Best Vegetarian & Vegan Friendly Omega-3 Supplement: Introducing Vegan Omega-3 Power!
Medically Reviewed by Dr. Nicole Avena
Getting enough healthy fats in your diet can have lasting benefits for your health. One of the best sources of healthy fats is omega-3 fatty acids.
Omega-3 Basics
Omega-3s are vital for our nerve cells and other brain cells to make and maintain the trillions of connections that our brain uses for information processing. They’re also crucial for all our cells to make the energy they need to function.
Omega-3 fatty acids are essential, meaning your body needs to get them from your diet. Unfortunately, today’s modern diet is typically low in omega-3-rich foods (which include fish, grass-fed meats, nuts, seeds, and dark leafy greens) and high in omega-6-rich foods with saturated fats and oils (corn, safflower, soybean, sunflower, cottonseed, peanut, etc.). This is why it’s so important to take omega-3 supplements daily for whole body nutrition.
What Are EPA and DHA?
Omega-3 fatty acids EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) are essential to the functioning of all our 30 trillion cells. Clinical research documents their benefits for brain and body health.
The main dietary sources of EPA and DHA are cold-water fish and dietary supplements. Considering the widespread contamination of seafood by mercury and other toxic contaminants, taking a purified fish oil supplement (like BrainMD’s Omega-3 Power and Omega-3 Power Squeeze) could be a smart choice.
Plant Sources
Though many plant oils are being promoted as sources of omega-3s, land plants don’t make EPA or DHA. The only way for us to get enough of them is through foods or supplements.
A few plant foods have omega-3 alpha linolenic acid (ALA), an omega-3 fatty acid that’s important for our heart health. But it’s hard for the body to convert ALA into EPA and DHA. The best estimates are that only about 5 mg of DHA can be made from 1000 mg of ALA.
Also, some people have enzyme mutations that make this conversion process complicated, if not impossible. This means that if you’re only eating plants, you may be getting ALA, but not enough EPA and DHA.
So, how can you get enough omega-3s in your diet if you’re vegan or vegetarian and don’t like the fishy flavor of fish oil supplements?
Vegetarian & Vegan Omega-3 Supplements
Vegan Omega-3 Power is a vegan algal oil capsule, customized for children and adults. It supplies clinically effective doses of omega-3s (700 mg EPA and 300 mg DHA), nutrients that are practically vitamins since the body can’t make them in the sufficient amounts needed to meet its requirements.
Omega-3s and the Brain
The brain’s nerve cells (neurons) are the body’s largest cells and therefore have considerable cell membrane area. Neuronal membranes contain very little EPA, but this could be due to high EPA turnover related to messenger activity. Neurons are highly enriched in DHA, especially where they come together to communicate at synapses.
There are trillions of synapses in the brain. DHA’s fluidity is essential for synapses. By making synaptic membrane fluid, DHA facilitates their neurotransmitter packaging, release, and receptor actions.
Omega-3s and the Heart
There’s widespread acceptance for the cardiovascular benefits of EPA and DHA, especially their support for healthy heart function, healthy blood pressure regulation, and healthy triglyceride regulation.
Numerous health agencies worldwide recommend EPA and DHA for promoting and enhancing cardiovascular health. The
Omega-3s for Immune Support
The immune system is the body’s security force. Its mobile cells patrol the tissues, backed up by the lymphatic system, bone marrow, spleen, and thymus.
Under healthy conditions it helps “keep the peace.” When the body is invaded, it goes on full alert to eliminate the threat. EPA and DHA support healthy immune responsiveness. Immune cells on guard in the skin, lungs, and other tissues can become overly sensitive to non-living invaders such as pollen, dust, pollutants, even substances in common foods.
Other Benefits of Omega-3s
Omega-3’s EPA and DHA have been well studied and have many positive actions for the brain and body. Here are just a few parts of the body that can benefit from omega-3s:
- Blood Vessels – EPA and DHA are important for blood vessel function. The one-cell thin inner lining of the vessels (“endothelium”) makes messengers from EPA and DHA. EPA and DHA supplementation can improve blood vessel contraction – relaxation and flexibility capacities.
- Eyes – The retina’s sensory cells contain rhodopsin, a membrane protein that responds to light by making cyclic shape changes thousands of times per second. Rhodopsin molecules are bathed by DHA in the cell membranes, which allows them sufficient fluidity for such freedom of movement. EPA and DHA have improved retinal function in various randomized controlled trials (RCT).
- Joints – Immune system activity in which immune cells attack the body’s own tissues has been linked to joint problems. A 2012 meta-analysis suggested EPA and DHA supplementation at or above 2.7 grams per day could improve comfort in patients who had joint pain.
- Liver – The liver is the body’s workhorse organ. One of its jobs is to manage blood triglyceride levels, but sometimes these fats accumulate within the liver itself and can cause damage. Three meta-analyses indicate EPA and DHA supplementation can help to lower fatty buildup in the liver.
Vegan Omega-3 supplements are also important for mood support and a healthy pregnancy.
VEGAN OMEGA-3 INGREDIENTS
Natural, algal oil from marine algae. Contains 700 EPA and 300 DHA per serving of 2 tablets, making it a comparable source of omega-3s without environmental harm. This sustainable form of marine algae oil gives the perfect ratio of EPA to DHA for optimal absorption.
Vegan Omega-3 Power FAQ
Most frequent questions and answers about BrainMD's newest Vegan Omega-3 Supplement
Age 4 and up: take 2 capsules per day or as directed by a nutritionally-informed healthcare provider.
Practically everyone, including those following a plant-based diet.
No. Like other BrainMD products, this is a dietary supplement, not a drug, and isn’t habit-forming.
Yes! This omega-3 supplement is a great addition to any pregnancy diet. Taking omega-3s during pregnancy has been shown to improve fetal outcomes and brain development.
Taking BrainMD’s NeuroVite Plus will help you be sure to get the core essential nutrients your brain and body needs.
Unlike other omega-3 supplements, many of which are created with fish oil that isn’t sustainably sourced, Vegan Omega-3 is 100% vegan, non-GMO, and clinically proven for better absorption. This product contains algal oil from Pure Algae, a company whose mission it is to farm only the best marine algae without harming the ocean life around it.
NOTHING FISHY ABOUT THESE OMEGA-3S
Omega-3 fatty acids are important for health and longevity. While it’s possible to get some omega-3s from your diet, those who don’t regularly consume fish and vegans may benefit from taking a high EPA and DHA omega-3 supplement.
If you’re searching for a sustainably sourced, full-spectrum EPA and DHA supplement without the fishy aftertaste, algal oil is the answer.
Get all the benefits of fish oil without the fish.
At BrainMD, we’re dedicated to providing the highest purity nutrients to improve your physical health and overall well-being. For more information about Vegan Omega-3 and our full list of brain healthy supplements, please visit us at BrainMD.
