AFA Klamath takes its name from its region of origin. This microalga grows wild in Klamath Lake, in a protected nature reserve in southern Oregon, USA. And this lake is very special: it is fed by water from another body of water further upstream, Crater Lake.
Nothing exceptional so far. But over the 24 kilometres the water travels to reach Klamath Lake, it picks up minerals from the volcanic rock it flows through. This particularly rich water is also constantly on the move – the entire lake is completely renewed 4 times a year. The lake bed also holds sediment that gives it an unrivalled additional supply of nutrients. A 10 m layer has formed over the last 10 millennia from the decomposition of 200 megatonnes of AFA Klamath, creating a nutrient reservoir that could on its own sustain massive growth of the alga for at least 60 years without any outside input. And since this lake bed is constantly renewed, it is inexhaustible. Finally, the lake’s shallow depth also favours the growth of AFA Klamath.
This unique habitat is widely recognised for its diversity of flora and fauna. The lake area has become the second-largest stopover for birds migrating along the Pacific flyway. The bald eagle has also made the lake its favourite breeding ground. At the beginning of the 20th century, the species was endangered, threatened by pesticides and pollutants that affected the viability of its eggs. After settling in this region, the population grew to nearly 1000 birds, taking the species off the endangered list.
AFA KLAMATH SUPPLEMENTS: STAY VIGILANT
Unfortunately, poor-quality AFA Klamath supplements containing toxins called microcystins are currently on the market. These food supplements are potentially toxic to humans.
Studies [1, 2] have shown that the AFA Klamath strain growing in Klamath Lake cannot produce this toxin. However, thanks to the quality of the ecosystem, AFA Klamath is not the lake’s only inhabitant: it coexists with another cyanobacterium that is toxic to humans, Microcystis aeruginosa. And many unscrupulous harvesters collect edible AFA Klamath and the toxin-producing alga without distinction.
To be sure of product quality and the absence of microcystins, it is therefore important to choose an honest harvester who checks every batch at harvest, so that only AFA Klamath goes into the tablets. Algorigin AFA Klamath is one of these, and is therefore perfectly safe for human consumption.
To find out more about the benefits of AFA Klamath, read this article!
[1] Li R. & al. Morphological and 16S rRNA gene evidence for reclassification of the paralytic shellfish toxin producing Aphanizomenon flos-aquae LMECYA 31 as Aphanizomenon Issatschenkoi (Cyanophyceae). Journal of Applied Phycology
[2] Stuken A. & al.: Genetic and morphologic characterization of four putative cylindrospermopsin producing species of the cyanobacterial genera Anabaena and Afanizomenon. Journal of Plankton Research 2009: 31 (5): 465-480
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