Omega-3 Index Calculator
Individual Omega-3 Supply - The Omega-3 Index Calculator
Determine Omega-3 Index
The baseline index can be roughly estimated depending on the consumption of vegan ALA sources. Check the table to see how often you consume ALA-rich native oils or seeds (including flaxseed oil, hemp oil, rapeseed oil, and chia seeds) and select the corresponding index.
|
Omega-3 Index
|
Omega-3 Consumption |
|---|---|
|
2% (0 g ALA per week)
|
never
|
|
3% (11 g ALA per week)
|
low
Flaxseed oil (up to 55% ALA): 19 g per week
Walnuts (up to 10% ALA): 105 g per week
Rapeseed oil (up to 10% ALA): 105 g per week
|
| 4% (30 g ALA per week) |
moderate
Flaxseed oil (up to 55% ALA): 54 g per week
Walnuts (up to 10% ALA): 300 g per week
Rapeseed oil (up to 10% ALA): 300 g per week
|
|
5% (60 g ALA per week)
|
good
Flaxseed oil (up to 55% ALA): 109 g per week
Walnuts (up to 10% ALA): 601 g per week
Rapeseed oil (up to 10% ALA): 601 g per week
|
|
6% (120 g ALA per week)
|
very good
Flaxseed oil (up to 55% ALA): 217 g per week
Walnuts (up to 10% ALA): 1201 g per week
Rapeseed oil (up to 10% ALA): 1201 g per week
|
|
7-8% (240g ALA per week)
|
optimal
Flaxseed oil (up to 55% ALA): 434 g per week
Walnuts (up to 10% ALA): 2402 g per week
Rapeseed oil (up to 10% ALA): 2402 g per week
|
Tips for Taking Omega-3 Capsules
In general, the recommended intake of EPA and DHA strongly depends on your dietary habits. Overall, it is important to maintain a long-term balance between the unsaturated Omega-3 fatty acids (1) and the unsaturated Omega-6 fatty acids (5) through diet. The official recommendations of the German Nutrition Society are to supply these fatty acids in a ratio of 1:5 (Omega-3: Omega-6) with daily nutrition.
In general, by adhering to our recommended daily dosage (2 capsules), Vegan Omega-3 provides 453 mg of the Omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA. This dosage covers the generally recommended daily requirement of these Omega-3 fatty acids, even if no relevant amounts of EPA and DHA are supplied through a normal diet. Nevertheless, it is advisable to determine your Omega-3 Index to establish an individual intake recommendation for our Omega-3 product. Although the Omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA are often only absorbed in very small amounts from algae in a plant-based diet, the individual intake recommendation depends on your Omega-3 Index and should be adjusted accordingly depending on your food choices. Your Omega-3 Index is influenced not only by the intake of EPA and DHA but also by the intake of alpha-linolenic acid in your diet. This is mainly found in plant-based foods such as flaxseed oil, rapeseed oil, or walnuts. More information about the Omega-3 Index and individual intake recommendations for our Omega-3 supplements can be found here.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Supply Status & Concepts for Determining Individual Daily Omega-3 Requirements
The so-called Omega-3 Index is used for the clinical examination of Omega-3 supply. The Omega-3 Index is measured from the ratio of the Omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA to the total fatty acids in red blood cells, from which the individual supply status and the daily Omega-3 requirement can be derived.
An omega-3 fatty acid index above 8% is associated with a significantly reduced risk of sudden cardiac death and heart attacks. An advantage of determining the omega-3 index compared to general consumption recommendations is that it provides a way to assess the body’s supply status and daily omega-3 requirement. Based on the index, it can be estimated whether a dietary change is necessary or how many omega-3 fatty acids should be additionally consumed daily through diet or supplementation.
Those who do not want to have a blood test to use the omega-3 index can estimate their daily omega-3 intake based on self-assessment. The following table can be used to classify the intake using alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), the precursor of omega-3, according to the starting point of one’s own omega-3 index. For the average consumer, an index value of 4% can be used as a reference.
Daily requirement of omega-3 fatty acids
The German Nutrition Society recommends a daily intake of a total of 250 mg of DHA and EPA through diet, which corresponds to two fish meals per week under previous guidelines. Generally, fatty fish do provide EPA and DHA in adequate amounts, but fish oils are considered less attractive sources of omega-3 from ethical and efficiency perspectives. This is because fish used for fish oil production must be killed and at least partially consumed. Fish cannot synthesize the omega-3 fatty acids DHA and EPA themselves; these are obtained by consuming marine algae and are stored in their tissues. Therefore, supplementing with fish oil is an indirect method that is neither ethically sound nor efficient, especially since potent vegan omega-3 supplements (Vegan Omega 3) are now available. An individual recommendation can be determined using an omega-3 index calculator. However, the majority of the German population does not meet this dietary recommendation. The omega-3 index in a healthy average adult is about 4%.
