Omega 3 is an essential polyunsaturated fatty acid that your body needs for important functions. These include digestion, muscle activity, blood clotting, vision, memory, and many other processes.
Omega 3 is particularly important for cell division and the function of cell receptors. These special fats are ideally obtained from marine fish that are free of, or only minimally, contaminated with environmental toxins.
Omega-3 fatty acids are considered essential because your body cannot produce them on its own. They must be obtained through a targeted diet or supplementation . However, there is often confusion about which omega-3 fatty acids are actually necessary for optimal health.
Two sources of Omega-3
Both plant and animal omega-3 fatty acids have their first chemical double bond in the third position—hence the name "omega 3." But the different lengths of the carbon chain make an important difference when it comes to the bioavailability and biological effects of the oils.
Therefore, oils from different sources cannot be interchanged. It is not enough to consume plant-based Omega 3 only through food. A supplement is necessary to achieve the desired result. But which supplement exactly? Omega 3 or vegan (marine) Omega 3? Or do they have to be taken together, since they are not substitutes for each other?
- Omega 3 from marine animals (fatty fish, fish oil, shrimp oil, etc.) mainly contains docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), which are part of a long chain of carbon atoms.
- Omega 3 from plant sources (flaxseed, flaxseed oil, chia seeds, walnuts, and green leafy vegetables), on the other hand, contains alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), a slightly shorter chain of carbon atoms. Plant sources are completely free of the long-chain acids DHA and EPA.
- Omega 3 from marine microalgae with EPA and DHA is the "purest" source of essential omega 3 fatty acids. Algae-based supplements do not contain toxins that can sometimes be found in fish-based supplements.
Can we replace animal Omega 3 with plant-based Omega 3?
The plant-based omega-3 fatty acid alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) is a precursor to EPA and DHA. However, an enzyme is required to convert the shorter ALA (18 atoms) into a longer omega-3 (20 or 22 atoms). In most people, however, the enzyme responsible for this doesn't work very well. Therefore, the conversion rate to omega-3 is very low.
In general, less than one percent of ALA is converted to EPA in most people. The degree of conversion in your body depends on the corresponding amounts of other vitamins and minerals. Our body converts a very small amount of plant-based omega-3 into long-chain omega-3, which isn't really enough to provide a good, healthy base. This may be due to genetic factors, but overall, short-chain omega-3 acids aren't considered to have the same biological effects as the long-chain omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA.
For this reason , Omega 3 obtained from marine microalgae is the best substitute for animal Omega 3. Algae are a good source of Omega 3 fatty acids, which later reach the fish through their diet.
EPA and DHA are important for health
DHA is particularly important because it is a component of every cell in our body and is especially important for our brains. More than 90% of the omega-3 fatty acids in brain tissue are DHA, and normal fetal brain development depends on the availability of DHA. All other omega-3 acids are found only in trace amounts in the brain, including ALA, no matter how much ALA you consume.
In fact, there are specific substances in the blood-brain barrier, in the placenta of pregnant women, and probably also in the liver that transport long-chain omega-3 fatty acids very precisely to cell membranes. However, such transport does not exist for short-chain omega-3 acids derived from plants.
This isn't to downplay the importance of plant-based omega-3 fats. ALA fatty acids are truly needed by every organism; we just don't need an excess. However, as already mentioned, there are also omega-3 fats of plant origin that are the original carriers of omega-3 fatty acids, such as algae, which could completely replace animal-based omega-3 fatty acids.
Omega 3 derived from algae – Good News for our planet
Good news for all vegetarians and vegans (and also for fish) is that high-quality Omega 3 from algae helps to consume sufficient EPA and DHA in similar amounts to Omega 3 oil of animal origin.
Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) are the two most popular and effective omega-3 fatty acids. Their traditional source is oil from fish that live in cold seas and oceans. However, mass fishing is unsustainable for our planet in the long term, especially if we continue to increase the demand for these types of products or substances.
Fish as a source of omega-3 fatty acids is problematic in the long term due to its taste, smell, and delivery quantities. Furthermore, the quality of fish oil products generally depends on the fishing season and location and can be significantly influenced by current pollution of the sea and ocean. The process of purifying these fatty acids from fish oil is also quite complex.
All of these complications potentially limit the use of fish oil as a food additive or dietary supplement. Alternatively, new products based on omega-3 fatty acids from algae could be produced, which could eliminate the taste and odor issues associated with fish oil products, as well as obvious defects in the production process. The process of cultivating algae or algae-like microorganisms to produce oils rich in omega-3 fatty acids is called "omega-3 biotechnology."
Algae contain a significant amount of oil rich in polyunsaturated omega-3 fatty acids (DHA and EPA). The dried cells of this algae contain about 20% DHA, making them a very important source of these omega-3 fatty acids. Interestingly, algae are used as a DHA-rich ingredient in the diets of farmed fish and shrimp, as well as chickens.
The application of microbial DHA and EPA omega-3 fatty acids to human health is increasing, and a large number of clinical trials have been conducted to confirm their efficacy. The development of refined isolation and identification techniques is important for algal cultivation. In addition to their high lipid biomass content, algae are also suitable for various production strategies that increase the proportion of omega-3 fatty acids. Changes in existing lipid extraction methods and the use of sophisticated analytical instruments have increased the yield of DHA and EPA acids during extraction.
Through the cultivation of these microorganisms, the biotechnological processes for the production of Omega-3 DHA and EPA have reached a high industrial level. "Omega-3 biotechnology" is an environmentally friendly, "green," and sustainable process for the production of Omega-3 fatty acids.
In the future, research into different algal species or microbial isolates that exhibit rapid growth, high biomass content and good oil storage capacity will further increase the efficiency of the biotechnological process for the production of omega-3 fatty acids.
Sources:
Authority Nutrition, DHA: A Detailed Review
Differentiation of ALA (plant sources) from DHA + EPA (marine sources) as Dietary Omega-3 Fatty Acids for Human Health
Lipids January 2011
Frontiers in Genetics July 12, 2011
BioMed Research International 2015, Article ID 645984
Mitochondrial Disease News August 31, 2015
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition June 4, 2014: 100 Supplement 1; 449S-452S
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