I have been vegan for more than 3 years and take 2 capsules of an algae-based omega 3, with as much DHA as I could find. I took that blood test and learned I was a little over 7. Disappointed! With a strong family history of dementia (and CVD), I refer to Dr. Bredesen’s protocol, which calls for an omega 3 index of 10! I found it challenging to reliably double up on my dosage, so went back to adding 2 salmon meals a week. Will retest in 3 more months.
Thanks for your personal information. I have been vegan for almost 5 year and just recently started supplementing DHA EPA. I have ordered the index today so I can see what my levels are. The blood cells tested reflect probably a long-term intake
DHA EPA intake depends also om baseline Omega 3, there was a graph in one of Dr. rhonda patrick's video. For example if you are aroune 4% you need around 1,5g per day to stabilize the deficiency
YT presenters/guests - and the internet generally - are not rigorous with this stuff. Precision and accuracy seem to collateral damage in the quest for sound bites and viewing figures. What's scary is you're just about the only person to ask this important question....
why is this al so confusing... some say to take 500mg omega 3 dha and epa, some say 1000mg, then some say 2000mg others 3000mg and some even 4000mg... i dont udnerstand why this always have to be like this with everything... why isn't there just 1 good answer
This is all peachy but there are too many ambiguous studies. Just look at the STRENGTH trial. The benefits were zero and so bad, they stopped the study and stopped the production of the drug. That was a mixture of 3/4 EPA, 1/4 DHA I believe. I’d zero in on the triglyceride vs Ester formulation as that STRENGTHstudy was a massive one and flopped.
You need to look at the EPA+DHA content of each capsule before deciding how many you need. This is usually on the label. I think he is saying that you should take at least 1g of EPA and DHA combined daily. That is what I take on doctors advice. Of course, if you are vegan, they will be algal oil capsules, not fish oil. This gives me a omega 6:3 ratio of 2.1 and omega-3 index of around 8.5 % which are both in the desirable range. But achieving this 6:3 ratio depends on also reducing omega-6 intake for most people on western diets, sometimes substantially.
@@robman2095 Have you found an algae supplement that is 3rd party tested that is 1 gram? Or do you take several capsules of a lower amount to get to 1 gram. I could only find so far Nordic Naturals algae, 715 mg for 2 capsules.
What a shame that plant based sources of omega 3s, whether by whole foods or supplements, wasn't investigated at all. I thought that was where you were heading when you talked about those, that because of ethical or environmental reasons, choose not to eat fish.....and then nothing. Very disappointed.
Do you mean algae oil or flax, chia , hemp etc. because we certainly talked about the latter when covering ALA. they contain omega 3s but a very small % is converted by the body to dha/epa. And that % is likely much smaller if you have a background diet that’s rich in omega 6. Hope that’s clear
I am vegan eating a mostly whole plant food diet, logging everything in Cronometer which is indicating that my 6 to 3 ratio is on point and most of the time @ over 100% of the targeted goal. So I really don't see what all this fuss is about. ❤
But is your Omega 3 coming from ALA? If so, the body has to convert it into the beneficial types (I.e. EPA and DHA). Our body's ability to do so varies from person to person and is quite poor at doing this even in the best case scenario. Therefore you would need very very high levels to meet the recommended amount of EPA and DHA in the body. The only form of vegan EPA and DHA is algae. Other sources of Omega 3 are the inactive.
@@littlevoice_11The theory is that if you have a good ratio then your productio of epa and dha is good. But it is as you say, your peoduction of epa and dha might be genetically impaired.
Grass fed beef...when pastured with the proper MIX of many forage plant species...has more DHA/EPA than wild Salmon. These Pasture Grazing Methods ALSO regenerates dead Soils faster and better than any other methods.
And grassfed beef is also best source of CLA, K2, has many times more vitamin A and carotenoids, 3 times the vitamin E of grain fed beef, more calcium, more magnesium, etc...
