Omega-3 are polyunsaturated fatty acids which are crucial for heart, brain and eye health. But which foods contain the most?
Omega-3 are polyunsaturated fatty acids, ie., fatty acids that contain at least two double bonds between their carbon molecules.
More specifically, omega-3s comprise alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), a short-chain fatty acid, and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), both of which are long-chain fatty acids.
These are termed ‘essential’ as our bodies are unable to synthesise them in sufficient amounts. We cannot produce ALA, and though ingested ALA can be converted into EPA and DHA, it only produces very small amounts. It is therefore vital to obtain these omega-3 fatty acids from our diet.
Omega-3, often referred to as ‘good fats’, play a very important role in health:
The best animal-source foods for omega-3 are fish (primarily oily fish, followed by some lean fish) and seafood. They contain mainly DHA and EPA:
It’s worth noting that wild fish usually have more omega-3 than farmed fish …
Land animal-source foods contain far fewer omega-3 than oily fish.
The best such sources are:
Eggs and dairy products, ideally enriched with omega-3, can therefore make a modest contribution to an omega-3-rich breakfast.
Let’s now take a look at omega-3-rich foods from plant sources.
First of all, we’re aware that many of our readers would like to know which fruit has the most omega-3… Unfortunately, the majority of fresh fruits have no omega-3 at all, the one exception being avocados which have around 0.1g of ALA per 100g).
In fact, the best plant-source foods for omega-3 (specifically ALA) are seeds (and seed oils), nuts and dried fruits, and to a lesser extent, some green vegetables:
In addition, some types of edible seaweed contain small amounts of EPA and DHA: ulva (sea lettuce), porphyra (nori), Ecklonia cava, Chlorella…
To add to your omega-3 intake, especially EPA and DHA, you also have the option of taking dietary supplements offering higher doses. Standard omega-3 supplements contain fish oil, usually obtained from oily fish in which the omega-3 is in the form of triglycerides or ethyl esters.
Krill oil, on the other hand, is extracted from krill, small shrimp-like crustaceans. Here, the omega-3 are in the form of phospholipids which are more easily absorbed. It also contains astaxanthin and does not smell or taste as strong as fish oil.
Finally, calanus oil comes from Calanus finmarchicus, a tiny zooplankton copepod found in arctic regions. Its omega-3 are primarily in the form of wax esters, which are better able to withstand enzymes in the gut and thus offer additional effects on metabolism. Another key advantage is that as calanus is so abundant, it is considered a renewable resource.
References
Keywords
15 Days
Well,It was yesterday I started using it but I can tell the supplement is working perfect,will definitely still give best comments once I'm done using it ...
ANTHONY Oluwaseun Ugwu
15 Days
Great products, fast delivery.
Nujood ALHADDAD
25 Days
Easy and quick
Derya Iren
25 Days
Quick delivery, big choice of supplements. Good quality.
Val
28 Days
Great vitamins at a great price! I buy Bacillus subtilis which I really can’t find anywhere else which is great for intestinal health. 5 stars to Supersmart Vitamins.
Loli Vaughan
29 Days
Easy way to order. Fast delivery. Transporter FedEx was very polite and called me 1 hour before delivery.
TAJC Katja
31 Days
So far i have really liked the products. The service was fantastic. Delivery from Europe to Australia only took a few days. So good. Thank you.
BROWN Dianna
36 Days
I have been customer for over 15 years and have found their products to be the best.
Del Chandler
45 Days
Fast deliveries, trusted quality
RiikMaria
55 Days
I got what I ordered; no problems; I appreciate having been able to pay by bank transfer
STAEHLI C
72 Days
Great company to deal with. I receive their products quicker than my orders from Sydney Australia. Well done.
HARDY Chris
79 Days
Fast and easy once again.
Niels Groving
83 Days
The shipping & delivery is quite efficient to me !
LEUNG Wing Chau
85 Days
Easy to deal with, good website and excellent product
STONEHOUSE Kim
85 Days
Well from my placing order to delivery !!!
DILLON Patrick M