I posted a question about hydrilla in January, but there was no response. So I am re-trying: has anyone here had any experience with a food supplement called Hydrilla, which is an aquatic plant that causes much grief in freshwater lakes, but, like kudzu in the south, is a tremendous accumulator of Calcium + other minerals. I sent away for a jar of this stuff. I'd be interested to hear of anyone's experience with this product/food.

hmmm... sounds interesting
do u have any pics of it?

I know this plant well. It used to clog the lake behind my dad's house.

It looks to be an excellent source of calcium and other minerals. But it also looks to contain a B12 analogue that might be harmful to the nervous system.

So I would pass.

Tks. for your replies and opinions. I don't have any pictures, unfortunately. As to B-12 analogue, I don't know much about this; is it actually harmful to us, or merely useless?

[www.veganhealth.org]

Thank you very much, djatchi, for that link to www.veganhealth.org.

I started out asking about hydrilla, not thinking about B12 at all, but if that is what we are discussing, then how about this. More than a dozen years ago I read in a natural-living type magazine an article which basically said that when it comes to B12 we are not always given the whole story.

I was real lucky to find that article at the following:

www.sare.org/sanet-mg/archives/html-home/8-html/0278.html

To sum up, the main factor is COBALT. There must be cobalt (a trace mineral) in the soil for it to be in the plants, and then in the animals who eat those plants (which humans then eat as a source of B12).

Because some soils lack cobalt, an animal eating plants grown on that soil will not be able to synthesize B12; a gutful of bacteria ain't enough. You will find this article highly informative, I think. It would certain explain why results on B12 studies are so variable.

Thanks for the link, very useful