WHICH VEGETARIAN FOODS CONTAIN DHA AND EPA?
Vegetarian diets contain low levels of EPA and DHA, mainly from dairy products and eggs; vegan diets do not normally contain EPA or DHA. The only plant sources of EPA and DHA are microalgae and sea vegetables.
Sea vegetables are not a concentrated source of these omega-3 fatty acids and do not provide significant amounts of omega-3 fatty acids for most people.
Fish, especially fatty fish, do have DHA and EPA. This is not because the fish produce these fatty acids but because the fish eat microalgae containing DHA and EPA. A vegan DHA made from micro algae has been developed and is being added to some foods and used to make supplements.
MUST WE GET DHA AND EPA FROM FOOD, OR CAN OUR BODIES PRODUCE THESE OMEGA-3 FATTY ACIDS? DO VEGANS GET ENOUGH DHA AND EPA?
Our bodies are able to produce some DHA and EPA from alpha-linolenic acid, but we are not very efficient at this production. The rate of conversion is low in women and very low in men. Vegans who do not use
DHA supplements or eat DHA-fortified foods must rely on conversion of alpha-linolenic acid to DHA and EPA. Some studies have found that blood levels of EPA and DHA are lower in vegans and vegetarians than in
meat-eaters. Whether or not these lower levels have health consequences is not known. The concentration of DHA in breastmilk from vegan women is lower than that in lacto-ovo vegetarians or non-vegetarians.Milk EPA concentration can be increased if dietary
alpha-linolenic acid intake increases, but milk DHA
content remains unchanged
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