Why I cannot get my Omega 3 from Veg sources

EPA is from the Omega 3 family, and is a critical fatty acid for humans.

It's involved in brain development and repair, as well as lowering triglycerides and protecting us from cardiovascular system damage. It also helps fight inflammation.

As babies, we get EPA from breast milk.

As we grow up, we start getting it from food, with the primary sources of EPA being fatty fish: sardines, salmon, mackerel.

There are no real "vegan" sources of EPA (some rare algae only).

Some people promote the consumption of chia seeds, walnuts, and other vegetable sources of fatty acids because they contains ALA.

ALA is another fatty acid which our bodies can "convert to EPA" when not enough EPA is consumed.

But there is a serious problem in that: the conversion rate of ALA to EPA in humans is around 8% for men and 20% for women.

This means that men have to consume TWELVE TIMES more ALA to get the same amount of EPA, and women FIVE TIMES!

But that's not all.

People have genetic variations.

For example: there is a gene called FADS2 which controls the production of an enzyme needed to convert ALA to EPA.

And in my case, my genetics tests revealed that I have almost 30% LOWER conversion than most men.

This means that my rate of conversion of ALA to EPA is closer to 5.5%. So in order to get from chia or walnuts the same amount of EPA I would get from sardines, I would have to consume almost TWENTY TIMES more!

And for me, it's not just a double whammy, it's a TRIPLE whammy, because I have another genetic marker that INCREASES my risk of Hypertriglyceridemia (high levels of triglycerides), which is a primary marker for heart disease.

So I have to consume even MORE EPA to protect myself, either from fish or supplements.

So: to get enough EPA, you need to eat fatty fish regularly and/or supplement. If you triglycerides are high, you need even more.