Understanding Omega-3 Sources: From Fish to Flaxseed

June 14, 2024 Kevin Khalili

Our bodies don’t produce Omega-3 naturally, so understanding the different Omega-3 sources will help you make the best decisions about your body’s health.

Commonly found in fish, seeds, and oils, Omega-3 includes alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). All three of these fatty acids are essential to supplement through food or drinks because our bodies cannot create enough of them naturally. However, few natural sources contain all three making supplementation tricky.

Omega-3 are considered essential because they boost the body, mend the mind, and help the heart. Additionally, these fatty acids help alleviate pain and strengthen your body as it experiences various diseases or cognitive declines.

By understanding omega-3 sources, you will understand the benefits of plant-powered ingredients and whether your vegan products advertised as rich in Omega-3 provide all three key fatty acids.

We encourage you to speak with your healthcare provider before taking new substances, especially when considering new amounts of Omega-3s and how it may interact with any medicine you’re currently taking.

Consider the benefits of plant-powered DHA oil that is vegan and has little aftertaste.

What is Omega-3 fatty acids?

Researchers can tell you that Omega-3 fatty acids are essential, but what are fatty acids and why do we need to take them?

Consider Omega-3 as building blocks for the membranes that surround every single cell in your body. Essential to converting calories into body energy, these acids do a lot for our body. Unlike saturated fats, these acids can also improve the functions in your blood vessels, lungs, immune system, and more.

Starting with ALA, our bodies cannot create or convert other nutrients into this fatty acid. Although our bodies can convert some parts of ALA into EPA and DHA, researchers agree that this conversion is not enough to meet our daily needs, especially for vegetarians and vegans. Pinpointing your Omega-3 is therefore essential.

While the United States has not listed daily recommended values for EPA and DHA, they recommend adults get more than 1 gram per day. Children need even less. View a full table of the recommended daily value of ALA here.

While deficiencies are rare in the United States, Omega-3 deficiencies have been reported and should be on the radar for people eating special diets.

Plant versus animal sources of Omega-3

Broadly, there are a few food sources for these fatty acid supplements:

· Fish and seafood,

· Seeds,

· Plant oils,

· Fortified Foods.

As we mentioned above, it’s important to understand the source of your omega-3 to ensure you’re maintaining a healthy diet. Fish sometimes only produce ALA whereas seeds only produce DHA and EPA.

For example, this disconnect could impact people eating plant diets who may not receive the recommended amount of these fatty acids because they aren’t taking good sources of Omega-3.

Like humans, fish don’t create Omega-3 naturally. The fish eat algae that is present in their bodies and on their plate when it’s served to humans. By sourcing your essential fatty acids from algae you’re getting a pure, unfiltered form of Omega-3.

Dr. Khalili has cultured an algae oil in enclosed tanks for purity, safety, and freshness.

Benefits of Omega-3

There are many health benefits of Omega-3 because of how the fats are used to strengthen your cells.

Cardiovascular disease

The EPA and DHA found in seafood and algae oils lowers triglyceride levels, boosting a healthy heart. The American Heart Association recommends eating one-to-two servings of seafood per week to reduce your risk of heart disease, including 1 gram per day EPA plus DHA for people at risk of cardiovascular disease.

Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, and cognitive function

Some studies have suggested that people who consume more Omega-3 from fish will reduce the overall risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, and other cognitive problems. However, more study is needed to create clearer and actionable results.

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Chicken egg, raw

Moving into fortified foods, raw chicken eggs have small amounts of DHA and ALA. Within 1 egg, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services lists these measurements:

DHA — .029 grams

EPA — 0 grams

ALA — .018 grams

Kidney Beans

There are countless types of beans, but fortified kidney beans have a notable amount of ALA. Within 1 cup of kidney beans, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services lists these measurements:

DHA — 0 grams

EPA — 0 grams

ALA — .192 grams

Algae Sourced Omega-3 DHA

Many plant sources of Omega-3 fatty acids source them from flaxseeds, hemp, chia seeds, or walnuts. But these sources don’t contain DHA, instead, they contain ALA that can be converted to DHA. As we mentioned above, ALA doesn’t convert enough DHA to keep the body healthy on its own.

Understanding the need for a safe, vegan source of Omega-3 DHA, Dr Khalili worked with biochemists specializing in lipid science to create his Plant-Powered Omega-3 DHA Algae Source Oil.

The environmentally responsible, water-extracted algae oil is cultured in enclosed tanks for purity, safety, and freshness. Additionally, Dr Khalili added a delicious citrus oil that leaves no aftertaste, compared to fish oils that can leave a fishy aftertaste.

Explore the two-ingredient list for Plant-Powered Omega-3 DHA Algae Source Oil