Ingredient spotlight · Algal omega-3 in Health Royals’ peak performance formula · 5 min read
Why fish are not the original source of marine omega-3, what DHA and EPA do and why the amounts inside the oil matter.
Key takeaways
• Fish accumulate DHA and EPA through the marine food chain. Certain microscopic marine organisms can provide these long-chain omega-3 fatty acids more directly.
• DHA contributes to the maintenance of normal brain function and vision, while EPA and DHA contribute to normal heart function at the relevant daily intakes.
• Health Royals provides 300 mg DHA and 50 mg EPA daily through a defined algal oil from Omegatex®.
Most omega-3 stories begin with fish.
This one begins much earlier.
Long before DHA and EPA reach a salmon, mackerel or sardine, microscopic organisms at the base of the marine food chain are producing long-chain omega-3 fatty acids.
Fish accumulate these fats through what they eat, either directly or through smaller marine organisms.
This changes the way we can think about omega-3 supplementation.
Instead of extracting the oil from fish, it is possible to go closer to the beginning of the food chain and obtain DHA and EPA from cultivated microorganisms.
The fish was never the beginning of the omega-3 story.
What do ALA, EPA and DHA actually mean?
Omega-3 is not one single nutrient. It describes a family of related fatty acids.
Three names appear most often.
ALA, or alpha-linolenic acid, is the shorter-chain omega-3 found in foods including flaxseed, chia seeds and walnuts.
EPA, or eicosapentaenoic acid, is a long-chain omega-3 associated particularly with marine food chains.
DHA, or docosahexaenoic acid, is another long-chain omega-3 with an important structural presence in specialised tissues, including the brain and retina.
The body can convert some ALA into EPA and DHA, but this conversion is limited and variable.
This is why foods or supplements that provide preformed DHA and EPA have a different nutritional role from plant foods providing ALA alone.
Flaxseed and algal oil may both belong to the omega-3 family, but they do not provide the same fatty acids.
Why are DHA and EPA more than a source of energy?
Fat is often discussed simply as fuel.
But certain fats also have structural and functional roles.
Cell membranes throughout the body are built from complex lipid structures. Fatty acids form part of that environment and influence its physical properties.
DHA is particularly concentrated in highly specialised membranes in the brain and retina.
At a daily intake of 250 mg, DHA contributes to the maintenance of normal brain function and normal vision.
EPA and DHA also contribute to the normal function of the heart when their combined daily intake reaches 250 mg.
These are related but distinct roles. DHA has a particularly structural story, while EPA and DHA together contribute to normal cardiac function.
Omega-3 is therefore not one story about one organ. It is a story about specialised fats with different roles throughout human biology.
Why go directly to algae?
Oily fish remain a valuable dietary source of DHA and EPA.
Choosing algal oil does not require pretending otherwise.
The more interesting question is whether long-chain omega-3 can be obtained without using fish as the extraction source.
Specific microscopic marine organisms can be cultivated for their oil, providing a direct source of DHA and EPA.
This approach has several practical advantages.
The cultivation environment can be controlled. The fatty-acid profile can be measured and standardised. Defined concentrations and ratios of DHA and EPA can be produced without harvesting fish for their oil.
Algal oil can also provide a fish-free option for people whose dietary choices exclude fish-derived ingredients.
The difference is primarily one of origin: fish obtain marine omega-3 through the food chain, while algal oil goes closer to the source.
What is Schizochytrium?
The algae used for omega-3 oil are not the large green seaweeds we see along the shoreline.
Schizochytrium is a genus of microscopic marine organisms used to produce oils naturally rich in long-chain omega-3 fatty acids.
Once cultivated, the oil must be separated, purified and carefully managed to protect it from oxidation.
This is an important part of omega-3 quality.
Polyunsaturated fatty acids contain several double bonds. Those structures are part of what makes the fats biologically distinctive, but they also make the oil more sensitive to oxygen, heat and light.
Source is therefore only the beginning.
