Almega PL®- A New Age Ingredient with the Ultimate Sustainability Profile!

Today's consumer demographics are becoming more diverse and demanding, asking companies globally to provide products that satisfy both their health needs and ethical principles. Therefore to survive in today's market, your product range needs to house innovative ingredients that appeal to as many consumer demographics as possible. An example of such an ingredient is Almega PL®, one of the most revolutionary ingredients in the Omega 3 field due to its 100% vegan source and carbon-neutral farming practices.

Diving Deep into Almega PL®


Almega PL® is a micro-algae containing Long Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid (LC-PUFA) standardised specifically to EPA. It is a premier ingredient in the Omega 3 space (1), providing similar health benefits to other Omega 3 alternatives but holding the critical edge in that it's one of few Omega 3s on the current market to be suitable for both vegetarians and vegans. Due to the fact it's entirely derived from an all-natural strain of microalgae called Nannochloropsis oculata, first discovered on the coast of Scotland but can be commonly found in land-based marine-type environments such as lakes and forms when exposed to sufficient sunlight (2).

Due to its green origins, Almega PL® naturally contains high quantities of Omega 3 EPA (25%). This EPA has unique polar-lipid structures and also contains beneficial compounds, including carotenoids, omega 7, co-enzyme Q10 and chlorophyll, which are all powerful phytonutrients providing a myriad of health benefits in comparison to other Omega 3s. Almega PL® has displayed a superior bioavailability of EPA, with clinical studies finding the absorption levels of EPA were higher with Almega PL® oil than its fish and krill oil counterpart at every time-point studied (3).

Exploring the Key Health Benefits of Almega PL®


Cardiovascular System Health

Being an Omega 3 fatty acid EPA, Almega PL® is well equipped in helping to enhance and improve cardiovascular system function. This is done by reducing the user's blood pressure, helping better regulate their heartbeat and reducing overall inflammation (4). An effect deduced in a 2012 study highlighted that Almega PL® can reduce cardiovascular disease risk factors significantly. Almega PL's® utilisation of both phospholipids and glycolipids helped increase cardiac performance by improving the blood triglyceride levels and blood pressure, thus moving the 53 patients studied further away from the high-risk cardiovascular zone in just 12 weeks of supplementation (5).

Cholesterol Reduction

Another essential benefit of Almega PL® is its ability to improve a user's cholesterol levels by reducing a person's LDL cholesterol and raising their HDL cholesterol levels (good cholesterol). Almega PL®'s effects can in seen in a recent Australian-based study involving 120 participants who consumed a daily 1g capsule of Almega PL® for 12 weeks. Results showed that very-low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL) decreased by 25%, which resulted in a significant decrease in total cholesterol compared to the placebo. Interestingly, the decline in VLDL levels was not associated with an increase in LDL, a benefit generally associated with EPA-only-based formulations. Collectively these results show that Almega PL® provides a natural EPA-only option to increase Omega 3 Index and manage cholesterol levels (5).

Almega PL®- Sustainably Powered by the Sun

Almega PL® has positioned itself as one of the most cutting-edge and sustainable ingredients. A stature largely attributed to it its naturally sourced farming practices. Almega PL® is uniquely farmed in open ponds in the desert of West Texas (6), with the only energy input being the high level of sunlight. Almega PL® then uses its natural ability of photosynthesis and turns the greenhouse gases like CO2 into oxygen, which would otherwise be released into the atmosphere. Almega PL®'s production process ensures that all elements are reusable, extending to the water in its ponds, which is harvested and recycled (7).

Almega PL®'s 100% carbon neutral farming helps provide benefits to other ecosystems, as Almega PL®'s superior reproducibility ensures its reserves are continuously stocked. Almega PL® also poses no risk of contamination with no chemical pollutants used, nor does it generate any toxic waste, with excess materials used traditionally in animal feeds and biofuels (7).

Connecting with a Wider Consumer Base

Due to its high sustainability profile, Almega PL® is considered a notable 'plant based' Omega 3 alternative. The ingredient helps to satisfy omega 3 EPA dietary requirements and ethical principles. Plant based omega 3 sources continue to grow in importance, with the versatile ingredient able to satisfy a broader spectrum of consumers.

This sentiment is mirrored by future market projections, in which many analysts highlight that the Algae Omega 3 market could grow by 11.90% through to 2025, with large-scale growth attributed to the Asia-pacific region, with consumers becoming more health-conscious based on the recent COVID-19 pandemic, which has seen them re-align their health priorities (8).

Overall, Almega PL® is an exciting ingredient that is tailor-made for the constantly varying demands of today's more ethical consumers. Hence it's becoming more important than ever to develop a product line that has plant based options for this continuously growing segment of consumers, and with current tools like Almega PL®, it is progressively easier to enter this space.


If you enjoyed reading this blog, consider joining our mailing list to ensure you are kept up to date with the latest health and complementary medicine news and information. Additionally, if you have any interest in adding Almega PL® to your next product, be sure to contact us to learn about the possible formats and applications available. 

Reference List

1.Nutra ingredients, 2015. Almega PL™ omega-3s from the original source—algae. [online] nutraingredients-usa.com. Available at: <https://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/Product-innovations/Almega-PL-omega-3s-from-the-original-source-algae> [Accessed 2 June 2022).

2.Kagan, M. and Matulka, R., 2015. Safety assessment of the microalgae Nannochloropsis oculata. Toxicology Reports, [online] 2, pp.617-623. Available at: <https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5598295/> [Accessed 22 June 2022].

3.Murphy, K., 2013. Study: Algal Oil Absorption and Bioavailability Better than Krill Oil. [online] PRWeb. Available at: <https://www.prweb.com/releases/2013/9/prweb11163962.htm> [Accessed 22 June 2022].

4.Ruggeri, C., 2022. Algal Oil: A Vegetarian Source of Omega-3s and DHA. [online] Dr Axe. Available at: <https://draxe.com/nutrition/algal-oil/> [Accessed 22 June 2022].

5.Rao, A., Briskey, D., Nalley, J. and Ganuza, E., 2020. Omega-3 Eicosapentaenoic Acid (EPA) Rich Extract from the Microalga Nannochloropsis Decreases Cholesterol in Healthy Individuals: A Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Three-Month Supplementation Study. Nutrients, [online] 12(6), p.1869. Available at: <https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7353404/> [Accessed 22 June 2022].

6. Nutraingredients, n.d. Qualitas Health. [online] nutraingredients-usa.com. Available at: <https://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/Suppliers/Qualitas-Health> [Accessed 22 June 2022].

7.VRG Blog Editor, 2014. The Vegetarian Resource Group Blog. [online] Vrg.org. Available at: <https://www.vrg.org/blog/2014/04/11/vegetarian-almega-pl-microalgal-sourced-omega-3-fatty-acid-epa-in-polar-lipid-form/> [Accessed 22 June 2022].

8.ltd, R., 2022. Algae Omega-3 Ingredients Market - Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2022 - 2027). [online] Researchandmarkets.com. Available at: <https://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/4771523/algae-omega-3-ingredients-market-growth> [Accessed 23 June 2022].