How to get Omega 3

January 4, 2023 1:56 AM

I’m interested in getting more Omega 3s in my diet. I eat mostly vegetarian, but not very much fish and not a huge fan either. A few things I’ve considered: algae oil supplements, flax and chia seeds, but I have concerns about these and wondered if anyone here could shed some light or give pointers about how you get your Omega 3s?

For algae oil supplements, how does one assess the quality of what you’re getting? I understand there’s little regulation in this space, so how do you know they’re safe, free of additives etc?

For flax seeds, a Google search suggests they’re safe, but some concerns over eating raw or unripe flax seed. How do I identify if the milled seeds are unripe? Packaging doesn’t seem to use either of these terms, but I have come across ‘cold milled’ - are these raw and if so, do they have to be cooked?

posted by jonrob to Health & Fitness (17 answers total)

I can't speak to the concerns around algae oil or flax seeds (I get flax seeds from my local co-op store--this is a trusty brand--and I add them to smoothies or yogurt).

I've recently started trying to incorporate chia seed into my diet for similar reasons. I've found a number of tasty breakfast recipes which boil down to something like this: a small portion of oatmeal, a TB of chia, and water or milk on the stove for 5 min. or so. I'm adding cashew butter, and then blueberries. It's very tasty!

Apparently walnuts are also good for omega 3s, so a breakfast oat/chia/walnut porridge would be a triple!
posted by correcaminos at 3:58 AM on January 4, 2023

I take three tablespoons of Barlean's flaxseed oil every day.
posted by alex1965 at 4:57 AM on January 4, 2023

Eggs are also a potential source of omega 3s. Several studies have found that free range eggs have more omega 3s than conventional farmed eggs, likely due to the diet of the hens.
posted by hydropsyche at 5:08 AM on January 4, 2023

for diversity you could add in some fresh Purslane (Portulaca oleracea) is very high in Omega 3. It is easily grown and also a common "weed" that can be foraged, mostly in summer and used as a leafy green in salads etc.
posted by pipstar at 7:19 AM on January 4, 2023 [2 favorites]

Best answer: I'm an emergency physician/medical toxicologist. As the latter, I've spent the last 22 years watching the supplement industry grow out of control thanks to deregulation. Today, manufacturers don't practice truth in labeling or advertising. They're free of any formal oversight of manufacturing practices, and not required to get third-party analyses of ingredient purity and quality.

I hate the fuckers, and salute you for asking:

how does one assess the quality of what you’re getting? I understand there’s little regulation in this space, so how do you know they’re safe, free of additives etc?

Short answer: you don't know if they're safe, and you have no way of finding out

Which is why I STRONGLY recommend either of the two FDA-approved prescription Omega-3 medicines. One is called Lovaza, the other Vascepa

Call your doctor
posted by BadgerDoctor at 7:41 AM on January 4, 2023 [8 favorites]

Consider sardines, herring, anchovies. Tiny fish like this fall near the bottom of the food chain, which means they have much lower contaminant and overfishing risks. They're arguably much better for the planet/wildlife than many vegetarian sources like nuts, and very high in Omega-3s so you need less. Bela Smoked Sardines with Lemon are my favorite and worth trying if you've only had more traditional supermarket brands.
posted by veery at 7:59 AM on January 4, 2023 [2 favorites]

I tend to let products with medium-length shelf lives go bad, so it works best for me to buy whole flaxseeds (I get them from the bulk bin at my food co-op) and grind a week's supply at a time. They grind up in a couple minutes in my normal Oster blender; you don't need a Vitamix or anything.
posted by metasarah at 8:03 AM on January 4, 2023

Best answer: I am adding a side-note here - please do not buy the fish oil supplements you find in the big stores like Costco that are made from krill - read the fine print on the bottle to find the source, and it’s likely to be krill, these days. Krill is being over-fished in the Southern Antarctic seas to the detriment of every life form down there, and what happens in Antarctica has a ripple effect everywhere else on the planet. There are fishing trawlers literally vacuuming the oceans down there to feed the insatiable demands of the unregulated fish oil supplement industry. Krill fishing has grown wildly out of control, especially since the over-fishing of breeding cod (again, primarily for fish oil) has led to a collapse in those fish populations in the northern seas. Flax seed oil prescribed by your doctor is the best possible solution both for your health and for the environment if you would like to take these supplements. Source: am an Antarctic science illustrator grantee, and have had endless discussions about the krill oil industry with scientists from NOAA and the USAP.
posted by terridrawsstuff at 9:43 AM on January 4, 2023 [17 favorites]

Hemp seed oil (contains no THC or CBD).

