Our bodies, however, cannot make them; thus we have to eat them. But the typical Western diet does not provide these nutrients in sufficient amounts, and most people have to resort to taking supplements to meet their requirements.

ALA, EPA, and DHA

          Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), a short-chain fatty acid is the only Omega-3 fatty acid that is really essential to the body. It is the building block that forms all other Omega-3 fatty acids. Then with help of enzymes, the body coverts ALA into long-chain Omega-3 fatty acids such as Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).

          ALA is found in chia seeds, flax seed, perilla seed, canola, soy, walnut and their corresponding oils.

          EPA/DHA can be sourced directly from fatty fish and other marine sources like marine plants.

So What Should You Take?

          You should take both. There are some who turn this simple question into a fierce battle for consumer dollars. The ALA team would say, all you need is ALA. The fish team would say: ALA does not convert to DHA/EPA, and so you shouldn't take ALA.

          The truth is that you need both.

          What about the whole argument raised by the fish team that ALA is no good because our human bodies do not efficiently convert it to EPA/DHA?

          Unfortunately, that is true for some people. With the elderly population especially, their ability to convert ALA into long-chain Omega-3s decreases with age. There is also the fact that the Western diet contains too much Omega-6 and trans fats which limit the conversion rate of ALA to EPA and DHA.

          However, this argument assumes that ALA has no benefit at all unless it converts to EPA/DHA. And indeed, for many years, ALA has only been considered a precursor of long-chain fatty acids. This gave the impression that ALA was not as important as DHA and EPA. As a result, there are much more studies on the effects of DHA and EPA for brain, eye, and heart health than on ALA.

          More recent findings indicate, however, that ALA, by itself, is as critical to good health as EPA and DHA. A lack of ALA has been found to change both structure and function of the cell membranes in the brain. The frontal cortex, an area jointly responsible for behaviour, and the hypophysis, a gland that secretes several vital hormones, suffer especially from ALA deprivation. Low ALA concentrations may also alter the brain structures responsible for sensual perceptions and thus impair the ability to hear, see, and smell particularly in elderly people.

          Another study also shows that the body needs sufficient ALA intake to maintain EPA and DHA in the tissues.

         Yet another study in Germany performed on humans, showed that supplementation with ALA oil, but not with EPA/DHA oil, decreased the concentration of inflammation in the body.

          All these new studies suggest that ALA, EPA and DHA have specific effects in the body    independent of each other.

          In summary, there should be no competition between the two types of Omega-3. While it is true that marine sources ensure a direct supply of EPA and DHA, plant-derived ALA is required to complete the spectrum of Omega-3 fatty acids the body needs.

          The American Heart Association has taken all these new studies into consideration, and now recommends the consumption of Omega-3 fatty acids of both plant and marine sources to lower the risk of heart disease.