Vegetarian Sources of DHA Omega-3. |The Vegetarian Diaries + Biologeel

From reducing the risk of cardiac arrest or strokes, to supporting vision, to preventing dementia, the benefits of consuming omega-3s are extraordinarily numerous. One form of omega-3, the long-chain omega-3 called DHA (for docosahexaenoic acid), is particularly important as it is a primary component of properly functional brain cells. The brain is largely fat (lipids) and water, and much of that fat is DHA. A sign of its value, DHA is found in high quantities in human milk.

And yet the largest sources of DHA omega-3s are from fish. Many of the remainder sources are from non-vegetarian animal products. Even bovine milk, which many vegetarians find ethical to consume, does not have much DHA--higher intelligence is not such a pressing issue for cattle. Egg yolks have some DHA, but there are often ethical issues about egg consumption for vegetarians--barring ovovegetarians, of course. There are many cases of eggs actually being fertilized and unborn chicks being discovered from eggs bought from the supermarket.

The most useful natural source of vegan DHA seems to be from marine algae, which is where fish get their high DHA content (the fish consume the DHA and it builds up in their bodies as the fish grow, similar to mercury buildup except beneficial). However, the amount of seaweed that would have to be eaten per week would be enormous. Additionally, ALA omega-3, a short-chain omega-3, can be converted by the body into DHA, although the conversion factor can be a measly 2%. So to obtain a single gram of DHA, you would have to eat around 50 grams of ALA.

Yet again, having a properly tuned body is extremely difficult for a vegetarian. DHA is one of those vital nutrients that vegetarians often do not receive from their diets. To help vegetarians obtain a moderate amount of DHA, here are some vegetarian (lactovegetarian) sources of DHA: