As essential fatty acids, Omega 3 cannot be producedautomatically by our bodies, so you need to consume them from food sources orhealth supplements. While non-vegan sources provide EPA and DHA, vegan sourcesprovide ALA, which is then converted by our body to EPA and DHA.

Since vegans don’t consume supplements from animal sources,taking vegan omega-3 becomes essential for gaining health benefits.

In this article, you’ll learn more about vegan omega-3, itsbenefits, and uses.

Types of Omega-3 fatty acids:

●     ALA (alpha-linolenic acid)

●     EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid)

●     DHA (docosahexaenoic acid)

As only a portion of ALA is converted to EPA and DHA, you needto consume a lot of ALA rich food sources or supplements to meet the adequateintake.

Top Vegan Sources of Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Although fish is the best food source for Omega-3, severallegumes and nuts contain this essential fatty acid in the ALA form. While EPAand DHA are active forms of omega-3, ALA is converted to EPA and DHA by ourbody.

Good sources of ALA include flaxseed oil, flaxseed, chia seeds,soy foods, walnuts, etc. Most recently, algae and algae oil have gainedpopularity as a great source of omega-3.

ALA is popularly found in many nuts and legumes, but some foodsources contain it in higher amounts than others.

Here are the top vegan food sources for omega-3 fatty acids.

●     Flaxseed

●     Chia seeds

●     Algal oil

●     Brussels sprouts

●     Walnuts

●     Hemp seeds

●     Perilla oil

Supplements are generally created by distilling importantnutrients out of these natural food sources.

Vegan Omega-3 Supplements

Our body needs to maintain a healthy balance of omega-3 andomega-6. So taking a health supplement that contains both of these essentialfatty acids may help you in further improving your health.

Vegan omega 3 6 9 supplements has the following:

●     Flax Seed Extract (ALA)

●     Black Seed Extract

While flax seeds provide omega-3, black seed provides omega-6and omega-9.

Benefits of Omega-3 Fatty Acids

According to research, omega-3 has many health benefits such asimproved cardiovascular health, reduced triglyceride levels, and better jointhealth.

Let’s look at all the benefits provided by omega-3 fatty acids:

Improves Mental Health Disorders

As DHA and EPA play a major role in neuronal membrane, theirdeficiency can cause mental health issues.

Depression and anxiety lead to stress, sadness, loss of focus,and a general disinterest in life. As leading mental health issues, theseconditions can become chronic and ruin a person’s life.

While there are medications to treat depression and anxiety,most of them have short-term and long-term side effects, which make some peoplequit the medication altogether.

Omega-3 and mentalhealth disorders

Omega-3 fatty acids, with their anti-inflammatory properties,can be effective at relieving symptoms of mild to moderate anxiety anddepression.

Further, they can slow down the progression of age relatedmental decline, Alzheimer’s disease, and dementia.

While amphetamines are better at treating symptoms of ADHD,omega-3 supplementation may improve literacy and behaviour in childrensuffering from this condition.

Reduced Risk of Heart Diseases

As heart disease is the leading cause of death worldwide,focusing on the health of your heart and consuming health supplements for thesame can give you great returns.

To improve heart health and reduce the risk of heart diseases,omega-3:

●     Improves triglyceride levels

●     Reduces levels of bad cholesterol and improves levelsof good cholesterol

●     Keeps arteries healthy and smooth by preventing plaqueformation

Reduces Chronic Inflammation

Chronic inflammation is the key reason for many health issuessuch as:

●     Cancer

●     Psoriasis

●     Ulcerative colitis

●     Multiple sclerosis

●     Migraine headaches

●     Heart disease

With the health of omega-3 fatty acids, our bodies can reducethe production of reactive oxygen, cytokines, and eicosanoids, lowering the amountof inflammation in our body.

By doing so, omega-3 may:

●     Reduce the risk of autoimmune diseases

●     Reduce liver fat

●     Prevent asthma in children

●     Improve eye health

●     Ease joint pain

Helps with Brain Development During Pregnancy

Taking DHA is highly recommended to pregnant women by healthexperts, as it plays an important role in brain development of infants.

During pregnancy, it is generally advised to take 200mg of DHAper day. This is way above the average that women of childbearing age consume.

Conclusion

Omega-3 fatty acids are essential and available from vegansources. You can rely on either natural sources or good supplements thatcontain flaxseed extract. Consuming omega-3 with omega-6 may have additionalhealth benefits.

FAQs

Q. How much omega-3should I consume per day?

A. Doctors recommend consuming fatty fish 2-3 times per week.However, if that’s not possible for you, then you can rely on vegan omega-3supplements and consume according to the recommendation on the package or byyour doctor.

Q. Is vegan omega-3effective?

A. Yes. vegan omega 3 is effective. It contains omega-3 in the ALA form, which isconverted to EPA and DHA.

Q. Should I consume fromnatural sources or supplements?

A. Since only a fraction of the ALA is properly converted toEPA and DHA, taking health supplements is advisable, as they contain a higherconcentration of omega-3.