To Fish, or Not to Fish?
Updated: Aug 6, 2021
You've all heard medical professionals preach the effectiveness of fish oil as a supplement. It is proven to benefit heart health, reducing blood pressure, and reducing plaque in arteries. Fish oil is able to do this largely because of it's Omega-3 fatty acids. Naturally fish don't have high omega-3 fatty acids they get them from eating Algae. The two main types in fish oil are eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).
These important omegas actually come directly from the fish's diet; algae! We are learning more and more that there is an advantage to skipping the fish and using algae oil instead. You receive the same benefits (and more), while cutting out the fishy taste in the process! Fish aren't able to produce EPA or DHA themselves, the microalgae is what provides it for them (Source: Healthline). Therefore, you can actually skip the middle-man and eat their food instead, in turn killing less fish and making your consumption of Omega-3's more sustainable for our oceans which are threatened.
The Nitty Gritty
The bioavailability (the truly absorbed amount used by the body) of algae oil is comparable to it's fish oil counterpart. A study review of multiple academic articles found that DHA levels in blood markers revealed that algae oil was akin to fish oil (Lane 2021). There was no significant difference between the two, meaning that algae oil was just as effective. While some other plant-based omega sources can be viable options, but research has shown that the ALA from nut and seed oils were not converted to DHA like algae oil is.
Potential Health benefits
May reduce inflammation
As we know, inflammation is the cause of various diseases. The Omega-3's in algae oil are an effective anti-inflammatory which can reduce pain, arthritis, and tenderness, as well as decreasing your risk for additional inflammatory diseases (Source: Calder, P Phillip). Inflammation is cause of all Dis-ease, it's our body responding to interference.
May support heart health
Studies show Omega-3's (specifically EPA/DHA) reduce the risk of heart disease, specifically coronary heart disease, heart attack, and cardiac death for the general population (Source: MDPI).