Spirulina Caution

Palmdoc has just posted this in the Malaysian Medical Resources :
Spirulina and similar products derived from blue-green algae are commonly taken supplements in Malaysia. I have now seen 5 cancer patients who have developed liver function abnormalities after ingesting Spirulina, one with liver enzymes shooting up to about 1000.
Just yesterday I saw a patient with Hodgkin’s lymphoma undergoing chemotherapy and who was ingesting Spirulina at the same time. She is now deeply jaundiced with markedly raised liver enzymes.
A search in Quackwatch shows this article, Algae: False Claims and Hype which mentions that products containing blue-green algae may contain toxins harmful to the liver .
I am concerned about the quality of the blue-green algae products being sold in Malaysia and whether or not they are harvested from carefully “controlled ponds” and there needs to be some assurance they do not contain Cyanobacterial toxins. My concern stems from the observation of several cases of probable liver toxicity in patients, especially in more susceptible ones like cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy.

Please take note of what Quackwatch says:

The Bottom Line
Spirulina products contain no nutrients that are not readily available from food — at a much lower price. They have no proven value for treating any medical problem, and some may contain potent toxins.

Doc : I also caution patients who have thyroid problems not to take it as it contains high amounts of iodine. Yesterday I just saw a patient who had irregular and heavy periods after taking spirulina.