Omega-3 EPA and DHA

What plants do not provide

The long-chain omega-3s, those of the neuron membrane and the retina.

The body can make them from the ALA of flaxseeds and walnuts, but very poorly — a few percent, and even less in men than in women. The only sources are fatty fish and cultivated microalgae, absent from the catalog.

Effects and benefits

The long-chain omega-3s build the membranes of neurons and of the retina. At 250 mg a day, EPA and DHA contribute to the normal function of the heart, DHA to that of the brain and vision. And during pregnancy, the baby draws on the mother's reserves.

DHA makes up to 40% of the polyunsaturated fatty acids of the brain and more than half of those of the retina's rods. EPA and DHA contribute to the normal function of the heart, and DHA to the maintenance of normal brain function and vision, from 250 mg a day (Regulation 432/2012).

By sex and age: during pregnancy and breastfeeding, EFSA advises 100 to 200 mg of extra DHA (EFSA, 2010), and maternal DHA intake contributes to the normal brain and eye development of the fetus and breastfed infant (Regulation 440/2011).

Low omega-3 levels in red blood cells are associated, in observational studies, with higher cardiovascular risk; that is what the omega-3 index measures (Harris, 2008).

Sources: EU Regulations 432/2012 and 440/2011 · EFSA, 2010 · Harris, AJCN, 2008