Omega-3 is an essential fatty acid for humans because the the physiology of humans makes us incapable of manufacturing the fats. This means that we must supplement omega-3 fatty acids through our diet. Omega-3 fatty acids consist of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). Both eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid are typically found in fatty fish, such as salmon. On the other hand, alpha-linolenic acid is most often found in plant sources, such as, flaxseed, walnuts, and soybeans. Because alpha-linolenic acid is derived from plant sources, such as flax, vegetarians often rely upon 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 ALA into EPA then, subsequently, into DHA, but this conversion process is altogether very inefficient. This is because the protein that turns alpha-linolenic acid into EPA is rate limiting, due to the fact that it also binds to omega-6 fats (thus, the problem is significantly worse if your diet is high in omega-6).

In fact, several scientific studies have demonstrated that this process is so terribly inefficient that only 5% of alpha-linolenic acid is transformed into EPA and only 0.5% of ALA finally makes it into docosahexaenoic acid. What this essentially means is that most vegans who think they are getting their necessary quantities of DHA and EPA from flax seed oil, are in fact deficient in both EPA and DHA omega-3.

Here’s where the really good news comes (for vegans). There’s another vegetarian or vegan source of omega-3, called microalgae, which has a very high content of both EPA and DHA omega-3. What is algal oil and why is it a good vegetarian source of omega-3 fatty acids? Microalgae are microscopic algae that grow in marine and freshwater. While fish oil is widely known for containing an unusually high content of EPA and DHA omega-3 fatty acids, fish don’t actually create omega-3 themselves. Fish eat algae, which have a large amount of of omega-3 fatty acids, then store the EPA and DHA in their adipose, and this is the real reason why fish oil is high in omega-3 fatty acids. Microalgae are also a much more sustainable source of EPA and DHA relative to fish oil. This is because they have 5 times more biomass than even land plants and up to 40% of that is oil. Algal sources of omega-3 fatty acids are the future supply of omega-3 fats.

Algal oil that is abundant in docosahexaenoic acid is now available on the market, whereas, microalgal oil that is high in EPA is still limited. The best vegetarian (or vegan) supplements that have EPA come from the microalgae, Spirulina. DHA-microalgae oil is obviously superior source of DHA, when compared to flaxseed oil. This is because flaxseed derived alpha-linolenic acid has to go through two inefficient conversion steps to become DHA, whereas, algal derived DHA doesn’t have to go through any whatsoever. It’s also been proven that algal supplements are able to raise bloodstream levels of DHA and EPA. This is proven by one study where vegetarians (or vegans) with deficient levels of omega-3 fatty acids, supplemented with a single gram of algal daily for eight weeks, and significantly increased their levels of both DHA and EPA(Lipids 40 (8): 807-814). This is good, clear evidence that algal oil is an far better vegan source of omega-3 fatty acids.

It’s very well scientifically documented that docosahexaenoic acid taken from fish oil is indeed very good for the heart. Likewise, DHA derived from algae oil has the same heart benefits. For example, vegetarians that took 1 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, algae oil is a far better source of eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid and has very similar health benefits as the omega-3 from fish oil! These statements and/or products have not been evaluated by the F.D.A. This information is not medical advice.

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