@@gb7168 lol, toxic saturated fat. It's glycation of proteins and inflammatory effects of elevated insulin that cause damage to arterial walls. Cholestorol is there as a bandaid to patch damage from too much sugar damaging the vascular system but people blamed the cholestorol composing plaques instead of asking why is cholestorol depositing in those locations in the first place. Cholestorol and lipids are the primary building block of cell membranes, the brain, nervous system, kidneys, all hormones are built from cholestorol. Beef consumption in the US is down 40% from the 1950's yet here we are with record neurodegenerative and metabolic disease. Kids now suffer fatty liver which used to only be seen in alcoholics as fat has been supplanted with carbs in school lunches, informed by the wonderful food pyramid. Just a simple thought experiment- we evolved for hundreds of thousands of years foraging and hunting- did our ancestors get 6-11 servings a day of grains and starches? They were lucky to find some berries or honey a few times a year, and maybe some root vegetables or tubers that might be local to them. Additionally the produce we eat now has all been selectively bred for high sugar/starch content and sweetness. A modern farmed blueberry is the size of a grape and full of sugar, go find some wild blueberries in a desolate area that have not been cross-polinated by farmed crops and you will see they are shriveled up tart little things. The fruit and vegetables our ancestors did manage to forage were dramatically different than the glucose bombs we claim to be healthy now. In 2 weeks of replacing grains and sugar with grassfed beef my arthritis disappeared, backpain improved. In 2 months I lost 35lbs and am now working out like I used to in my late teens and 20's. The fat that clung to my belly and sides melted off in just a couple months as I lowered insulin levels and my body was finally allowed to access the fat stores that had been locked up for decades. After 6 mile runs and calisthenics and bodyweight routines I have no muscle soreness. As a glucose burner I used to be nearly paralyzed the next day after exercising. BP down 30 points, resting heart rate down nearly 20BPM, better attention and focus, etc... From both the historical facts and latest research as well as my own anecdotal experience we are obviously meant to run on ketone metabolism and rarely eat limited amounts of glucose. Fat has been the enemy since 1970 and whole grains the supposed miracle cure for all that ailed society but here we are with record levels of obesity and diabetes. India has the highest vegetarian population in the world and also has the highest levels of diabetes in the world (even among low BMI individuals). The Indian provinces where the most red meat (goat) is consumed have dramatically lower incidence of diabetes (and also all-cause mortality). Meat & saturated fat = health and vitality. Starch and sugar = sickness and death.
"Grass fed beef...when pastured with the proper MIX of many forage plant species...has more DHA/EPA than wild Salmon" Ok, so. The downsides of eating that for DHA/EPA is well known. There are also compounds that we need in bacon, ice cream, candy, and cake. should we eat those for specific nutrients? Or make better choices and consume the foods that have what we need with as few bad things for us as possible?
@@krisfarrugia6490 "Context matter. Saturated fat under 10%E doesn't seem to contribute to AS or CVD" Based on what? If that is based on the population as a whole, then you are looking at that based on a generally unhealthy group. If you are looking at people that eat a health diet and exercise, don't smoke or drink, then 10% might have a negative impact (depending on source). The reason why sample groups matter is how eggs are considered ok. Because if you take a large sample of the average person (they have high cholesterol) and give them an extra egg or two per week their cholesterol almost doesn't move....as it is already elevated and dietary cholesterol's impact on blood lipids is a log curve (meaning the higher your cholesterol already is adding more in your diet increases it less). But if you are healthy and have a cholesterol level under 150 and then that person is given a couple eggs per week their level will rise much more than someone starting with a base level of 220. There are other things in meat as well that you don't need to be eating as well as compounds that form from the cooking process, less you are someone that only eats boiled or steamed meats. Source matters as the proportion of lauric, myristic, palmitic, and stearic acid are all over the place and each one has a different impact on the body. I mean would you seriously think that 10 grams of saturated fat from eating avocado is the same effect on your body as 10 grams of saturated fat from bacon and then that being the same as 10 grams of saturated fat from a wild caught fish? Then, you have all the other compounds that come along for the ride as well as other micronutrients, and the compounds that form during the cooking process. The RDA for things like sat fats are based on a broadly varied intake of foods that are bringing the nutrient of interest that you are monitoring. Eating 20 grams of sat fat from coconut oil will be a big negative for your body while 20 grams of sat fat from canola oil or avocado not so much to beneficial (don't forget the lipid / fatty acid profiles of the saturated fats in each item matters).
THANK you Simon for everything(!) you do! 🙏
You have such a huge impact on my everyday life ☺️🙏
Thank you very much. I suggest that if you kindly make it in the WRITTEN FORM LIKE ARTICLE OR QUESTION AND ANSWERS.
I have been vegan for more than 3 years and take 2 capsules of an algae-based omega 3, with as much DHA as I could find. I took that blood test and learned I was a little over 7. Disappointed! With a strong family history of dementia (and CVD), I refer to Dr. Bredesen’s protocol, which calls for an omega 3 index of 10! I found it challenging to reliably double up on my dosage, so went back to adding 2 salmon meals a week. Will retest in 3 more months.
Thanks for your personal information. I have been vegan for almost 5 year and just recently started supplementing DHA EPA. I have ordered the index today so I can see what my levels are. The blood cells tested reflect probably a long-term intake
DHA EPA intake depends also om baseline Omega 3, there was a graph in one of Dr. rhonda patrick's video. For example if you are aroune 4% you need around 1,5g per day to stabilize the deficiency
I take one tablespoon (!!!) of algae oil (made from the algae Schizochytrium sp.) and my Omega 6:3 ratio went to 1,5 : 1 and omega index to 10-11 %…
Incredibly useful information! Thank you so much!!
