Omega 3 – Are You Getting Enough

What is omega-3 and why do we need it?

Omega-3 are a group of essential fatty acids our bodies can’t make, so we have to get them from food. Although we call them ‘essential’ unlike essential amino acids which our bodies must have to function, in reality we can live without them BUT the body thrives better with them.

There are three types:

Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) – from plants like flax, chia, and walnuts

Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) – from fish and seafood

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) – from fatty fish like salmon and mackerel

Omega-3 supports our health in many ways and is best known for aiding heart health by reducing triglycerides and lowering blood pressure, which helps decrease the risk of heart disease by improving overall cardiovascular function.

DHA, one of the primary omega-3s, is a crucial component of brain cell membranes and supports cognitive function, memory, and may help reduce the risk of neurodegenerative diseases. It has anti-inflammatory properties and can help reduce inflammation in the body, which is beneficial for conditions like arthritis and other inflammatory diseases. It supports eye and skin health and is important in pregnancy for foetal development, particularly for brain and eye development.

Studies suggest that although there is more DHA in the brain, it is thought that EPA may have greater efficacy in treating anxiety and depression.

Where can we find it in our diet?

There is no government recommended daily amount (RDA) of how much omega-3 we should be consuming but in order to meet our requirements, we should probably be eating omega-rich fish at least three times a week. If we don’t eat fish, or avoid it on a vegetarian or vegan diet, supplementation may be necessary as it is now thought that the amount of ALA found in plant sources like flaxseeds, chia seeds, and walnuts is not enough for optimal health.

Why plant-only diets may struggle

Both plants and oily fish contain omega-3, however they are not created equal. Oily fish contains the form of omega-3 called EPA and DHA, whereas the form in plants is ALA. EPA and DHA are the active forms of omega-3, ready to be absorbed by our bodies but ALA needs to be converted into this format. The body can convert ALA into EPA and DHA, but the conversion rate is relatively low, typically less than 10% for EPA and even lower for DHA (often around 1-5%). Factors influencing this conversion include individual metabolism, age, gender, and overall diet.

DHA and EPA are also super important for biological functions. EPA is a major component of our body’s cell membranes and supports cell signalling and gives structure and flexibility to the cell to help nutrients get in easily and waste out smoothly. This is especially important for our red blood cells as the flexibility helps them to pass through the smaller blood vessels, our capillaries, more easily.

While findings differ between different scientific papers, many scientists estimate that only 5–10% and 2–5% of ALA in healthy adults is converted to EPA and DHA, while others suggest that humans convert less than 5% of ALA to EPA or DHA. This means that an average of around 5% of the ALA we eat may get converted into EPA and slightly less into DHA. Given the benefits of DHA poor conversion of ALA to DHA is a concern, particularly for vegetarians and for individuals who do not eat fatty fish.

Conversion is often compromised, because conversion from ALA into its active forms uses a specific enzyme called delta-6-desaturase. Because this enzyme is in demand in the body and is also required to convert our omega-6 fatty acids into different forms it is what we call competitive. This means that the omega-3 fats have to compete with the omega-6 fats for conversion. Because our diets naturally contain more omega-6, this can lead to reduced conversion of our ALA.

This low conversion rate means that if you rely solely on plant sources, you may not get enough of the preformed EPA and DHA your body needs, no matter how many chia puddings you eat. That doesn’t mean chia and flax aren’t great, they’re fantastic for fibre, antioxidants, and general nutrition. But for omega-3 levels, think of them as a support act, not the main performer.

How to get enough if you don’t eat fish

For vegan diets, the best option is an algae supplement. The original source of EPA and DHA isn’t fish, it’s certain microalgae that fish eat! Scientists can grow these single-celled organisms in controlled environments, feed them sugar, water, and sunlight, then extract their omega-3-rich oils for supplements. This provides vegetarians and vegans with a high-quality, animal-free source of EPA and DHA, the same nutrients fish get by eating these algae in the first place.

Look for one that contains EPA and DHA. Many contain just DHA. The reason to choose one with DHA and EPA is that they behave slightly differently in the body and, again, the body is not efficient at converting one to the other. This means we could fall below optimal levels of EPA if only DHA is present in the supplement.

I like brands such as Bare Biology Vim & Vigour and Cytoplan High Potency Omega 3 Vegan and Biocare Vegan Omega 3. If you are unsure about supplementation, a normal dosage is would be around 1000mg of combined of EPA and DHA daily. You can see this on the back of the packaging, however speak to your GP if you are unsure.

And of course other plant-based sources also play a role, so including foods like flaxseeds, chia seeds, hemp oil, and flaxseed oil in your diet is especially important, as they still contribute to your overall omega-3 intake.
If you do eat fish…

There is an easy way to remember acronym for five types of oily fish that are especially high in omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA. These fish are rich in the preformed forms of omega-3 that your body can use immediately, no conversion from plant-based ALA required!

