so, i picked up some algal oil, and it wasn't cheap to buy it, but i only expect to use a very small amount per day. if it lasts two months, it's not so bad.
this is what it says is in each teaspoon (5 ml) of the oil:
- 200 mg epa
- 300 mg dha
- 1.02 g of algae
and, it even tells me the species: schizochytrium. that is useful information in filling out the chart.
i need .3*375 = 112.5 mg epa, which is a little less than half a teaspoon. so, let's use 3 ml to get 120 mg
i need .3*300 = 100 mg dha, which is easily covered in 60% of 300 (180 mg)
so, there's my requirements - 3 ml of this stuff.
and, that's all i wanted it for...
but, algae is generally nutritious. so, what else is in this stuff?
i was lucky to find this study:
this has data for taurine:
this has very rough data for b8 & b15
regarding vitamin d, this article is illuminating. it explains that, like omega-3s, the ultimate source of vitamin d in fish is likely algae, which photosynthesize it from uvb near the top of the water. the algae source i'm taking is a freshwater microalgae, which can have levels as high as 80 µg/100g, but measurements are highly erratic; given that this algae is likely grown indoors using uvb light, it is likely at the higher range of the scale. but, even that is not much, in the concentrations i'm using...
so, working it out....i'm taking 60% of 1.02 grams, which is .6*.0102 if the data is per 100 g.
then,
calories:
20.4 + 105 + 32 + 240 + 42 + 96 + 168 + 17.5 + 11.25 + 59.7 + 125 + 37.4 + 6 = 960.25
cost:
.40 + .15 + .77 + .96 + .39 + .99 + .43 + .19 + .13 + .14 + .39 + .04 + .55 = 5.53
a - .6*.0102*33.6 = 0.205632 µg ~ 0
beta-carotene - .6*.0102*2.3 = 0.014076 µg ~ 0
b1 - .6*.0102*4.4 = 0.026928 mg
100*(.0201 + .037 + .024 + .101 + .019 + 0.033825 + .115 + 0.026928)/1.2 = 31.4044166667--->31
12.8 + 3 + 155.625 + 4.6363 + 75 = 251.061363636---->251
251 + 31 = 282
b2 - .6*.0102*2.9 = 0.017748 mg
100*(.012 + .086 + .022 + .195 + .017 + .198+ .011 + 0.017748)/1.3 = 42.9806153846--->43
40 + 5 + 144.375 + 8.454545454545 + 12.5 = 210.329545455---->210
210 + 43 = 253
b3 - .6*.0102*14 = 0.08568 mg
100*(.3252 + .785 + .386 + 2.61 + .235 + .0957 + .059 + .216 + 0.08568)/16 = 29.984875
16 + 65.625 + 14.4545 + 31.25
n: 29.984875 + 31.25 = 61.234875---->61
f: 16 + 65.625 + 14.4545 = 96.0795---->96
===========================
157.314375---->157
b4 - ?. it matters little, as i'm meeting all contrived requirements.
b5 - .6*.0102*3.5 = 0.02142 mg
100*(.1353 + .394 + .125 + 2.08 + .126 + 0.479325 + .194 + .069 + 0.02142)/5 = 72.5
24 + 2.25 + 7.0909 + 10 = 43
======================
115..5
b6 - .6*.0102*1.4 = 0.008568 mg
100*(.033 + .433 + .047 + .386 + .043 + .0396 + .029 + .033 + 0.008568)/1.7 = 61.8922352941--->61.5
9.6 + 133.125 + 5.7272 + 12.5 = 160.9522---->161
b7 - .6*.0102*.3 = 0.001836 mg = 1.836 µg
100*(1.652 + 0.8 + 7.95 + .966 + 15.6 + 2.145 + 1 + 7.515 + 2.52 + 1.836)/35 = 119.954285714
45 + 21.03896
=======
186
b8 - 1000*.6*1.02*500*164.157/1000000 = 50.232042 mg?
this is reliant on an amount converted to a related molecule. it is not entered.
