Health

Algae extracts for health benefits are still being championed as having the most clear market path for health benefits in minerals, vitamins and supplements. And while spirulina and chlorella products have been around since the 1970s, there is growing uptake, plus diversification with astaxanthin, omega-3, beta-carotene and others.

For decades, Omega 3 oil supplements have been sourced from fish and krill. However, with the increasing ecological impact of large-scale fishing and consumer demand for plant-based products, there is pressure to find alternative sources. Algae provide an excellent alternative. Global sales for
fish oils and Omega-3 fatty acids exceeded $3.2 Billion in 2020. This market continues to grow and consumers of these products are rapidly demanding vegan alternatives.

Beyond omega-3, there are unique vitamins and minerals present in algae. In addition to the presence of protein, algae is high in dietary fibre, polyunsaturated fatty acids, beta-carotene, antioxidants, sulphated polysaccharides, sterols, vitamins and minerals, such as iodine, zinc, calcium and magnesium). Algae is an exceptional nutritional source and is especially suitable for vegan or vegetarian diets.

In recent years, controlled mass cultivation of Spirulina has become increasingly popular, as a health powder that is known for its particularly high protein and vitamin content. Spirulina is the common marketed name for the cyanobacterium Limnospira , formerly Arthrospira maxima, naturally harvested
in certain parts of Africa and central America.

Astaxanthin is a keto-carotenoid (belonging to the xanthopylls family) within a group of chemical compounds know as terpenes⁷. Astaxanthin in the marine environment is synthesized mainly by the Antarctic krill via conversion of beta carotene obtained mainly from diatoms and other ice algae.

Astaxanthin protects the krill from high light damage when exposed at the surface of the ocean. It is the new hero, with regular claims of being 6,000 times more powerful an antioxidant than vitamin C.

⁷ “Astaxanthin “The Oceanic carotenoid” and its path in nature”, Sammy Boussiba, EABA & Head of Microalgal Biotechnology Laboratory, Ben Gurion University of the Negev.