Omega-3 is called an essential fatty acid because the the physiology of humans makes us incapable of producing the fats. This means that we are required to ingest omega-3 fatty acids through supplements or diet. Omega-3 fats consist of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). Both EPA and DHA are typically found in fatty fish like salmon. On the other hand, alpha-linolenic acid is typically found in plant sources, like flaxseed and soybeans. Because alpha-linolenic acid is derived from plant sources, such as flax, vegetarians often exclusively use flax seed oil as a source of omega-3 fatty acids even though it does not contain any EPA or DHA. Humans are capable of converting alpha-linolenic acid into eicosapentaenoic acid then, subsequently, into docosahexaenoic acid, but this process is extremely inefficient. This is partly because the protein that converts alpha-linolenic acid into eicosapentaenoic acid is rate limiting, because of the fact that the same protein also chemically binds to omega-6 (thus, the problem is worse if your diet is relatively high in omega-6 fats).
In fact, many scientific studies have demonstrated that this conversion process is so terribly inefficient that only 5% of alpha-linolenic acid is transformed into eicosapentaenoic acid and only 0.5% of ALA finally makes it into docosahexaenoic acid. What does all of this mean? That most vegans or vegetarians who think that they are getting the necessary amount of DHA and EPA from flax seed oil, are in fact deficient in both EPA and DHA omega-3 fats. You might ask yourself why isn't ALA enough to satisfy the daily requirement? Actually, there most essential omega-3 are eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid and most of the important functions are done by eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid.
Here's where the really good news comes in (for vegans). There is another vegan source of omega-3, called microalgae, which has a very high percentage composition of both EPA and DHA omega-3 fatty acids. What is algal oil and why is it a good vegetarian source of omega-3 fatty acids? Microalgae are microscopic algae that live in both marine and freshwater. While fish oil is already widely known for containing an unusually high amount of EPA and DHA omega-3 fatty acids, fish don't actually produce omega-3 fats by themselves. Fish eat algae, which have a large amount of of omega-3, then store the EPA and DHA in their fat, and this is the real reason why fish oil is high in omega-3. Algae are also a much more environmentally friendly and sustainable source of EPA and DHA compared to fish oil. This is because they have 5 times more biomass than even land plants and as much as 40% of that is in fats. Microalgae sources of omega-3 fatty acids are the future supply of omega-3 fatty acids.
Algal oil that is abundant in DHA is now commercially available at your supermarket, whereas, algae oil that is high in EPA is still limited. The best vegetarian (or vegan) supplements that have EPA come from the microalgae, Spirulina. DHA-algal oil is obviously superior source of DHA, when compared to flaxseed oil. This is because flax seed derived ALA has to go through two inefficient enzymatic steps to become docosahexaenoic acid, whereas, algal derived DHA doesn't have to go through any whatsoever. It has also been proven that algal supplements are able to raise in vivo bloodstream levels of eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid. This was scientifically proven by one study where vegetarians (or vegans) with low levels of omega-3 fatty acids, supplemented with a single gram of algal supplements daily for 8 weeks, and significantly increased their levels of both DHA and EPA(Lipids 40 (8): 807-814). This is good, clear evidence for the fact that microalgae oil is an exceedingly better vegetarian source of omega-3.
It's very well scientifically documented that DHA omega-3 taken from fish oil is very good for the heart. Likewise, DHA ingested from algal oil has the same heart benefits. For example, vegetarians that took only one gram of microalgal docosahexaenoic acid daily for 8 weeks, were able to reduce their triglyceride levels by 23% (The British Journal of Nutrition 95 (4): 779-786). So there you have it, algal oil is a far better source of EPA and DHA and has very similar (and documented) health benefits as fish oil! These statements and/or products have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This information is not medical advice.
Thank you for taking the time needed to breeze through this, hopefully, informative article. If you are interested in learning a little more make sure to take a look at: Sauna Fat Loss, and Fish Oil.
