Want to buy vegan omega-3?

Vegan omega-3 fatty acids have several health benefits for the body. The body is unable to produce these fatty acids itself, making it essential to obtain them from food. For many people, it is a challenge to get enough omega-3 fatty acids through their daily diet. However, this challenge is even greater for those following a vegan diet, as omega-3 mainly comes from fish oil and fatty fish such as salmon, trout and tuna.

If you have an omega-3 deficiency as a vegan, you can experience all kinds of physical complaints. It is therefore very important to ensure that you get enough vegan omega-3 fatty acids, but especially the "animal" variants EPA and DHA are very important for your health.

Types of vegan omega-3

There are three important types of omega-3 fatty acids: eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). All three of these omega-3 fatty acids are important for a healthy body. In almost all plant sources of omega-3 fatty acids, only ALA is found.

The body cannot efficiently convert ALA into DHA and EPA, so if you are following a vegan lifestyle you should also look for plant sources of DHA and EPA. Algal oil and algae in general are the only plant sources that contain these important omega-3 fatty acids. For this reason, algal oil is also called vegan omega-3!

Food with vegan omega-3 fatty acids

Vegan omega-3 fatty acids are found in various food sources. We have listed the most important, highest quality sources of these vegan omega-3 fatty acids for you:

Algal oil

Algal oil is one of the few vegan sources of both EPA and DHA. The amount of these omega-3 fatty acids in algal oil is comparable to the amount in seafood and salmon. EPA and DHA are absorbed just as well as the same omega-3 fatty acids from salmon. Algal oil is therefore a very suitable source of vegan omega-3.

Chia seeds

Chia seeds are rich in protein and are known for their many health benefits. In addition to protein, the seeds also contain a lot of fiber and are rich in ALA. This makes them very suitable as a vegan source of omega-3 fatty acids. Ground chia seeds can be used as a vegan alternative to eggs.

Hemp seed

Hemp seeds are rich in various nutrients such as proteins, magnesium, iron and zinc. In addition, hemp seeds consist of approximately 30% oil and contain a large amount of ALA. Hemp seed oil, which is made by pressing hemp seeds, is a very suitable source to get a concentrated dose of vegan omega-3 fatty acids.

Flax seed

Flaxseed is very healthy and contains a large amount of ALA, fiber, protein, magnesium and manganese. Flaxseed is also a very suitable vegan source of ALA because they are very easy to include in a vegan diet.

Brussels sprouts

Brussels sprouts are known for their health benefits due to their vitamin K, vitamin C and fiber content. In addition, Brussels sprouts are also a vegan source of ALA. Cooked Brussels sprouts contain three times more omega-3 fatty acids than raw Brussels sprouts.

Perilla oil

Perilla oil comes from perilla seeds and is often used in Korean cuisine as a seasoning and cooking oil. The oil is also a good source of vegan omega-3 fatty acids. Perilla oil consists of 64% ALA, which makes it very suitable for a vegan diet.

Benefits of vegan omega-3 (DHA and EPA)

When you get the omega-3 fatty acids DHA and EPA from a vegan source, this has several advantages over fish oil. We have listed the most important advantages for you.

• Less contamination - regular fish oil can be contaminated with heavy metals and dioxins. With vegan omega-3 from algae oil, contamination is hardly possible, because it is grown in a closed, controlled environment.
  
  
• No fish burps - with regular fish oil you can suffer from burping. This is often experienced as unpleasant due to the strong taste and smell of fish oil. Vegan omega-3 from algae oil has a neutral taste, so you do not suffer from a strong smell or taste.
  
  
• Sustainable - Algal oil is grown sustainably and extracted from the algae without solvents. This makes it much better for the environment and also helps to reduce overfishing, as less fishing is needed.

Health effects of vegan omega-3

The combination of EPA and DHA contributes to maintaining normal blood pressure and normal triglyceride levels in the blood. In addition, DHA in particular is an important building block for our brains.

Partly because of this, DHA contributes to maintaining normal brain function and is good for vision. DHA is also good for the development of vision and the brain in the fetus/baby up to and including 12 months. Finally, EPA and DHA both contribute to a well-functioning heart.

Research has shown that vegan omega-3 fatty acids from algal oil have the same health benefits as those found in fish, making algal oil an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids for vegans!