Algae Toxin - Alzheimer's Link Studied

An environmental toxin linked to common neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis has been found in blue-green algae-contaminated water throughout the world.

An international team of researchers that reported the finding this week suggested that public health officials now should consider monitoring for the neurotoxin in waters that have blue-green algae "blooms." The neurotoxin is called B-N-methylamino-L-alanine, or BMAA. Other researchers agree that the work is interesting and warrants further investigation, but they caution it is only suggestive, and no definitive link between blue-green algae and common neurodegenerative diseases has yet been established. The research appears in the April 5, 2005 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. **Note - This link will open into a separate web browser window.