Ian Clark, Activation Products
Marine Phytoplankton is under the spotlight because a number of online resellers are making claims that many people find impossible to believe. However, before you consider any potential health benefits, it may be a good idea to verify exactly what is in the bottle! There are in fact more than 40,000 different strains and varieties of phytoplankton that marine scientists have classsified to date. The description "Pure Phytoplankton" is meaningless and has no scientific validity. What is at issue however, is the claim made by Activation Products (see the link below to their web site) that O##### A#### contains a specific strain of marine phytoplankton called Nannochloropsis gaditana. It is well known that authentic Nannochloropsis gaditana in a whole food form contains between 7% and 8% Omega-3 fatty acids. This is the highest percentage of broad-spectrum Omega-3's (Omega-3 EPA, DHA, DPA, SDA & ALA) found in any single vegetarian food source. Flax seed for example does not contain Omega-3 EPA, DHA, DPA or SDA and therefore cannot be described as 'broad-spectrum'. It appears that O##### A#### 'Pure Phytoplankton' contains only a fraction of the 7-8 % Omega-3 that would normally be found in Nannochloropsis gaditana. According to the Lab report (see printout below), O##### A#### contains a total of just 0.27% Omega-3 which is less than 4% of that found in authentic Nannochloropsis gaditana.
* Omega-3 fatty acids are essential for brain and body health. They are a family of polyunsaturated fatty acids sometimes referred to as n-3 fatty acids, a term that describes their shared chemical structure. The omega-3 fatty acids vary in length from the shorter alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) to the long-chain eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Our bodies are not very good at converting short-chain to long-chain omega-3 fatty acids so eating ALA may not necessarily lead to optimal levels of EPA and DHA . In any event, our bodies cannot directly make omega-3 fatty acids, we first have to consume them.
 Burdge, G.C. and P.C. Calder, Conversion of alpha-linolenic acid to longer-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids in human adults. Reprod.Nutr.Dev., 2005. 45(5): p. 581-597.