How much omega-3 do you need?

Posted on Thu, 10 Jul 14

Omega-3 fatty acids are known to be vital for good health, reduce the risk of several chronic diseases and can even treat illness, but how much do you need each day?

There are a number of different types of omega-3 fats, including alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) - found in plant foods such as flax seed, walnuts, and canola oil - and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) - found in animal foods such as enriched eggs, grass fed and game meats, and cold-water fish.

A minimum recommended dietary intake for ALA has been established (about 1-1.5 grams daily for adults), but the problem is you need to get EPA and especially DHA from your diet as well, yet there is no clear guide on how much you need.

Part of the reason EPA and DHA have been neglected is because it was once thought that your body could use ALA to make enough EPA and DHA, but we now know this is not the case and the amount of EPA made from ALA is small while DHA is near zero (1).

This is important because all kinds of benefits have been associated with higher dietary intake of EPA and DHA, like reduced risk of diabetes, stroke, heart disease and premature death, for example (2-4).

How much?

A few recent studies help with guidance on how much you need;

• Based on prevention of cardiovascular death it has been suggested that 1000 mg of EPA + DHA a day would be needed to benefit most adults (5).
• To prevent and treat psychiatric disorders in children and adults and ensure optimal mental health a minimum daily amount of 1000 mg of EPA + DHA in a 2:1 EPA to DHA ratio has been proposed (6).  
• It was also estimated that during pregnancy and breastfeeding 900 mg per day of EPA + DHA would be adequate for child mental development and preventing maternal depression in the mother (7).

So, in general, at least 1000 mg of EPA + DHA per day seems a reasonable ideal for good health.

Everyone is different, however, and one-size-fits-all approach oversimplifies nutrition. Genetic as well as other factors are known to affect your personal omega-3 requirements (8).  One way to ensure optimal intake is to test your Omega-3-Index, which can be done with a simple home test kit, is a robust measure of EPA and DHA levels, and can predict risk of chronic diseases (9).  Your index should be 8% or greater, so if you are below this you may need to increase your EPA and DHA intake a bit more.

Learn about the omega-3-index with leading expert Dr. Harris

*a number of different labs offer this test in various countries.

Increasing your intake

Regularly enjoying foods rich in both ALA (nuts, seeds, nut and seed butters; especially chia, hemp, flax/ linseed, and walnuts) and EPA + DHA (enriched eggs, cold-water fish, and occasional pasture fed and wild game meats) is the best way to ensure optimal intake, not only of omega-3 but also for the wider benefits these natural, whole foods provide.

As a simple guide, enjoy a small handful of seeds/ nuts or a tablespoon of milled linseed most days, and a serving of sustainably caught fish at least three times a week.

Eating plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables while avoiding processed foods will improve your omega-3 metabolism, as will using extra virgin olive oil instead of vegetable cooking oils.

Dietary supplements can help, but consider environmentally sustainable sources of omega-3 such as algal oils or Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certified fish oil products. If you don't eat fish, most authorities recommend at least 500 mg of EPA + DHA from supplements daily, or 1000 mg if you are at high risk for heart disease.

And when using supplements look for the EPA and DHA content, as a 1000 mg capsule could provide anywhere from 300-900 mg EPA and DHA, meaning you might need to take a few capsules daily.

References:

1. Burdge G.C., Jones A.E., Wootton S.A. Eicosapentaenoic and docosapentaenoic acids are the principal products of alpha-linolenic acid metabolism in young men. Br. J. Nutr. 2002;88:355–363
2. Wallin A, Di Giuseppe D, Orsini N, Patel PS, Forouhi NG,Wolk A. Fish consumption, dietary long-chain n–3 fatty acids, and risk of type 2 diabetes: systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective studies. Diabetes Care. 2012;35:918–29.
3. Atkinson C, Whitley E, Ness A, Baker I. Associations between types of dietary  fat and fish intake and risk of stroke in the Caerphilly Prospective Study (CaPS). Public Health. 2011 Jun;125(6):345-8.
4. Trikalinos T. A. et al. Effects of Eicosapentanoic Acid and Docosahexanoic Acid on Mortality Across Diverse Settings: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Trials and Prospective Cohorts: Nutritional Research Series, Vol. 4. 2012.
5. Flock MR, Harris WS, Kris-Etherton PM. Long-chain omega-3 fatty acids: time to establish a dietary reference intake. Nutr Rev. 2013 Oct;71(10):692-707.
6. McNamara RK, Strawn JR. Role of Long-Chain Omega-3 Fatty Acids in Psychiatric Practice. PharmaNutrition. 2013 Apr;1(2):41-49.
7. Hibbeln JR, Davis JM. Considerations regarding neuropsychiatric nutritional requirements for intakes of omega-3 highly unsaturated fatty acids. Prostaglandins Leukot Essent Fatty Acids. 2009 Aug-Sep;81(2-3):179-86.
8. Flock MR, Skulas-Ray AC, Harris WS, et al. Determinants of erythrocyte omega-3 fatty acid content in response to fish oil supplementation: a dose-response randomized controlled trial. J Am Heart Assoc. 2013 Nov 19;2(6):e000513
9. Harris WS. The omega-3 index: clinical utility for therapeutic intervention. Curr Cardiol Rep. 2010 Nov;12(6):503-8.
10. Brunner EJ, Jones PJ, Friel S, Bartley M. Fish, human health and marine ecosystem health: policies in collision. Int J Epidemiol. 2009 Feb;38(1):93-100.