Omega-3: which are the best dietary sources?
Omega-3 are polyunsaturated fatty acids which are crucial for heart, brain and eye health. But which foods contain the most?
Omega-3: what exactly are they?
Omega-3 are polyunsaturated fatty acids, ie., fatty acids that contain at least two double bonds between their carbon molecules.
More specifically, omega-3s comprise alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), a short-chain fatty acid, and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), both of which are long-chain fatty acids.
These are termed ‘essential’ as our bodies are unable to synthesise them in sufficient amounts. We cannot produce ALA, and though ingested ALA can be converted into EPA and DHA, it only produces very small amounts. It is therefore vital to obtain these omega-3 fatty acids from our diet.
Why do we need omega-3?
Omega-3, often referred to as ‘good fats’, play a very important role in health:
- ALA helps maintain normal blood cholesterol levels;
- EPA and DHA support healthy cardiac function, as well as normal blood pressure and triglyceride levels;
- DHA helps maintain normal brain function and vision;
- and finally, omega-3 fatty acids, via the mother, support brain development in the foetus and breastfed baby (1).
Omega-3-rich foods from animal sources
Oily fish and seafood: an excellent source of omega-3
The best animal-source foods for omega-3 are fish (primarily oily fish, followed by some lean fish) and seafood. They contain mainly DHA and EPA:
- top of the list is cod liver oil (18g-25g of EPA and 17g-25g of DHA per 100g);
- then comes mackerel (5g-6g of EPA and 3.5g-5g of DHA per 100g);
- then herring (2g-3g of EPA and 0.9g-1.5g of DHA per 100g);
- tinned sardines (1g-2g of EPA and 0.5g-1g of DHA per 100g);
- wild salmon (1g-1.5g of EPA and 1g-1.5g of DHA per 100g) ;
- anchovies (1g-1.4g of EPA and 0.6g-1.2g of DHA per 100g);
- trout (0.4g-1g of EPA and 0.4g-1g of DHA per 100g);
- red tuna (0.2g-1g of EPA and 0.5g-1.5g of DHA per 100g) ;
- halibut (0.2g-0.5g of EPA and 0.2g-0.7g of DHA per 100g);
- and finally, mussels (0.2g-0.5g of EPA and 0.2g-0.5g of DHA per 100g).
It’s worth noting that wild fish usually have more omega-3 than farmed fish …
Land animal products: poor performers?
Land animal-source foods contain far fewer omega-3 than oily fish.
The best such sources are:
- omega-3-enriched eggs (up to 0.6 g of DHA and sometimes EPA per 100g);
- then omega-3-enriched milk (up to 0.1 g of DHA and sometimes EPA per 100g);
- standard eggs (0.03g-0.1g of ALA per 100g);
- standard milk (0.01g-0.05g of ALA per 100g);
- depending on the animal’s diet, meat may contain omega-3, but usually in smaller amounts.
Eggs and dairy products, ideally enriched with omega-3, can therefore make a modest contribution to an omega-3-rich breakfast.
Plant-source foods high in omega-3
Let’s now take a look at omega-3-rich foods from plant sources.
First of all, we’re aware that many of our readers would like to know which fruit has the most omega-3… Unfortunately, the majority of fresh fruits have no omega-3 at all, the one exception being avocados which have around 0.1g of ALA per 100g).
In fact, the best plant-source foods for omega-3 (specifically ALA) are seeds (and seed oils), nuts and dried fruits, and to a lesser extent, some green vegetables:
- first place goes to flaxseed oil (53g-55g ALA per 100g);
- then flax seeds (22g-24g of ALA per 100g);
- hemp oil (around 20g of ALA per 100g);
- chia seeds (17g-20g of ALA per 100g);
- walnut oil (10g-13 g of ALA per 100g);
- canola oil (rapeseed) ( 9g-11g of ALA per 100g);
- walnuts (2.5g-3g of ALA per 100g);
- soya (1g-1.5g of ALA per 100g);
- tofu (0.2-0.4g of ALA per 100g);
- pumpkin seeds (0.1g-0.3g of ALA per 100g);
- grapeseed oil (0.1- 0.2g of ALA per 100g);
- avocados (0.1g-0.2g of ALA per 100g);
- raw spinach (0.1g-0.2g of ALA per 100g).
In addition, some types of edible seaweed contain small amounts of EPA and DHA: ulva (sea lettuce), porphyra (nori), Ecklonia cava, Chlorella…
Which supplements should you take to boost your intake of omega-3?
To add to your omega-3 intake, especially EPA and DHA, you also have the option of taking dietary supplements offering higher doses. Standard omega-3 supplements contain fish oil, usually obtained from oily fish in which the omega-3 is in the form of triglycerides or ethyl esters.
