Photo by Juno Jo
The word Vegan has become synonymous with substitutes. There are substitute meats, milk and even fish. When it comes to Omega 3 however, there can be no substitutes. Omega 3 is Omega 3! The difference is in how it is sourced.
Omega 3s are essential fatty acids found naturally in numerous foods, both animals and plants alike. The vegan version of Omega 3 just means that these fatty acids are extracted from a plant based source instead of an animal.
Since time immemorial fish oils have been the most popular and widely available Omega 3 supplement to date. In recent times, however this trend is rapidly changing with the introduction of algae-based cruelty free Omega 3 supplements. Incidentally, it’s quite interesting to note that fish is only a via medium from which Omega 3 is sourced. Contrary to popular believe, fish are not capable of producing Omega 3's but rather it is obtained from algae by means of their diet. It therefore seems counterintuitive that fish oils are a popular source of Omega 3 supplements when we can go straight to the source without harming animal life or the environment.
Vegan Omega 3's are now rapidly growing in popularity and not just among vegans. With more people becoming aware of the disastrous effect that fisheries have on our oceans, consumers are choosing to go the vegan Omega 3 route, and for good reason. Not only are vegan Omega 3's cruelty-free, they are more effective than the fish oil version as these oils are extracted directly from the source (fresh water algae).
Stay tuned for more posts on the benefits of Omega 3 and why this is so important in our diets.