It's tasty, too, for salad dressing and stuff. Also very high smoke point and suitable for frying.
posted by porpoise at 10:30 AM on January 4, 2023

This morning I had one of my go-to breakfasts: an “oatmeal” made without oats but with hemp hearts, chia seeds, ground golden flax seeds, and topped with blueberries and sunflower seed butter. I flavor it with vanilla flavored stevia and cinnamon (the cinnamon is crucial for giving it an oatmeal-ish flavor), and a pinch of salt. I love this breakfast and it’s high in fiber and omega-3s, low in carbs (which is important to me but may not matter to you), keeps me full for ages, and the extent of “cooking” is that I just zap it in the microwave for 1 minute and stir it up.

I have also had this as a savory breakfast styled like grits, with cheddar and scallions and caramelized onions, topped with a fried egg.

Can’t speak to the safety concerns, but I can suggest this as an option that’s tastier than a spoonful of algae oil. I see the brand I use is raw. I’ve never had an issue with eating it minimally cooked, but am curious to see other responses.

I also love chia seed pudding made with coconut milk and cocoa powder. You can skim off and whip the coconut cream separately if you keep the can of coconut milk in the fridge overnight.
posted by music for skeletons at 11:05 AM on January 4, 2023 [2 favorites]

Instead of algae oil, why not just go straight to the source? Seaweed. That's where fish get all their omegas anyway.

Maine has a robust industry of small-time wild harvesters who are very careful about sustainable harvesting practices going back many decades. And going back about 15 years now, there are owner-operated small farms, which are are a model of sustainability. The Gulf of Maine is wicked clean and the above vendors typically test for contaminants. Alaska's seaweed industry got started a few years ago and also has a lot of great stuff.

Dried seaweed is easy to cook with and goes with way more items than it's given credit for. But even if you really don't like the wide variety of flavors in the different types, it's easy to hide in soups, smoothies, etc.

Plus, seaweed is loaded with a wide array of minerals and vitamins, plus essential aminos, antioxidants, anti-inflammatories, fiber, etc.
posted by Text TK at 12:03 PM on January 4, 2023 [1 favorite]

Chia seeds are great. Not only are they a good source of omegas, but they also have nutrients like iron and calcium. Also fibre!

Work up to a tablespoon a day. You can mix into porridge, or just add to liquid and eat or even drink it.
posted by kinddieserzeit at 1:37 PM on January 4, 2023

There are some wonderful recommendations upthread, and I'll add this generally great resource page from the Vegetarian Nutrition Dietetic Practice Group. This is a bunch of easy to use PDFs created and peer reviewed by registered dietitians who are largely vegan or vegetarian.
posted by OhHaieThere at 2:11 PM on January 4, 2023 [2 favorites]

Wheat germ looks to be a good source, that stirs into a lot of things, and disappears into baked goods.
posted by Oyéah at 8:06 PM on January 4, 2023

Best answer: Many of the plant sources mentioned above have primarily the ALA form of omega-3, which is considered less useful for the sorts of purposes you probably have in mind than DHA or EPA, which are what is found in fish and algae.

Some supplement companies do third-party testing. Nordic Naturals is the one I know best. You can check your lot number on the website I linked. They make an algae supplement, though it's expensive.
posted by Comet Bug at 8:20 PM on January 4, 2023

Response by poster: Thanks for the answers and recipe suggestions.

Re: the supplements, that was what I was worried about, although Nordic Naturals looks promising but expensive. Guess food is the best source for most things.

Maybe I’ll have to try and come around to liking sardines, especially for DHA / EPA.

In the mean time, I’m going to try putting flaxseed in my porridge during cooking. Probably answers the raw / unripe concerns, and as I’ve read further, risks seem to be low or non-existent so long as you’re not eating kilograms daily.
posted by jonrob at 12:55 AM on January 5, 2023 [1 favorite]

I'm eating oatmeal (1/2 c), chia seeds (3T), peanut butter powder (3T) and some cinnamon and ginger everyday for lunch. I began just using boiling water, but I've changed over to skim milk. Very filling and warm during these miserable winter days.
posted by kathrynm at 4:42 PM on January 5, 2023