S – Salmon

M – Mackerel

A – Anchovies

S – Sardines

H – Herring

Try and have three portions of oily fish a week, that could be smoked salmon on sourdough for your weekend breakfast, mackerel pate with oat cakes for lunch or what about popping some delicious anchovies on your salad or in an omelette?

Also if you don’t like fishy fish, some white fish do contain reasonable amounts of omega-3, in particular sea bass and sea bream. While other white fish contain traces of omega-3 from storage in the fats in their livers they would probably not be sufficient to reach our requirements.

If you don’t think you can do that you can supplement with fish oil capsules that contain both DHA and EPA. There are lots of brands to choose from, some of my favourite brands are Bare Biology Life and Soul, Biocare Mega EPA, Nutri Advanced Eskimo-3.

Are your omega-3 levels low?

If you are not eating oily fish or supplementing you might have low levels. As mentioned above, while not essential, the benefits of supplementing DHA and EPA has many advantages.

The Omega-3 Index measures the percentage of the key omega-3 fats, EPA and DHA, in your red blood cell membranes, expressed as a percentage of total fatty acids. An index of 8% or higher is considered optimal and is linked to better heart, brain, and overall health. Scores between 4–8% fall into the average range but aren’t ideal, while anything below 4% is considered low and is associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease and other health concerns.

While most people don’t need to measure their omega-3 if you are curious you can measure it easily at home with a BASIC finger-prick test kit from companies such as OmegaQuant for around £49. The test results will give you personalised recommendations by Omega Quant based on your result on how much omega-3 you may require to reach an optimum status.

OmegaQuant also has a great list of fish and seafood on its website if you need some more inspiration.

Special offer: I have a 5% off code for OmegaQuant for my readers, just visit the OmegaQuant website using this link and add the code DOMINIQUE5 at check out*.

Here is a typical result, showing you where your omega-3 sits on the scale.

Safety

Most omega-3 fish oil supplements are now high quality and free from contaminants, such as Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs). Omega-3 fish oil brands who have nothing to hide will happily and readily share their Certificates of Analysis. These are the tests that all manufacturers do to check the purity, among other things, of the fish oil.

Children’s doses are also different so use the recommended amounts as stated on the packet.

It’s always good to check with your doctor before taking omega-3 if you:

are on any medication, such as blood thinners.
are about to have surgery
have other health concerns or conditions
have a specific heart condition such as arrhythmia
have a fish or citrus allergy (for citrus flavoured oil)

*Other tests are available to test your Omega 3’s. As an ambassador, Dominique earns from qualifying purchases.

References:

Liao, Y., Xie, B., Zhang, H., He, Q., Guo, L., Subramaniapillai, M., Fan, B., Lu, C. & McIntyre, R.S., 2019. Efficacy of omega-3 PUFAs in depression: a meta-analysis. Translational Psychiatry, 9, p.190. Available at: PMC6683166 https://www.nature.com/articles/s41398-019-0515-5

Elgar, K. (2022) EPA/DHA: A Review of Clinical Use and Efficacy. Nutr. Med J., 2 (2), 95-130. https://www.nmi.health/epa-dha-a-review-of-clinical-use-and-efficacy

Goyens, P.L.L., Spilker, M.E., Zock, P.L., Katan, M.B. and Mensink, R.P. (2006). Conversion of alpha-linolenic acid in humans is influenced by the absolute amounts of alpha-linolenic acid and linoleic acid in the diet and not by their ratio. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, [online] 84(1), pp.44–53. doi:https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/84.1.44. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0002916523277758

Anderson, B.M. and Ma, D.W. (2009). Are all n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids created equal? Lipids in Health and Disease, 8(1), p.33. doi:https://doi.org/10.1186/1476-511x-8-33. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3224740/

About the Author, Dominique Ludwig, Nutritionist MSc and Nutritional Therapist fBANT

Dominique Ludwig is an accomplished Nutritionist MSc., and Nutritional Therapist who is also a fellow of BANT (British Association of Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine) as well as being CNHC and AFMCP accredited. She works with numerous health conditions using a personalised nutrition approach. She specialises in her signature group programmes Renew Reset Recharge® programme and The Triple 30 Plan and runs a busy clinic in the heart of the South Downs where she works with her private clients as a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner, offering personalised Renew Reset Recharge® appointments. Dominique is also a double award-winning nutritionist. She has over 30 years’ experience as a King’s College, London qualified Nutritionist and almost 20 years as a registered Nutritional Therapist.

Dominique works with many high-profile and clients, known and respected for her discretion, expertise, and trustworthiness. Dominique has helped over a 4,000 clients, globally, live healthier lives. She is a regular contributor to The Times, The Sunday Times and Times 2, The Daily Telegraph Sheerluxe, Top Sante and many other magazines and podcasts and has also been featured on BBC Radio.

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