Best Omega 3 Sources
For Vegans
As we wake up to veganism and plant-based
eating for health
reasons as well as for environmental reasons, there are a few health
and
supplement questions that arise as we embark on the journey. But what
are some
of the best Vegan Alternatives
To Fish Oil for vegans.
What Is Fish Oil?
Fish oil is the oil derived from the tissue
of oily fish.
Rich in omega-3 fatty acids, fish oil is a healthy supplement that is
known to
alleviate inflammation, among other things. It is not a vegan-friendly
supplement however, and therefore vegans need to find an alternative
supplement
to enjoy similar health benefits.
Fish oil does have alternatives though, and
some of them are
plentiful in all the active ingredients like omega-3 fatty acids, as
well as
many more.
What
Is Omega-3?
Polyunsaturated fatty acids, omega-3 fatty
acids do so much
good and have far-reaching health benefits. Omega-3 has been known to
lower
blood pressure as well as slow down the development of plaque in the
arteries,
which in turn reduces the likelihood of heart attack or stroke.
While omega-3 is the nutrient needed for
lowering of plaque,
omega-6 does not have the same benefits, and it is generally considered
that 3
grams of fish oil is enough to obtain the necessary goodness from
omega-3.
Can
Vegan and Vegetarians Consume Fish Oil?
There is always the ongoing questions
regarding to what can
or cannot be eaten on a vegan diet or vegetarian diet, and the short
answer
regards to fish oil is no, it cannot be consumed if you are on a vegan
or
vegetarian diet.
Many vegans and plant-based diet eaters have
chosen their
diets purely for health reasons. If this is the case, then vegans can
sometimes
consider fish oil supplements, for the associated health benefits. If
however
someone has chosen to be vegan for ethical reasons, then there is no
way around
it and fish oil cannot be consumed.
If you’re still fairly unsure
about best omega 3 sources for vegans ,
then you will need to do your research and find your optimum
alternative, and stick to it.
Vegan Alternatives To
Fish Oil
It is a rapidly growing trend that the world
is turning to
vegan and plant-based food, and there are a number of reasons behind
this.
It has long been known that there are
numerous health
benefits behind moderate meat and dairy consumption and over the last
few
years, as this train of thought has been carefully examined, the output
has
been that the health benefits of such a diet is higher than what many
people
think, an the benefits to the planet are numerous.
Health benefits
Being vegan has been proven to slim you down,
to provide
more energy and to make you healthier by combating heart disease,
certain cancers,
diabetes and blood pressure among others. It makes your body function
optimally, by removing all the energy-sapping substances and increasing
your
metabolism. The very fact that it helps to lose weight is enough for
many
people to be convinced.
Saving the planet
The production and farming of meat is
uneconomical and
inefficient, and causes pollution. Going meat free turns this all
around and
helps the planet in the process. There is a lot of wastage in meat
farming, and
there is a lot of water and energy needed to feed cattle and to process
meat.
In the bigger picture, meat eating is a very large part of the
environmental
distress many part of the world are feeling right now.
It’s highly
fashionable at the moment
Many actors, celebrities and top sportspeople
are opting in
to plant-based diets or to be simply eating less meat, and it’s the
cool thing
to do right now. These people are aware of the health benefit, but many
of the
support the plant-based vegan living because of ethical reasons, and
wish to be
kinder to animals of our planet.
When it comes to fish oil however, vegans and
vegetarians
cannot consume it. It is derived directly from fish, and does not fit
into the
vegan or vegetarian ethos. Fish oil has
many health benefits however, mainly derived from the omega-3 fatty
acids
component, but for vegans and vegetarians, flaxseed oil is a great
alternative.
It has enough omega-3 fatty acids to be a very comparable additive,
while
totally vegan friendly.
Omega-3 fatty acids
It’s a trendy, futuristic kind of name,
omega-3, and all the
cool people are using it. Omega-3 fatty acids are the most important
fats you
need to have in your diet. They consist of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)
and
docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). They have been proven to reduce
inflammation in the
body and improve hypertriglyceridemia, amongst a whole gamut of other
health
benefits. When it comes to omega-3, you can do no wrong.
best omega 3 sources for vegans
Omega-3 has great benefits to the mind and
body, it is
recommended that around 300 mg of combined EPA and DHA is sufficient to
improve
human health. Vegan omega-3 has been proven in many cases to have
higher levels
than fish oil for improved health benefits. It also serves the
additional
benefits of being vegan or vegan-sourced, so is much less of a burden
on the
planet and on your body.
Vegans and people following a plant-base diet
are very
industrious when it comes to finding alternatives to their meat and
diary
eating friends and the meat-friendly menus, and they are also diligent
when it
comes to finding alternatives as well as sourcing supplements when
things might
feel a little deficient. There are many
alternatives to fish oil, with similarly high levels of EPA and DHA.
These alternatives include some of the
following: algal oil,
the wonderful hemp seed and the omega-3 loaded flaxseed.
Echium seed oil and chia seeds oil are also
loaded with EPA
and DHA, as well as walnuts, canola oil and perilla oil.
What oil?
With the many oils in the market, it
sometimes gets a bit
confusing as to which ones are the good ones, and which ones might not
be quite
as good for you. There are a few options that might surprise you with
their
omega-3 count.
For example, soybean oil is not a good
example of an oil
with high levels of omega-3 fatty acids, containing a higher percentage
of
omega-6. Similarly, sunflower oil is an omega-6 predominant oil, and it
is
recommended that people cut down on any oils and supplements that
contain an
excess of omega-6.
Olive oil is another poor source of omega-3
fatty acids,
with the predominant fatty acid in olive oil being oleic acid. This
acid has
been shown in studies to reduce inflammation, so while not as bad as
omega-6,
it’s not as health-beneficial as omega-3.
Finally, coconut oil is a surprisingly poor
performer when
it comes to omega-3 fatty acid delivery, containing no omega-3
whatsoever.
It is a bit of a minefield out there in
trying to identify
the correct oils and the correct fatty acids, and one does need to be
vigilant
when addressing certain health issues with these substances, but what
does come
out is that there are a number of alternatives to fish oil, and for
that reason
alone many vegans and people on plant-based diets can find cause to
celebrate.