Qualitas Health develops high-value vegetarian food supplements and pharmaceutical ingredients based on microalgae. With deep experience and expertise in algae cultivation and extraction, Qualitas has developed a proprietary technology for strain selection, sustainable algae farming, harvesting and oil processing. This allows for the effective production of premium omega-3 algae oil for a wide range of applications.
The company's flagship product is Almega PL™, a vegetarian, EPA-rich, polar lipid-structured omega-3 oil with superior bioavailability. Sourced from microalgae with high levels of long-chained EPA, Almega PL has a polar-lipid structure that’s easy for the body to digest and absorb.
There are five important reasons to choose Almega PL, source, composition, sustainability, ratio and control:
1. Source matters - Non-GMO, vegetarian microalgae. Almega PL delivers long-chain poly-unsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFAs), which provide the health benefits consumers most frequently associate with omega-3s. Almega PL is derived from a non-GMO, naturally occurring strain of microalgae, Nannochloropsis Oculata that was cultivated by Qualitas Health.
2. Composition matters - polar-lipid structure. Consumers want the health benefits of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids without the digestive difficulties and repeating commonly associated with fish oil. Almega PL’s microalgae strain features a unique polar-lipid (phospholipid and glycolipid) structure. Research indicates that omega-3s bound to polar lipids (found in microalgae and krill) are easier to absorb and digest than omega-3s bound to triglycerides (found in cold-water fish). In fact, a recently published clinical study found that gram for gram, Almega PL offers better EPA uptake into blood plasma than krill oil.
3. Sustainability matters - Renewable and ecologically friendly algae farming. Almega PL microalgae does not disrupt the delicate marine ecosystem. Algae are grown on farms in open ponds on non-arable lands in West Texas that require no fresh water. The farms recycle the harvest water and use sunlight as the primary energy source. Once harvested, Almega PL microalgae are processed using a proprietary, hexane-free process (wet oil extraction) that maintains the oil’s valuable polar-lipid structure while keeping the energy footprint low.
4. Ratio Matters – Rich in EPA. Almega PL is uniquely rich in EPA (~25%). While EPA and DHA are both essential to maintaining good health, clinical research has shown that omega-3s with high levels of unopposed EPA (unopposed EPA is the EPA content minus DHA content) benefit specific health functions:
Mood. Studies exploring a range of mood-related conditions, including low mood while pregnant, found that omega-3 sources with unopposed EPA:
- Were associated with positive mood
- Helped to maintain mental well-being
- Supported a healthy mood
Cardiovascular health. Research on the heart-health benefits of omega-3s indicates that those with higher EPA levels help support healthy triglyceride levels, without having adverse effects on LDL cholesterol levels.
5. Control matters - Vertically integrated, fully controlled supply chain. Almega PL is produced by Qualitas Health, a vertically integrated company that controls the farming, extraction and standardization of Almega PL. Almega PL is standardized to contain a minimum of 25% EPA and 15% polar lipids.
The company has already successfully completed several integrated, long-term pilot studies in Israel and the US validating its technology. In the fall of 2012, the company successfully completed a 12-month pilot algae growth project in the north of Israel, optimizing its process parameters and sustainability protocols while maintaining high omega-3 yields.
The Qualitas Health team is highly experienced in algae cultivation, having designed, built and operated integrated commercial algae farms for more than a decade. The team’s founder and Chief Technology Officer, Dr. Isaac Berzin, is a renowned pioneer in algae-based products, and has deep experience in the development of large-scale algae cultivation systems.
Almega PL’s “Factor of Five” addresses multiple consumer needs across categories and is poised as an important innovation in the large and growing omega-3 market.
