Vegan ways to get Omega3 properly?

[Value]

I don't take Omega 3 tablets because of the risk for heavy metal contamination. I avoid fish for the same reason. @Leo Gura How do you get enough Omega 3, and the correct ratio between the different types of it?

[flowboy]

He has a video about the supplements he takes.

[BlackMaze]

Chia seeds, flax seeds, walnuts or vegan omega 3 supplements. 

[Value]

@BlackMaze @dflores321 Thanks for the tips. Do these have EPA and DHA type Omega 3 I wonder?

[Value]

@flowboy Thanks, found it.

[BlackMaze]

The Algae supplements do have them. By eating flax seeds etc your body converts them. But i don't really know much about this look it up. 

[Value]

@BlackMaze Ok, and it is not the case that the algae are more contained by heavy metals and toxins? I think I have read that somewhere.

[BlackMaze]

@Value i don't know the answer. I'm sure @Michael569 knows something more about this. 

The convertion ratio depends on different factors and there are ways to raise it i think. There are vegan powerlifters that just take omega3 from food and they seem to do just fine but don't take my word for it. 

[Michael569]

7 hours ago, BlackMaze said:

The Algae supplements do have them. By eating flax seeds etc your body converts them. But i don't really know much about this look it up. 

This is a great info!

 

Basically you want to hit 3 levels of Omega 3 Family. From the top-to-bottom these are: 

1. ALA/Alpha-Linolenic Acid  (not to be confused with Alpha-Lipoic Acid, an endogenous antioxidant) 
You can find ALA in flax-seeds, lineseeds, chia seeds, hemp seeds, lineseed oil and walnuts. 
Generally, ALA is easy to get just add 2tbsp of ground flax seeds to your breakfast every day. If you grind them in advance, store them in freezer, up to 3 months

2. EPA / Eicosapentaenoic Acid - Slightly harder to get on a vegan diet. 
You can find it in linseed oil and if you consume enough ALA sources and are otherwise healthy and have great insulin sensitivity you can convert that ALA to enough EPA. 

3. DHA/Docosahexaenoic Acid - This is the hardest to get if you are vegan and want to avoid supplements. 
There are no natural vegan sources of DHA. Algae Supplements are the only way to get this or if you consume sufficient amounts of cold-pressed lineseed oil maybe.....maybe. 
 

What harms conversion from ALA to EPA and DHA

• gender (males convert around 8% while women up to 20%) 
• sugar
• alcohol
• zinc, B-vitamin and magnesium deficiency 
• inflammation
• stress
• certain diseases
• excess Omega 6s in the diet 
• other things (can't think of anything else from the top of my head)
• genetic polymorphisms of certain genes such as FAD or DI5D (and other)

 

 

[Value]

@Michael569 Woah thanks, all I needed to know!?

[mmKay]

@Value you can take supplements made out of micro algy if you are vegan, even though they arent optimal . Also no need to worry with toxins in fish oil due to molecular destilation. around 30 € would be a 3 month complete supply