Purification, concentration, oxidation control, molecular form and the defined amounts of DHA and EPA all influence the finished ingredient.
Where the oil begins matters. What happens after cultivation matters too.
Why does the number inside the oil matter?
Omega-3 labels can be difficult to compare.
A product may emphasise the total milligrams of oil without making the DHA and EPA amounts equally visible.
But 500 mg of algal oil is not the same thing as 500 mg of DHA and EPA.
The oil also contains other naturally occurring lipids. The meaningful nutritional numbers are the defined amounts of long-chain omega-3 within it.
Health Royals’ peak performance formula provides:
500 mg of algal oil
375 mg of total omega-3 fatty acids
300 mg of DHA
50 mg of EPA
The daily serving therefore provides 300 mg DHA and 350 mg EPA plus DHA.
This places it above the 250 mg daily intake associated with the authorised claims for normal brain function, normal vision and normal heart function.
Transparency starts with showing what the oil actually provides, not only how much the oil weighs.
The ingredient at a glance
A DHA-rich algal oil with a clearly defined EPA contribution.
Form
Triglyceride algal oil from Schizochytrium
Daily amount
300 mg DHA
50 mg EPA
Ingredient source
Omegatex® Plant-Based by Solutex
Why does DHA lead the formula?
Health Royals’ algal omega-3 is deliberately DHA-rich.
DHA has an important structural presence in the brain and retina, making it especially relevant to a formula designed around everyday and long-term wellbeing.
The daily serving provides 300 mg DHA, above the 250 mg intake associated with the maintenance of normal brain function and normal vision.
The formula also includes 50 mg EPA.
EPA and DHA overlap in some areas of biology, but they are not interchangeable molecules. Their structures, tissue distribution and metabolism differ.
Together, the 300 mg DHA and 50 mg EPA provide 350 mg EPA plus DHA, above the daily amount associated with normal heart function.
The decision was not simply to include “omega-3”. It was to choose a defined, DHA-rich profile and state the amount of each fatty acid clearly.
How algal omega-3 fits into the complete formula
The algal oil is included as one part of a broader formula for everyday resilience and long-term wellbeing.
Its role is distinct from the olive-derived compounds, botanical ingredients, vitamins and minerals used alongside it.
DHA contributes to normal brain function and vision. EPA and DHA contribute to normal heart function.
Extra virgin olive oil provides the lipid setting for the formula, while hydroxytyrosol contributes to the protection of blood lipids from oxidative stress at the relevant daily amount.
Selected B vitamins contribute to normal energy-yielding metabolism and the reduction of tiredness and fatigue. Vitamin D3, vitamin K2, zinc, selenium and active folate contribute their own defined nutritional roles.
The ingredients are not included because they all do the same thing.
They are brought together because long-term wellbeing depends on more than one nutrient and more than one biological pathway.
Discover Health Royals’ peak performance formula
References
European Commission. Commission Regulation (EU) No 432/2012 establishing a list of permitted health claims made on foods, other than those referring to the reduction of disease risk and to children’s development and health.
EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies. Scientific Opinion related to the maintenance of normal brain function, vision and heart function through DHA and EPA intake. EFSA Journal.
Ryan, L.; Symington, A.M. Algal-oil supplements are a viable alternative to fish-oil supplements in terms of docosahexaenoic acid. Journal of Functional Foods. 2015;19:852–858.
Adarme-Vega, T.C.; Lim, D.K.Y.; Timmins, M.; Vernen, F.; Li, Y.; Schenk, P.M. Microalgal biofactories: a promising approach towards sustainable omega-3 fatty acid production. Microbial Cell Factories. 2012;11:96.
Solutex. Omegatex® Plant-Based ingredient, sourcing and technical information.
Disclaimer: This article is intended for general information and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. It summarises established nutrient functions, authorised health claims, ingredient characteristics and published or manufacturer-provided information. Individual needs may vary. Consult a qualified healthcare professional with questions about supplementation, medication or personal health.
