Omega-3 fats in the vegan diet: what you should know about it

Omega-3 fatty acids are vital. Because they occur mainly and in large quantities in fish, vegans must pay particular attention to the intake of these fats. We have put together how this works for you here.

Omega-3 fats: vegans have to be careful

Omega-3 fatty acids are essential food components that keep our body fit and healthy. However, they can be missing from a vegan diet. Because the main suppliers are fatty fish from cold water zones - and these are out of the question for a vegan diet.

• The most important representatives of omega-3 fatty acids include alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).
• The dietary recommendation of the Omega-3 eV working group for the intake of omega-3 fatty acids is: At least 300 milligrams of EPA and DHA per day.
• According to estimates by the German Nutrition Society, a person is well supplied with omega-3 fatty acids when alpha-linolenic acid provides 0.5 percent of the total daily energy intake.
• In other words, with around 2, 000 kilocalories a day, around 1.1 grams of alpha-linolenic acid should be in the food. With a daily requirement of 2, 400 kilocalories, 1.3 grams of alpha-linolenic acid should be in the food.
• Usually two meals with about 100 grams of fat-rich cold water fish - for example mackerel, salmon, herring or tuna - are enough to meet the need for these essential fatty acids.
• It is particularly important to supply pregnant and lactating women with the omega-3 fatty acid DHA.
• If you are vegan, it is advisable to use the nutritional supplements below and to consciously take a daily intake of about 200 milligrams of DHA.

Natural vegetable oils provide limited omega-3

Avoid fish altogether in your food, because you eat vegan, it is imperative that you pay attention to certain plant sources of omega-3 fatty acids.

• Good sources of omega-3 fats are walnut, linseed or rapeseed oil and also perilla oil, which is mainly used in Asia. They all contain a lot of alpha-linolenic acid. The long-chain omega-3 fatty acids DHA and EPA are not included.
• Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) has a positive effect on the flow properties of the blood. According to nutritional medical knowledge, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) are much more important for the brain, eyes and the health of the cardiovascular system.
• Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) enables your body to produce EPA and DHA thanks to a specific enzyme. However, this only works to a small extent.
• The conversion rates from ALA range from one to ten percent for EPA and only 0.5 percent for DHA, depending on the other diet, gender, age and diseases. Scientifically, it has not yet been adequately investigated whether this is sufficient for healthy care, but is considered rather questionable.

Dietary supplement with DHA and EPA

This is why experts recommend vegan nutrition, for example the nutritionist Dr. Markus Keller from the Institute for Sustainable Nutrition (Gießen), to supplement the food with vegan nutrition for safety with EPA and DHA.

• A good vegan source of long-chain unsaturated omega-3 fatty acids is microalgae. The individual microalgae genera also differ. Some only contribute DHA, others a mixture of EPA and DHA.
• The microalgae species Schizochytrium and Ulkenia both produce sufficient long-chain omega-3 fatty acids.
• The algae are not obtained from the sea - like known macroalgae - but in special breeding facilities. For example, closed, light-flooded tube systems that are filled with fresh water are well suited for this.
• The essential fatty acids are extracted from the algal substance by extraction and enrichment. These are used for the production of nutritional supplements or for the enrichment of linseed or olive oil and other vegan foods.

With an eye on: omega-6 fatty acids and vitamin E

In order to complete the healthy supply of fatty acids, vegans should also pay attention to the content of omega-6 fatty acids and vitamin E in their food.

• Omega-6 fatty acids, above all linoleic acid, are also essential, but they also compete with the omega-3 fatty acid alpha-linolenic acid. Because both use the same enzyme to convert them into other metabolically active long-chain fatty acids.
• A high omega-6 fatty acid level slows down the body's synthesis of EPA and DHA. In addition, omega-6 fatty acids are precursors for certain eicosanoids (immunological messengers) that promote inflammatory processes in the body.
• On average, our western diet contains a lot of omega-6 fatty acids - much more than we need. A ratio of Omega-6 to Omega-3 of a maximum of 5: 1 is recommended, better still below. The reality on our plates looks much worse at a rate of 20: 1.
• Vegans in particular often ingest a lot of linoleic acid from plant-based foods. You should question supposedly healthy foods: sunflower oil and corn oil, for example, contain an unfavorable fatty acid pattern and you should better remove them from your menu.
• Because the unsaturated fatty acids of the Omega-3 series are sensitive to oxygen, you should also make sure that you have enough vitamin E on your menu: So plan foods such as avocados, whole grain cereals and cereal germs, flax seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame and nuts,

In our next practical tip, we have summarized for you what other nutrients are important in a vegan diet and what you should pay attention to.