b9 - .6*.0102*.1 = 0.000612 mg = .612 µg
this is too small to alter the total.
b12 - .6*.0102*54.9 = 0.335988 µg
80 + 100*(.6435)/2.4 + 7.5 + 187.5 +100*(.335988)/2.4 = 315.812
n: 100*(.6435)/2.4 + 7.5 +100*(.335988)/2.4 = 48.312
f:80 + 187.5 = 267.5
b13 - 0
b14 - .6*.31*.0102 = 0.0018972 mg ~ 0
b15 - 1000*.6*1.02*100*117.148/1000000 = 7.1694576 mg
but, i don't know how much glycine betaine can be recovered in the form of betaine (and glycine.), nor how much is available in the extract, which likely destroys much of the cell wall, which is where i think the betaine exists. so, this is not currently entered. i've sent an email about b15, d, b12 & k.
b16 - .6*.0102*1440 = 8.8128 mg
(2.28 + 11.6 + 5.7 + 21.3 + 5.38 + 96 + 21.45 + 8+ 12.3 + 2.85 + 22.05 + 5.51 + 8.8128)/550 =
0.40587781818----> 40.5%
b20 - ?. algae is sort of half plant and half animal, and this species is a true protist - neither cyanobacteria nor a pseudo-plant coloured algae. biochemically, it acts like a primitive photosynthesizing animal. it's a heterotroph, even. it's a frankencreature, truly - be thankful they don't have brains. so, you bizarrely get both chlorophyll and b12, but do you get carnitine? i can prove carnitine exists in cyanobacteria, but not in these protists. it seems likely at levels less than .1 mg/g, but i have no source. it shouldn't put my totals out of balance, and that's what's important.
c - 0
d - .6*.0102*80 = 0.4896 µg d3 + .6*.0102*2400 = 14.688 µg pro-vitamin d3, which requires sunlight for humans to convert to d3. this is potentially quite potent, in the proper environmental conditions.
72 +100*(.165 + .4896)/15 + 7.5 + .27272 = 84%
d2: 72
d3: 100*(.165 + .4896)/15 + 7.5 + .27272 = 12%
u: 100*(.165 + .4896)/15 = 4.364
e - .6*.0102*.45 = 0.002754 µg ~ 0 [even if that's a typo and should be mg]
f1 - ~0. i found a label for a more potent version of the same product, and it claimed 100% of the pufas were f3/f4. this is no doubt wrong, but further research indicates that the amount of la & ala in 1 g of algal oil is likely miniscule. at a 20:1 ratio, .6*(500/20)/1000 = 0.015 g.
f2 - ~0. likewise, almost all omega-3s in algae seem to be epa or dha, rather than ala.
f3 - .6*200 = 120 mg
f4 - .6*300 = 180 mg
k1 - ?. it's not clear if this organism makes or uses k1 or k2. in this meal, i'd actually be seeking to minimize any further consumption of either. while cyanobacteria produce k1 in very high amounts, and other types of heterotroph algae produce k2, i can't be sure for this one. other heterotrophs produce k1 at rates that could be as high as 5 µg, in 3 ml of this product. this is fat soluble and intake needs to be monitored. it might need to be measured. i would really like to find a source,
k2 - ?.
s - ?.
those are substantive adds, actually. enough that....
do i need yogurt? for b20 only, it seems. is that worth it?
note that this species of algae is a true algae, a eukaryote, and not a cyanobacteria. that is important in understanding bioavailability of b12; don't get your b12 from cyanobacteria, it doesn't work:
(the fuckers at springer will probably take that down, now)
i might not need yogurt. that's one way to deal with this.
i would rather eat the seaweed directly than buy oils, but it's just not available in the markets, and i can't afford to order it at the prices it runs for. i'll keep an eye out for it, in the long run.
but, what i'm learning is that algae is where fish get everything, which is obvious if you think about it for a second. if fish are great because of b12, d, epa & dha then algae is even better, so long as you get the right kind - they have all the good stuff without the pollutants in the fish.
for now, this is stable. and i'm going to move to hydrogen.