As I’ve pointed out in earlier posts, omega-3 fatty acids are very, very important for superior brain function:
- In the 1950s, school kids were given daily cod liver oil
- Fish oil improves learning and memory in children
- Ritalin substitute: Improve Focus and Concentration
- Potent Brain Food: Fortify with DHA and avoid memory loss
- Fish Consumption Slows Brain Decline
The best dietary source of these omega-3 fats is fish. Specifically “fatty fish”, like:
- Salmon
- Atlantic halibut and mackerel
- Bluefish
- Herring
- Sardines
- Herring
However, our fish supply is slowly but steadily being contaminated by hundreds of toxins being dumped in the oceans. One wonders: are there not any vegetarian sources of omega 3 fats?
Indeed, there are:
- flaxseeds and flaxseed oil
- walnuts
- hemp seeds
- leafy green vegetables
Unfortunately, however, most naturally occurring vegetarian sources of omega 3 fatty acids are not very rich in DHA (a very important type of omega 3 fat).
Recently, a reader emailed me and asked if Spirulina and Chlorella are significant sources of DHA, and after looking into the issue, I believe they are not.
For vegetarians who eat eggs, there are eggs from chickens that are fed flax and microalage that contain significant amounts of DHA (60-100mg DHA/egg and 100-150mg DHA/egg respectively (source: The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 78, No. 3, 640S-646S, September 2003).
Additionally, there are now several companies that make vegetarian DHA capsules from a microalgae-based process. These are widely available at health food stores.
I strongly suspect it is just a matter of time, however, before scientists learn how to genetically modify common plants to produce large amounts of DHA and other omega 3 fats.
How much DHA is recommended per day? According to the source listed above: 100-300mg/day
Tags: chlorella, cod-liver-oil, DHA, fish, fish-oil, flax, flaxseed-oil, hemp-seeds, leafy-green-vegetables, microalgae, omega-3-fats, salmon, sardines, spirulina, vegetarian-dha-capsules, walnuts
Omega 3 – Do Not Make My Mistake!
Omega 3 really is so essential for a good healthy life of quality. There is no doubt the best source of rich Omega 3 fatty acids is from oily fish, according to my doctor, an expert in nutrition.
I speak as a committed vegetarian who had to make a compromise for the sake of my future quality of life and potentially early death. I suffered both high cholesterol and triglycerides counts, both potentially devastating to blood circulation and a healthy cardiac system.
I chose a vegetarian diet when it became apparent that my deceased father and his family had a history of heart problems. I actually believe I did more damage than good by becoming a vegetarian, as nearly twenty years went by before I had my blood tested for cholesterol.
I was shocked to find I had dangerously high cholesterol and triglycerides. In all those passing vegetarian years, I was convinced I was healthy by doing the right thing, living my vegetarian life and looking forward to a nice long healthy life, but I was so very wrong!
It became apparent that in those years, that my intake of Omega 3 was minimal due to not eating fish. Granted, in those earlier times not much was known about the health benefits of Omega 3 and I certainly knew nothing of it.
Do not make my mistake and therefore, for the sake of all those vegetarians out there and those considering making the change, plus of course, all of you that do not eat fish, you must ensure you take Omega 3 from a source of oily fish.
I dread to think what would have happened had I not eaten plenty of fish throughout my childhood, teenage and early adult years!
Dear Paul, and others…
Fish do NOT manufacture DHA in any way! It’s made by the algae which the fish eat.
So, instead of quiting on your principles and going for fish…. think about dha from algae. There are quite a few companies offering these nowadays.
Note also, that if your dietary choices as a vegetarian lead you to a high cholesterol level, chances are if you were the same person with similar eating habits as a meat eater, you would have had a way higher cholesterol.
You can obviously prepare vegetables in an unhealthy or healthy way, that part wasn’t to blame on the vegetables, but how you prepared them. With just you and your tastebuds to blame. Nobody else.