage supplements and shark fin soup has been linked to the development of Alzheimer's disease and ALS (Lou Gehrig disease), due to biomagnification of a toxin produced by algae.

In a study conducted at the University of Miami, Florida, researchers discovered high levels of an algae derived neurotoxin in the fins of all seven species of sharks they examined. The toxin, beta-N-methylamino-l-alanine (BMAA), is produced by an alga that is ubiquitous on the earth and in the oceans - the tiny unicellular cyanobacteria, or blue/green algae.

Normally these algae are not a problem, but because they are present everywhere from the ocean floor to the surface the toxin from their cells can build up through the food chain and accumulate in significant amounts in the tissues of the apex predators, such as sharks. BMAA binds with collagen proteins in the shark fin cartilage."

 

To read the full text of the article, click here.