{"id":533,"date":"2019-04-15T17:21:35","date_gmt":"2019-04-15T17:21:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.veganfriendly.org.uk\/?post_type=health&p=533"},"modified":"2019-04-24T11:01:50","modified_gmt":"2019-04-24T11:01:50","slug":"omega-3","status":"publish","type":"health","link":"https:\/\/www.veganfriendly.org.uk\/health-fitness\/vitamins\/omega-3\/","title":{"rendered":"Vegan Omega-3 Sources & Supplements"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Omega-3\"When examining the vegan credential of Omega-3 fatty acids, it is important to glance first at fat in general. Fat is one of the essential macronutrients and humans need some fat in their diet to be healthy. In the macronutrient world, fats are often seen as the bad guy, with protein and, to a lesser extent, carbohydrates seen as the good guys.<\/p>\n

People may look to consume a lot of protein and the issue of good vegan protein<\/a> sources is one we have looked at in depth on our site. In contrast, more often than not, people are seeking to reduce the amount of fat that they consume.<\/p>\n

Good & Bad Fats<\/h2>\n

\"NutritionalDifferent people require different splits of fats, proteins and carbs, depending on their goals, lifestyle and bodies. However, in general it is thought people should obtain around 20%-35% of their total calories from fat. With a typical 2000 calorie per day diet, that equates to between 400 and 700 calories of fat.<\/p>\n

The National Health service (NHS) suggests that eating less than 70g of fat (630 calories\u2019 worth) on a 2000 calorie diet is best, so we would suggest somewhere between 400 and 630 calories per day from fat.<\/p>\n

However, not all fats are created equally, far from it in fact; some fats are significantly healthier than others. For a long time fat was demonised in the media, but over the past 10-20 years the idea of \u201cgood\u201d and \u201cbad\u201d fats has very much taken hold. Some people argue that the evidence that saturated fats are best avoided is erroneous, and advocates of some high fat diets claim there are studies backing up their stance.<\/p>\n

Saturated Fats<\/h3>\n

This remains something of a contentious issue but the medical, nutritional and scientific communities generally agree that based on current evidence, the consumption of saturated fats should be limited. Of the higher limit of 70g of fat the NHS recommends we consume, a maximum of 20g should be saturated.<\/p>\n

Unsaturated Fats<\/h3>\n

That means that the majority of the fat we consume should be unsaturated and this is (finally you may be saying!) where Omega-3s come in. Until relatively recently, most people with a basic understanding of nutrition were aware of the difference between saturated and unsaturated fats. However, over the past 20 years or so, more and more has become known about a division within unsaturated fats: that between polyunsaturated (PUFA) and monounsaturated (MUFA) fats.<\/p>\n

Breakdown of Fat Composition<\/h3>\n

All fats actually contain a mixture of saturated, polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats. However, the proportions of these can vary hugely. For example, butter and soft margarine have very similar fat contents per 100g (82.2g for the former, 81.7g for the latter) but their composition is very different.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Item<\/th>\nSaturated<\/th>\nPolyunsaturated<\/th>\nMonounsaturated<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Butter<\/td>\n52.1g<\/td>\n20.9g<\/td>\n2.8g<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Soft Margarine<\/td>\n27.2g<\/td>\n38.9g<\/td>\n12.4g<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Trans Fats<\/h3>\n

There is a fourth type of fat \u2013 trans fats \u2013 with both butter and margarine containing a little of this too. We won\u2019t look at this too much, nor what the chemical differences between these fats are other than to reiterate what we have said: in general, obtaining more of your fat requirements from unsaturated fats than saturated fats is good.<\/p>\n

Omega-3: A Polyunsaturated Fat<\/h3>\n

Omega-3 is a specific type of polyunsaturated fat that is essential to humans. There are actually three types of fatty acids that fall into this group but it is \u03b1-linolenic acid (ALA) that is most important as the human body is able to synthesise the other two from this. Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) are classed as long-chain omega-3 fatty acids. They are usually found in fish oils, although chickens fed with EPA and DHA products also produce eggs with these acids in.<\/p>\n

Omega-3 fats are essential for normal metabolic function and the NHS say that long-chain omega-3 fatty acids \u201ccan help to keep your heart healthy\u201d and the British Dietetic Association (BDA)<\/a> state that EPA and DHA \u201chave the most direct health benefits\u201d.<\/p>\n

Whilst there is no doubt that the body does indeed need omega-3s, there are many claims about supposed benefits of them, in particular the long chain EPA and DHA type, that lack any hard scientific foundation. We\u2019ll look at this in more detail but for now, let\u2019s get onto those vegan sources of omega-3!<\/p>\n

Vegan Omega-3 Sources<\/h2>\n

\"Omega-3<\/p>\n

ALA is vital, as said, because the body cannot produce it and so it has to be obtained as part of the diet. The good news is that all of the best sources of ALA are actually 100% vegan. The name of the oil itself, linolenic, comes from the Greek for flax, which should give us a pretty good idea of what the best sources of ALA might be!<\/p>\n

Flax, or linseed, is an excellent vegan way to get omega-3, but the king of seeds in this regard is actually chia. Kiwi seeds are also very high in ALA, as are lingonberries, hemp, walnuts and, perhaps more surprisingly, purslane and sea buckthorn. Rapeseed and soy beans are also good ways to get your ALA omega-3.<\/p>\n

Vegan Food Sources of Omega-3<\/h3>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Food<\/th>\nServing<\/th>\nGrams of ALA per serving<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Linseed Oil<\/td>\n1 tablespoon<\/td>\n7.26<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Chia Seeds<\/td>\n28g<\/td>\n5.06<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Walnuts<\/td>\n28g<\/td>\n2.57<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Linseeds<\/td>\n1 tablespoon<\/td>\n2.35<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Rapeseed Oil<\/td>\n1 tablespoon<\/td>\n1.28<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Edamame (frozen)<\/td>\n60g<\/td>\n0.28<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Kidney Beans<\/td>\n60g<\/td>\n0.10<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Whole Wheat Bread<\/td>\n1 slice<\/td>\n0.04<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Squash<\/td>\n60g<\/td>\n0.18<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Tofu (cooked)<\/td>\n150g<\/td>\n0.27-0.48<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Hemp Seeds<\/td>\n1 tablespoon<\/td>\n0.19<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Small amounts of ALA are to be found in other foods too, including some vegan milks<\/a>, but as you can see, adding a few particular foods to your diet should make it relatively easy to reach one\u2019s required levels of this particular omega-3.<\/p>\n

Switching to rapeseed oil for cooking and adding a few seeds or walnuts to your daily ritual would probably be enough, whilst edamame, tofu and squash are all commonly eaten by many vegans.<\/p>\n

How Much Omega-3 Do We Need?<\/h2>\n

In the UK, there are no guidelines with regards the amount of omega-3 fats we should be eating and often there is confusion, with the different types of omega-3s treated as if they were one.<\/p>\n

Rather unhelpfully, at least as far as vegetarians and vegans are concerned, when it comes to omega-3s, the NHS say that, \u201cA healthy, balanced diet should include at least 2 portions of fish a week, including 1 of oily fish,\u201d and that, \u201cMost of us should have more fish in our diet, including more oily fish.\u201d<\/p>\n

Obviously, this is of no use whatsoever to vegans and those that don\u2019t eat fish. So now we turn to Canada for our advice, with the Dieticians of Canada<\/a> saying that we should aim for the following intake of ALA:<\/p>\n