Krill oil, on the other hand, is extracted from krill, small shrimp-like crustaceans. Here, the omega-3 are in the form of phospholipids which are more easily absorbed. It also contains astaxanthin and does not smell or taste as strong as fish oil.
Finally, calanus oil comes from Calanus finmarchicus, a tiny zooplankton copepod found in arctic regions. Its omega-3 are primarily in the form of wax esters, which are better able to withstand enzymes in the gut and thus offer additional effects on metabolism. Another key advantage is that as calanus is so abundant, it is considered a renewable resource.
SUPERSMART ADVICE
References
- Krupa K, Fritz K, Parmar M. Omega-3 Fatty Acids. [Updated 2023 Jan 17]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2023 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK564314/
Keywords
55 Days
Reliable delivery
Reliable delivery. Good product.
Viva
69 Days
Great service
Great service
cl
70 Days
Received product promptly and its early…
Received product promptly and its early days but seems to have improved my daughters alertness.
Anandi
81 Days
Amazing
Amazing, great product!
ALEX Sinclair
84 Days
Good products and Swift handling
Good products and Swift handling
Trusted
89 Days
I trust the company's product
I trust the company's products, the quality is trustworthy and the speed of delivery is also appreciated.
NAJIB Malaah
89 Days
Good job.
This company is serious when it comes to serving it's customers. They are fast to send out the orders. Their site is great and easy. Also, they treat their return customers with great deals and discounts. Keep up the good work.
ABDULQADER Jehad
90 Days
I know frech ( level 3 of 6) and can…
I know frech ( level 3 of 6) and can read your messages, but since order are official documents I'd like to have this in english. Merci Ursula Mathes
Ursula Mathes
94 Days
I worried the delivery.
Box was intact, content correct but delivery time was 12 days. I started to worry!
VIITANEN Esa
96 Days
Supply of Chondroitin 6-sulphate
The company has provided the required product efficiently with no complications.
OldBear
98 Days
Supersmart sell a lot of interesting…
Supersmart sell a lot of interesting stuff. More than jut the usual vitamins though they do all those as well. Ordering pretty straightforward - you may need to try a couple of times to get the offers to apply but they do work. I queried something and had a fairly quick sensible reply. Postage takes a couple if days but you do get good progress information. Very well packed. Bought from Supersmart a few times and will do so again.
AT Griffin
17 Days
Entreprise sérieuse
Livraison Express Service client réactif Produits de qualité Je vous recommande Supersmart !
CIAMPI Brenda
22 Days
Incapacité structurelle à corriger une erreur de traitement de livraison
Cela fait des années que je me fournis chez Supersmart. Ces derniers temps j'ai constaté une baisse significative de la qualité de travail et d'exécution conforme des commandes permanentes. Une erreur de paramétrage du programme robotisé de livraison m'a valu 2 réceptions d'un article non commandé en lieu et place de celui qui figure sur mon espace personnel ET sur la facture émise par Supersmart. Ensuite, la succession de tickets numérotés différents pour les demandes de rectification portant sur le même sujet s'avère être une nouvelle source d'erreur et de précisions de traitement. Cela va de mal en pis, entre délai de réponse et pertinence de celles-là ... Je suis profondément déçu et inquiet : Supersmart est basé en Espagne et son centre logistique au Luxembourg, ce qui obligerait ma PJ à saisir les 2 autorités judiciaires. SUITE À LA RÉPONSE APPORTÉE PAR ANNA : Je pense que je pourrai réintroduire la commande permanente de mes articles augmentée d'un moyen curatif pour mon épouse. La morale de cela est que rien ne vaut l'humain dans l'exécution des conditionnements pour envois... et qu'il est inapproprié de s'asseoir sur des systèmes automatisés sans contrôles.
Thierry Gérard Droz
25 Days
Pueraria Mirifica / transgenre et intersexe
Transgenre (52 ans) et potentiellement intersexe au sens partiel (mosaïcisme) j'ai pris pendant 4/5 ans de la Pueraria Mirifica sans avis d'un médecin... Je suis arrivé/e à ce que je voulais ; rendre plus féminin mon aspect, arrêt des érections et des éjaculations (qui étaient déjà difficiles). Tout dépend des récepteurs hormonaux (oestrogènes) dans chaque cellules de notre corps, XX et XY et phénotypes ne veulent rien dire. J'ai une poitrine, petite, pousse système pileux ralenti. Trop tard pour ma calvitie. Reprise après une pause (20/07/2025) en me fixant 2 pills par jour pendant 6 mois.
GAYET Alexia
30 Days
Ottimi prodotti
Ottimi prodotti. Spedizioni rapide.
Enzo