Community: Forum: Vegetarian Discussion
Vegan / Vegetarian Discussion - All Things Veg*n Forum
So, I have some moderate brain damage and my GP has me on pharmaceutical grade fish oil. He is quite strict and requires a minimum 2:1 ratio EPA/DHA. I see the greatest improvement from taking a minimum of 500mg of EPA and currently take 1000mg. Otherwise things like my mailing address and social security number become very foggy. I've been on a particular fish oil for several years and it had become the only animal product left in my life. A few months ago I quit taking it and the effects have been fairly negative. I've begun taking it again because to hell with not remembering stuff, ya know? I have no problem avoiding all other animal products outside of this. I do not refer to myself as vegetarian so to not blur the already fuzzy line. I've spent the last 40 days back on the fish oil and my memory has begun improving again. I've tried like crazy to find a vegetarian EPA over 500mg but I can't find anything over 130 mg! I can't afford to take 5 or 10 pills a day! Do any of you know of a veggie option that might meet my requirements? This is a very important supplement to my wellbeing. The fish oil I'm taking is as responsible as possible (MSC certified and non-gmo) but I feel it's preventing me from wearing my vegetarian badge and keeping me stuck at pescetarian. I would love any suggestions. I really love remembering stuff so if I have to stay pesco then so be it...
Responses (3)
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Posted by GiorgioL. at 07/07/16 08:30:21
Hemp, hemp and hemp!!!
Hemp milk is nice (don't warm it), hemp seeds in your salads are super and hemp seeds oil. That it's disgusting but very healty.
Hemp seeds have impressing proprierties, have a look about!
A video that you probably like about (not about hemp but about brain): www.ted.com/talks/sandrine_thuret_you_can_grow_new_brain_cells_here_s_how?language=en
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Posted by Robinwomb at 07/08/16 01:42:10
I've been vegan for years and have not needed to supplement EPA/DHA, so I am not that familiar with vegan EPA/DHA supplements. I did however have a look around on Google and found one with more than 130mg EPA:
https://www.vegetology.com/products/opti3
This information might also be of help to you in strategizing your EPA/DHA needs:
veganhealth.org/articles/omega3
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Posted by zorgster at 07/11/16 13:54:19
Fish do not produce Omega 3 oils... they get it from algae... although they are efficient converters of ALA to EPA/DHA...
This product is completely vegan and provides 250mg of DHA and 125mg of EPA from Algae:
amzn.to/29rlwLA
Echium Seed Oil also is a rich source of ALA/SDA and LA/GLA - intermediates on the path between ALA and EPA/DHA.
amzn.to/29rllQH
Another rich source of Omega3 is Perilla Seed Oil (used in Korean cooking like sesame oil) - it is possible to buy supplementary capsules (they are vegan, if they do not use gelatin) - it's not the same as perilla oil used topically for skin problems...
I found one that is not vegan (gelatin capsules)... it contain 1.65g of ALA (Omega3), 450mg of LA (Omega6) and 395mg of Omega9 (oleic acid). I'm not sure that one can fully rely on ALA without looking at one's whole diet and lifestyle.. as you need to make sure that you are not deficient in other minerals/vitamins and are not overeating carbs etc
There is a conversion path from ALA through various intermediates to EPA and then to DHA. It has been known for a couple of decades since studies in the 90s that we do convert ALA to EPA and DHA.. There have been studies looking at how efficient we are at converting ALA-DHA but I do not think these studies, at the time, considered the vitamin and mineral co-factors that are necessary for the conversion - or methods of optimising the conversion. In about 2001 a health food shop owner showed me a slide from a Solgar conference she went to.. showing the conversion of ALA to DHA and required coenzymes in those reactions. Vitamins B3, B6, C and the minerals zinc and magnesium are required to support the enzymes that convert ALA to DHA (so in a healthy diet, you might not generally need to worry about it)... Trans fatty acids, alcohol and excessive insulin (eating too much glucose/carbohydrates (breads etc) can all inhibit the enzymes and reduce the conversion efficiency. Women might be better converters as estrogen may be involved (but in men testosterone does convert to estrogen within cells to some degree)
Here's a good image of the conversion and required co-factors:
https://eatheallove.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/epaconversion.png
Another study suggests that Curcumin (from Turmeric) increases the availability of DHA to the brain.. (yet another study, which i've not linked to, suggested that piperine (in black pepper) increase the absorption of curcumin by over a 1000%)
www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0925443914003779
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