{"id":181929,"date":"2017-01-26T15:06:39","date_gmt":"2017-01-26T14:06:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/veganuary.com\/where-do-vegans-get-their-omega-3\/"},"modified":"2025-08-14T11:57:41","modified_gmt":"2025-08-14T10:57:41","slug":"where-do-vegans-get-their-omega-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/veganuary.com\/en-za\/where-do-vegans-get-their-omega-3\/","title":{"rendered":"Where Do Vegans Get Their Omega 3?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Omega 3 plays an important role in the health and functioning of every cell in your body \u2013 that\u2019s why it\u2019s been studied so extensively and features so regularly in the press.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n

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Image Credit: Pixabay<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

If you\u2019re keen to improve things like your weight, the health of your skin, your energy levels and mood, or just stay healthy for longer, making sure that you\u2019ve got enough Omega 3 in your diet is the best place to start.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to get enough Omega 3 as a vegan<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

First, it\u2019s important to note that getting enough Omega 3 is a little bit more involved than just eating more foods that contain it. Omega 3 is broken down by the body into two types of fatty acids called EPA and DHA \u2013 these are the superstars with the health benefits. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And, since there are no dietary sources of EPA and DHA available for vegans beyond sea greens, they must rely on the body\u2019s natural ability to convert it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Second, research suggests that the conversion of Omega 3 into EPA and DHA appears to be blocked by Omega 6<\/a>, which is found in the highest quantities in wheat products, wholegrain foods and vegetable oils. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since the Western diet is largely based on products such as bread and pasta, it makes the process of creating enough DHA and EPA much more difficult \u2013 especially if you aren\u2019t eating foods such as oily fish. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Research therefore suggests that the dietary ratio of Omega 6 needs to be kept as low as possible whilst emphasising foods that are high in Omega 3.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Practically speaking, since the only food containing both EPA and DHA is sea greens, I always recommend a high quality supplement such as Viridian\u2019s Pumpkin Seed Oil<\/a> alongside emphasising balanced sources of Omega 3 and 6 containing foods such as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n