Diet is a great place to start if you’re looking for optimal health and performance. But even if you’re eating a balanced diet, nutrient deficiencies aren’t off the table. Be it vitamin D, iron, or zinc, there are various essential nutrients that you could be falling short on.
Of the bunch, there’s one essential nutrient that seems to be MIA on many plant-based diets—omega-3s, especially EPA and DHA. Because they can’t be produced in the body, they must come from food.
But for anyone following a plant-based diet without including fish and seafood, how are you supposed to get your share? Despite what you’ve been led to believe, omega-3s are found in more than just fish oil supplements.
While you’ll find omega-3s in nuts and seeds, there’s one place most vegans don’t think to look that offers a more potent and pure source of omega-3s: algae. We’re talking about the slimy green stuff you find coating rocks.
If we have your attention now, we’ll cover the basics of omega-3s and why this plant-based alternative to fish oil needs to be in your diet.
What Do Omega-3 Fatty Acids Do?
Omega-3s are a type of polyunsaturated fatty acid. They contain more than one double bond—the “poly” refers to multiple—in their chemical structure, whereby the first double bond occurs at the third carbon, hence the name omega-3.
While the human body can synthesize specific nutrients, it cannot produce fats, meaning they must be consumed through diet; this is why they’re deemed essential. The three most common omega-3s you’ll come across are:
- Alpha-linoleic acid (ALA): A plant-based omega-3 found in nuts and seeds, leafy greens, and seed oils. ALA is a short-chain omega-3 that your body must convert into longer-chained EPA and DHA to synthesize; the conversion process is highly inefficient, with less than 10% of ALA being converted to the long-chain version your body requires 1.
- Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA): A 20-carbon fatty acid found in cold-water fatty fish (salmon, sardines, mackerel, etc.), algae oil, and krill oil. Your body can produce EPA from ALA, but the conversion is minimal, meaning it must be obtained through diet.
- Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA): A 22-carbon fatty acid also found in fish, algae oil, and krill oil. Your body can produce small amounts of DHA from ALA, but diet plays the most significant role in maintaining appropriate levels.
Omega-3 fatty acids are essential because the body cannot synthesize them at sufficient levels, meaning they must come from diet or supplementation. But why do you need them?
Omega-3 fatty acids are essential for:
- Cardiovascular health
- Blood pressure
- Mood and mental health
- Regulating inflammation
- Immune support
- Bone and joint health
- Sleep
- Infant and child development
- Eye health
- Skin health and aging
Problems With Conventional Fish Oil Supplements
Fish oils have always taken the top spot for omega-3 supplements, but with increasing awareness about the dangers associated with conventional fish oil supplements, there’s been a shift in thinking. But why are they questionable?
- Poor sourcing
- Contamination
- Rancidity
- Odor
There are concerns over sourcing and sustainability with fish oil supplements, as it’s thought to have a rippling effect on the health and bounty of oceans.
According to Author Paul Greenberg, fish oil supplements are derived from a critical layer of the ocean biosphere that’s small and essential for a healthy ocean ecosystem.
When you’re harvesting the middle layer of the ecosystem for omega-3 supplements, you’re taking out a significant link in the food chain that can destroy everything above it.
But while sustainability is a big issue with fish oil supplements, so is contamination. Studies find that many fish and fish oil products contain anthropogenic contaminants that accumulate in fish tissue before harvesting and can result in dangerous levels of heavy metals and toxins 2.
Another risk of consuming fish oil is the biomagnification of persistent organic pollutants (POPs), which enter the body and expose you to toxic compounds like polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and organochlorine pesticides (OCs).
PCB toxicity manifests as endocrine, neurobehavioral, developmental disturbances, and an increased risk of cancer. Fish oil contamination with PCBs and OCs has adverse effects on oxidative stress and antioxidant capacity.
Algae Oil: The Vegan Fish Oil Alternative
While fish oil has been the go-to supplement for omega-3s, whether you’re a vegan or not, there’s a better and safer alternative: algae oil. It contains both EPA and DHA from a healthier and more sustainable source than fish.
Fish oil has always been a rich source of EPA and DHA via the consumption of EPA and DHA-rich algae; algae contain a flax-like omega-3 typical of plants. When fish consume algae, EPA and DHA become concentrated in their tissues, which are then extracted to form fish oils.
But fish oil supplements aren’t a solution for people who don’t consume fish. Instead, researchers started looking at algae and its ability to synthesize DHA.
And because algae can easily be sustainably produced on farms, you eliminate many issues with fish oil supplements while reaping the same potent omega-3 benefits.
And there are studies to back up its efficacy. A 2008 study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association looked at the effects of algal oil capsules versus the oils from salmon and found that algal oil DHA capsules and cooked salmon were equivalent appear to be bioequivalent.
Another scientific review found that algal oil can serve as an effective alternative source of DHA to fish oil, finding that consumption of it led to significant increases in blood erythrocyte and plasma DHA levels 4.
Final Thoughts
Regardless of your dietary choices, algal oil is one of the best ways to maximize omega-3 intake without risking your health—and Performance Lab Omega-3 is the best you can get.
It’s a potent omega-3 supplement derived from non-GMO ocean algae produced in state-of-the-art indoor facilities using proprietary fermentation.
Omega-3 is free of toxins and pollutants, fishy aftertaste, and rancidity risk common with most fish oil supplements.
It’s utterly sustainable without impacting the ocean ecosystem. Compared to most fish oil supplements, Performance Lab Omega-3 contains optimal DHA and EPA ratios for maximum health benefits.
Whether you’re looking to reduce inflammation, enhance athletic recovery, or support brain health, Omega-3 is the way to go.
References
- Gerster H. Can adults adequately convert alpha-linolenic acid (18:3n-3) to eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5n-3) and docosahexaenoic acid (22:6n-3)?. Int J Vitam Nutr Res. 1998;68(3):159-173.
- Hong MY, Lumibao J, Mistry P, Saleh R, Hoh E. Fish Oil Contaminated with Persistent Organic Pollutants Reduces Antioxidant Capacity and Induces Oxidative Stress without Affecting Its Capacity to Lower Lipid Concentrations and Systemic Inflammation in Rats. J Nutr. 2015;145(5):939-944.
- Arterburn LM, Oken HA, Bailey Hall E, Hamersley J, Kuratko CN, Hoffman JP. Algal-oil capsules and cooked salmon: nutritionally equivalent sources of docosahexaenoic acid. J Am Diet Assoc. 2008;108(7):1204-1209.
- Lane K, Derbyshire E, Li W, Brennan C. Bioavailability and potential uses of vegetarian sources of omega-3 fatty acids: a review of the literature. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2014;54(5):572-579.
