DHA-Core exists for people who want the benefits of marine Omega-3, but without fish oil. The direction of the product is simple: we use algae oil directly, we keep the formula short and we make the daily habit easy to repeat.
The first DHA-Core product is a plant-based softgel, with microalgae oil from Schizochytrium sp. Each softgel contains 300 mg DHA and 150 mg EPA, which is a precise dose in a simple format.
Why Omega-3 from algae, not from fish oil
A less familiar fact: fish do not produce Omega-3. They accumulate it by eating microalgae rich in EPA and DHA. When you take fish oil, you are in fact taking nutrients that started in algae, only filtered through the entire marine food chain — with everything that comes with it: heavy metals, dioxins, microplastics, PCBs.
We go straight to the source: microalgae grown in closed, controlled bioreactors, away from ocean pollution. That means no contamination with heavy metals or microplastics, no pressure on fish stocks, and a highly concentrated fatty acid profile. Strains of Schizochytrium can reach around 60% DHA of total fatty acids.
If you are vegan, vegetarian or simply do not want products of animal origin, fish oil is not an option. Algae oil is 100% plant-based and delivers DHA and EPA directly, without depending on the conversion of ALA from seeds, which is very inefficient.
And there is one more, more prosaic reason: many people give up on fish oil because of the taste and the fishy burps. With no fish in the chain, the problem does not arise.
Why DHA and EPA matter
DHA and EPA are not just letters on a label. They are structural and functional components of the body. In the European Union exactly three claims are authorised for them, and we write them exactly as they are officially worded:
- “DHA contributes to maintenance of normal brain function” — at a daily intake of 250 mg DHA.
- “DHA contributes to the maintenance of normal vision” — at the same intake.
- “EPA and DHA contribute to the normal function of the heart” — at a daily intake of 250 mg EPA+DHA.
The problem is that many people do not reach these levels from diet alone, especially if they do not eat oily fish a few times a week. If you are vegan or vegetarian, the gap is even wider.
What we do differently, beyond “vegan Omega-3”
We use oil from selected strains of Schizochytrium sp., chosen for their high DHA content and for a meaningful level of EPA.
Crude algae oil contains pigments, phospholipids, free fatty acids and volatile compounds that give it a strong taste and smell and make it unstable. That is why it goes through a careful refining process: degumming, bleaching, winterisation and vacuum deodorisation, to remove impurities and stabilise the oil.
Omega-3 fatty acids are fragile: they oxidise easily, and an oxidised oil is not merely ineffective, it can be harmful. That is why we require strict oxidation parameters from suppliers and verify them:
- Peroxide value (PV) — measures primary oxidation. High values signal an unstable oil before it smells rancid.
- p-Anisidine value (AV) — measures secondary oxidation, the compounds that actually smell rancid or fishy.
- TOTOX — combines PV and AV. The GOED standard suggests a TOTOX below 26 for Omega-3 oils; we aim much lower, below 10 on receipt and below 15 over the shelf life.
We also use natural antioxidants — tocopherol-rich extract, sunflower lecithin and rosemary extract — to stabilise the oil. Stability is further checked through accelerated ageing tests.
The softgel format protects the oil from oxygen and light, ensures precise dosing and removes direct contact with the taste of the oil.
The problem we want to solve
We live in a world where we eat fast, but not necessarily well. The oceans are under pressure from overfishing. More and more people choose a vegan or vegetarian lifestyle, but do not always have access to good sources of DHA and EPA.
DHA-Core exists for exactly that gap: a plant-based Omega-3, with DHA and EPA in amounts you can see on the label, easy to take daily, with no fishy taste and no compromise between what you want for yourself and what you want for the planet.
What we do not do: we do not promise you better memory, energy or immunity. The three claims above are the only authorised ones, and the rest are facts about composition. The decision stays yours, ideally after a conversation with your doctor or pharmacist.
Built for Romania first
We start at home, with a pre-launch in Romania and a bilingual site, so everyone can read the product’s story in the language they are comfortable with. The mission is to build trust slowly: clear labels, careful claims and a product people can genuinely take every day.