ismetsocialbrothers Omega-3 fatty acids are part of every cell and tissue in your body, and to get them, you depend entirely on your diet. Yet research into blood values shows that the vast majority of people take in far less than needed for an optimal omega-3 status. What do these fatty acids actually do, and where does the gap come from?
What is omega-3?
The three main omega-3 fatty acids are ALA, EPA and DHA. ALA is essential: your body cannot make it, and you obtain it from plant sources such as flaxseed, chia seed and walnuts. EPA and DHA are the active forms that the authorised health claims refer to. Importantly, fish and shellfish do not produce these fatty acids themselves; they accumulate them by eating algae, the original source.
The benefits, precisely as authorised
Because omega-3 is popular, a lot of inflated claims circulate. We prefer the checked version. At a daily intake of 250 mg:
- EPA and DHA contribute to normal heart function
- DHA contributes to the maintenance of normal brain function
- DHA contributes to the maintenance of normal vision
During pregnancy an additional claim applies: maternal DHA intake contributes to the normal development of the brain and eyes of the foetus and breastfed infant, at 200 mg of DHA on top of the daily 250 mg. More on that in omega-3 during pregnancy.
Why most people fall short
Your body converts ALA into EPA and DHA, but only to a small extent. Anyone who rarely eats oily fish, which is most of us, seldom reaches the required amount of the active forms. Worldwide blood measurements average an omega-3 index of around 4.5%, while experts consider 8 to 11% optimal. How that can show up day to day, you can read in signs of an omega-3 deficiency.
The sustainable route: skip the fish
About a quarter of the roughly 90 billion kilos of fish caught globally each year is used to extract omega-3. That detour is unnecessary: algae oil delivers the same DHA and EPA directly from the source, grown on land in sterile tanks, free from the heavy metals, dioxins and PCBs that can accumulate in fish, and suitable for vegetarians and vegans. Read more in algae oil can help stop overfishing.
FISH-FREE
Since 2008, at the source
One capsule of Testa Omega-3 is guaranteed to contain over 450 mg of DHA and EPA, considerably more than the average algae, fish or krill oil supplement, and well above the 250 mg at which the authorised claims apply. Want certainty about your own status? Take the omega-3 index self-test.
Close your omega-3 gap, plant-based
One daily capsule: over 450 mg of DHA and EPA from algae oil, no fish and no aftertaste.
Good for you. Good for the ocean.
Authorised health claims (EFSA) at a daily intake of 250 mg: EPA and DHA contribute to normal heart function; DHA contributes to the maintenance of normal brain function and normal vision. Average index: Stark KD et al., Prog Lipid Res. 2016.