There’s good news for all you vegetarians out there, microalgae oil is a good source of omega-3. Omega-3 fatty acids consist of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). For most people, the main source of omega-3 comes from fatty fish, such as salmon. This poses a problem for most vegetarians because omega-3′s are essential fatty acids, which means we must rely on our diet as a source of omega-3′s due to the fact that our bodies cannot make them.
Often, vegetarians exclusively depend on flax oil for their omega-3 supplementation. However, flax oil consists only of ALA, which must be converted into EPA then, subsequently, converted into DHA. It is important to note that DHA and EPA are the two most important omega-3 fatty acids. Although ALA can be converted into EPA and DHA, several studies have shown this process to be very inefficient. In fact, the human body can only converts very small amounts of ALA into EPA and DHA. Studies have shown that approximately 5% of ALA is converted to EPA, wheras, less than 0.5% is converted to DHA. The reason for such inefficiency is due to the rate limiting step, enzyme availability. This is because the enzyme responsible for the conversions, delta-6-desaturase, competitively binds to omega-6 fatty acids. Hence, in order to get DHA from flax-derived ALA, your body must undergo two rate limiting enzymatic conversions, again, very inefficient!
So why is microalgae oil an important vegetarian source of DHA and EPA? Something you might not know is that algae, such as zooplankton and phytoplankton, are actually the primary source of EPA and DHA omega-3 fatty acids. Fish ingest these microalgae and store the DHA and EPA in their fat, which is why fish oil is high in both of these omega-3 fatty acids. Some microalgae have already been shown to produce high levels of both DHA and EPA, such as Spirulina and Nannochloropsis sp., however, high-EPA microalgae supplements are still limited. The best option I’ve come across is Spirulina tablets or powder. There are, however, many DHA-rich microalgae supplements commercially available. Obviously, these serve as a better source of DHA than flax seed oil, because there are two less enzymatic conversions your body must go through to get to DHA. That means your body has to do less work to get a much higher level of DHA, sounds like a winner!
DHA also has been shown to have a number of important health benefits all its own. Both DHA and EPA supplementation help to prevent cardiovascular diseases, atherosclerosis, stroke, hypertension, cancer, diabetes, and neurodegenerative diseases.
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Amazon.com Microalgae Products
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| Source Naturals – Red Marine Algae – 350 mg, Tablets – 90 tablets (Pack of 2) | Source Naturals Spirulina | Deva Vegan Vitamins – High DHA, Algae, 200 mg |
| $22.46 | $13.22 | $36.15 |
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| DEVA Vegan Vitamins DHA (Algae) – 200mg – 90 Softgels | Spirulina (500mg) | Source Naturals Blue – Green Algae – 500mg – 200 tablets |
| $32.44 | $17.60 | $26.51 |
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| Thorne Research – DHA (omega-3 from algae) – 90′s_ | Earthrise – Spirulina, 500 mg, 360 tablets_ | Starwest Botanicals Organic Spirulina Powder_ |
| $48 | $17.38 | $16.16 |
| Puritan’s Pride Microalgal Products |
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| KLAMATH LAKE BLUE GREEN ALGAE – 500 mg – 120-Rapid Release Capsules. |
| 2 for $31.99 |