Providing sufficient EPA and DHA through plant-based foods, such as flaxseed oil, is difficult due to the human body's limited ability to metabolize ALA into EPA and DHA. Therefore, supplementing with Vegan Omega 3, which directly contains EPA and DHA, is suitable to compensate for the poor conversion of ALA. The formulation of the ingredients is not based on the ALA found in plants. ALA can only be metabolized into the longer-chain forms EPA and DHA to a limited extent (<15%) in the human body. In Vegan Omega 3, the longer-chain forms are present in higher amounts accordingly. For example, a serving of two capsules provides a basic supply of 503 mg of algae oil and 452 mg of EPA and DHA. A dosage of 1 g of EPA and DHA, which is estimated to be needed by a healthy average person to reach the recommended omega-3 index of 8% over six months, can be covered by 4-5 capsules of Vegan Omega 3. To obtain these amounts from mainly plant-based foods, a larger quantity of fatty foods is required. To get a total of 1 g of EPA and DHA, about 20 ml of flaxseed oil would need to be consumed. This corresponds to 180 kcal, nearly 8% of the average daily caloric requirement (2400 kcal) for men and women with a moderate activity level. For walnuts, nearly 100 g would need to be consumed daily to reach the omega-3 content found in 4-5 capsules of Vegan Omega 3. This would add approximately 654 kcal and about 65 g of fat to the daily intake from just one food item. Thus, for a smaller woman with a less active lifestyle, this would already cover one-third of the daily caloric requirement.
What exactly are omega-3 fatty acids?
Omega-3 fatty acids are polyunsaturated fatty acids and an essential nutrient for the human body. This means they must be obtained through diet, as the body cannot synthesize them on its own. The direct counterpart to omega-3 fatty acids are the also polyunsaturated omega-6 fatty acids, which are heavily overrepresented in modern diets (e.g., fatty processed foods). The German Nutrition Society recommends a ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 of 5:1 for adolescents and adults. The body needs both of these fatty acids, ideally in the correct ratio. However, in the typical German diet, the proportion of omega-6 fatty acids is often much higher, which is why supplementing omega-3 fatty acids through Vegan Omega 3 can be beneficial in many cases, especially in the context of a fish-free diet.
The ratio of the two fats is so important because both require the same enzyme for breakdown. Therefore, too few omega-3 fatty acids are processed by the body if the proportion of omega-6 fatty acids is too high. For the human body, three omega-3 fatty acids are primarily relevant: EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid), DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), and ALA (alpha-linolenic acid). The latter is converted by the body into EPA and DHA and is therefore considered a precursor of EPA and DHA. Omega-3 fatty acids can have a positive effect on many vital processes in the human body, especially the following:
- normal visual function (DHA)
- normal development of the child during pregnancy (DHA)
- normal triglyceride levels (blood fat values) in the blood (EPA and DHA)
- normal blood pressure (EPA and DHA)
- normal heart function (EPA and DHA)
Occurrence of omega-3 fatty acids in foods
In foods containing omega-3 fatty acids, a distinction must be made between animal and plant sources. Fish is considered the main supplier of the two fatty acids EPA and DHA. Fish species with the highest omega-3 content per 100 g include herring, salmon, mackerel, and tuna.
The omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA in the fat tissue of fish are enriched through the consumption of omega-3-rich algae, making algae ultimately the most sensible source for DHA and EPA. EPA and DHA can only be obtained from plants through algae. Otherwise, omega-3 fatty acids in a plant-based diet can only be supplied via the fatty acid ALA, which is then converted into EPA and DHA. A high proportion of ALA is found, among other things, in chia seeds, walnuts, and flaxseeds or oils derived from these foods. It is important to consider that with a plant-based intake of omega-3, only a very limited amount, up to a maximum of 15%, can be converted from ALA into EPA and DHA.
Quality characteristics of omega-3 supplements
Since consuming omega-3-rich foods often isn’t enough to meet the daily requirement for EPA and DHA, supplementation is advisable in many cases. When choosing a product, high quality should be prioritized to truly gain health benefits from the supplement. The extent to which the body can utilize the positive properties of omega-3 also depends on the form in which the fatty acids are supplied. Intake of triglycerides, as used for example in Vegan Omega 3, is particularly advantageous. This is due to lower susceptibility to oxidation and higher bioavailability. Omega-3 fatty acids in their natural triglyceride form are better absorbed, allowing the concentration of EPA and DHA fatty acids in blood plasma to increase more significantly. The triglyceride form is also the form in which fatty acids occur in natural foods and the form stored in the body. By manufacturing under oxygen-free conditions (protective gas atmosphere) and delivering the product as capsules, spoilage of omega-3 fatty acids can largely be prevented. However, these fatty acids can still oxidize after absorption in the body. To counteract this process, adding antioxidants such as vitamin E or ascorbyl palmitate is recommended. These have the advantage of effectively protecting fatty acids from oxidation and interrupting the radical chain reaction that occurs during fat oxidation.
The fact that omega-3 fatty acids are often associated with the development of anti-inflammatory reactions is also highly relevant for recovery after physical exertion. The potential positive effects of omega-3 fatty acids should not be overlooked even with regular strength training. Muscular strain can cause micro-injuries in muscle fibers that trigger inflammatory reactions. A favorable ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 can promote recovery after such strain.