Experts are still debating about the optimum omega3 intake. On a daily basis, we need omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Both are essential to the human diet, meaning that we must consume them. Our bodies don’t produce them.
Ideally, the amount of each would be roughly equivalent, but that’s hard to achieve. It has been suggested that we aim for something like a 4:1 ratio, in other words, 4 grams of 6s per gram of 3. That’s a little easier to achieve if your primary sources of dietary fats are foods like walnuts and olive oil.
But, researchers estimate that the average American gets about 40 times more omega-6s than 3s and the 3s that they get aren’t even the best kind.
Vegan sources of omega-3s provide only ALA (alpha linolenic acid). Fatty fishes provide DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DPA (docosapentaenoic acid). All three are believed to be important to cardiovascular health.
The only other “foods” that provide DHA and EPA are some forms of marine algae, but the content varies widely. Some supplements are being made for vegans that are derived from marine algae. The flaxseed supplements that you see on the market provide only ALA.
The ideal optimum omega3 intake varies from one individual to another, depending on the number of calories they consume on a daily basis. For example, if a person eats 2000 calories per day, ideally only about 30% of those calories would come from any kind of fat.
If you were going for a one to one ratio, you would attempt to get about 33 grams of omega-3s per day and an equivalent amount of omega-6s.
66 grams of fat may seem like a lot, but it is roughly equivalent to four tablespoons of vegetable oil. Once you consider all of the food that you consume during the day and the fat content of each item, you will see that 66 grams isn’t that much.
The USDA has not set a minimum or an optimum omega3 intake, but they have come up with an adequate intake of 1100mg (1.1 grams) for an adult female and 1500mg (1.5 grams) for an adult male. A serving of salmon provides about 1100mg.
They are scheduled to review those recommendations this year. Since they were made over 5 years ago, they are likely to increase those figures.
As far as supplementation goes, the optimum omega3 supplement provides a minimum of 500mg of total omega-3s per 1000mg capsule. Of that 500mg, at least 280mg should be DHA and at least 120mg should be EPA. The importance of DPA is, as yet, not well understood, but the better brands list the amount present in each capsule.
If a person takes two capsules per day, which is what most supplement manufacturers recommend, then you will reach the adequate intake recommended by the USDA.
Whether or not that is the optimum omega3 intake is still unclear.
The best thing we can do is to try and increase omega-3s in our diet, while reducing other kinds of fat. That’s the healthiest option.
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