4 ms·

Vegan sources are ALA, not EPA or DHA. ALA has no documented positive impact on human health.

Mordisquitos 4y ago
You're probably thinking of land-based sources of omega-3 fatty acids, such as linseed, which are indeed composed only of ALA. Algae oil, on the other hand, is rich in EPA and DHA. In fact, fish themselves don't synthesise their own EPA but obtain it from the algae they (or their prey) feed on.
- TekMol 4y ago
  Do you have a source for this, that fish do not create their own EPA but obtain it from algae?
  - jbernsteiniv 4y ago
    "Marine Cryptophytes are Great Sources of DHA and EPA" - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5793051/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5793051/ "Like humans, fish obtain EPA and DHA from their diet, basically from microalgae, some of which could be used in commercial PUFA production."
    - adrian_b 4y ago
      Few fish eat directly unicellular algae or other unicellular protists, which are indeed the main producers of DHA and EPA. Those unicellular living beings are normally eaten by small animals, e.g. copepods, which are eaten by small fish, which are eaten by big fish. Thus all of them get the required DHA and EPA.
nxpnsv 4y ago
Yet vegan ala, epa & dla capsules are common and easy to buy. Google it…
TekMol 4y ago
That's not true. Look up Omega3 algae oil. It contains EPA and DHA.
steve_adams_86 4y ago
You can get the omega-3 index in vegans to the recommended 4.4 baseline within 4 months using algal-derived omega-3 fatty acid supplements: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24679552/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24679552/ “Conclusions: We conclude that vegans have low baseline omega-3 levels, but not lower than omnivores who also consume very little docosahexaenoic and eicosapentaenoic acids. The vegans responded robustly to a relatively low dose of a vegetarian omega-3 supplement.”
vixen99 4y ago
The European Food Safety Panel disagrees. https://efsa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.2903/j.efsa.2009.1252 https://efsa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.2903/j.efsa.... See conclusions: Specifically: "On the basis of the data available, the Panel concludes that a cause and effect relationship has been established between the dietary intake of ALA and the reduction of blood cholesterol concentrations." linked to which is: "The Panel considers that the maintenance of normal blood cholesterol concentrations is beneficial to human health"
top_kekeroni_m8 4y ago
You can buy vegan EPA/DHA sources, google it. But I guess research is not something you do.

You're probably thinking of land-based sources of omega-3 fatty acids, such as linseed, which are indeed composed only of ALA. Algae oil, on the other hand, is rich in EPA and DHA. In fact, fish themselves don't synthesise their own EPA but obtain it from the algae they (or their prey) feed on.

TekMol 4y ago
Do you have a source for this, that fish do not create their own EPA but obtain it from algae?
- jbernsteiniv 4y ago
  "Marine Cryptophytes are Great Sources of DHA and EPA" - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5793051/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5793051/ "Like humans, fish obtain EPA and DHA from their diet, basically from microalgae, some of which could be used in commercial PUFA production."
  - adrian_b 4y ago
    Few fish eat directly unicellular algae or other unicellular protists, which are indeed the main producers of DHA and EPA. Those unicellular living beings are normally eaten by small animals, e.g. copepods, which are eaten by small fish, which are eaten by big fish. Thus all of them get the required DHA and EPA.

nxpnsv 4y ago

Yet vegan ala, epa & dla capsules are common and easy to buy. Google it…

TekMol 4y ago

That's not true. Look up Omega3 algae oil. It contains EPA and DHA.

steve_adams_86 4y ago

You can get the omega-3 index in vegans to the recommended 4.4 baseline within 4 months using algal-derived omega-3 fatty acid supplements: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24679552/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24679552/ “Conclusions: We conclude that vegans have low baseline omega-3 levels, but not lower than omnivores who also consume very little docosahexaenoic and eicosapentaenoic acids. The vegans responded robustly to a relatively low dose of a vegetarian omega-3 supplement.”

vixen99 4y ago

The European Food Safety Panel disagrees. https://efsa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.2903/j.efsa.2009.1252 https://efsa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.2903/j.efsa.... See conclusions: Specifically: "On the basis of the data available, the Panel concludes that a cause and effect relationship has been established between the dietary intake of ALA and the reduction of blood cholesterol concentrations." linked to which is: "The Panel considers that the maintenance of normal blood cholesterol concentrations is beneficial to human health"

top_kekeroni_m8 4y ago

You can buy vegan EPA/DHA sources, google it. But I guess research is not something you do.