What DHA to EPA ratio is optimal? I thought that question was going to be addressed, but the answer devolved into how much DHA and EPA vs other fats.
It appears roughly 2:1 DHA to EPA.
when you say "1g of epa and dha a day", do you mean 500mg of epa and 500mg of dha? or 1g of epa and 1g of dha?
YT presenters/guests - and the internet generally - are not rigorous with this stuff. Precision and accuracy seem to collateral damage in the quest for sound bites and viewing figures.
What's scary is you're just about the only person to ask this important question....
@@danguee1 haha, thanks. i think he meant 1g in total. i think he did mention it in another video.
I wonder if there are different recommendations for those with bleeding disorders or problems like menorrhagia.
IIRC Dr Lipid (Tom Dayspring) reckons you need a minimum of 2000Mg/d of EPA to have an effect on lowering Triglycerides
bottom line summary?
why is this al so confusing... some say to take 500mg omega 3 dha and epa, some say 1000mg, then some say 2000mg others 3000mg and some even 4000mg... i dont udnerstand why this always have to be like this with everything... why isn't there just 1 good answer
Take 1500 mg. Go test your cholesterol and triglycerides. If you triglycerides dropped, stick with it.
This is all peachy but there are too many ambiguous studies. Just look at the STRENGTH trial. The benefits were zero and so bad, they stopped the study and stopped the production of the drug. That was a mixture of 3/4 EPA, 1/4 DHA I believe. I’d zero in on the triglyceride vs Ester formulation as that STRENGTHstudy was a massive one and flopped.
What bout handful of walnuts and some olive oil n few Brazil nuts should be eough
Sorry I'm not a English speaker so how many tablets a day? Like, some common brand of omega3
You need to look at the EPA+DHA content of each capsule before deciding how many you need. This is usually on the label. I think he is saying that you should take at least 1g of EPA and DHA combined daily. That is what I take on doctors advice. Of course, if you are vegan, they will be algal oil capsules, not fish oil. This gives me a omega 6:3 ratio of 2.1 and omega-3 index of around 8.5 % which are both in the desirable range. But achieving this 6:3 ratio depends on also reducing omega-6 intake for most people on western diets, sometimes substantially.
@@robman2095 Have you found an algae supplement that is 3rd party tested that is 1 gram? Or do you take several capsules of a lower amount to get to 1 gram. I could only find so far Nordic Naturals algae, 715 mg for 2 capsules.
Have some walnuts sod tablets
@@garyroberts1496 No EPA or DHA in walnuts and your ability to convert ALA to DHA and EPA is limited
@robman2095 thanks
Does Asahi bowl have a lot of dha and epa a lot? A lot of seed and berries
What a shame that plant based sources of omega 3s, whether by whole foods or supplements, wasn't investigated at all. I thought that was where you were heading when you talked about those, that because of ethical or environmental reasons, choose not to eat fish.....and then nothing. Very disappointed.
Do you mean algae oil or flax, chia , hemp etc. because we certainly talked about the latter when covering ALA. they contain omega 3s but a very small % is converted by the body to dha/epa. And that % is likely much smaller if you have a background diet that’s rich in omega 6. Hope that’s clear
I am vegan eating a mostly whole plant food diet, logging everything in Cronometer which is indicating that my 6 to 3 ratio is on point and most of the time @ over 100% of the targeted goal. So I really don't see what all this fuss is about. ❤
But is your Omega 3 coming from ALA? If so, the body has to convert it into the beneficial types (I.e. EPA and DHA). Our body's ability to do so varies from person to person and is quite poor at doing this even in the best case scenario. Therefore you would need very very high levels to meet the recommended amount of EPA and DHA in the body.
The only form of vegan EPA and DHA is algae.
Other sources of Omega 3 are the inactive.
It’s NOT all about you, surprise!
@@littlevoice_11The theory is that if you have a good ratio then your productio of epa and dha is good.
But it is as you say, your peoduction of epa and dha might be genetically impaired.
If it’s ALA the conversion is very small so I’d either get an algae derived omega 3 instead of flax seeds or whatever else your eating for omega 3
@jemsuk3784 agreed. Its just not worth risking being deficient
Grass fed beef...when pastured with the proper MIX of many forage plant species...has more DHA/EPA than wild Salmon.
These Pasture Grazing Methods ALSO regenerates dead Soils faster and better than any other methods.
And grassfed beef is also best source of CLA, K2, has many times more vitamin A and carotenoids, 3 times the vitamin E of grain fed beef, more calcium, more magnesium, etc...
@@gb7168 Context matter. Saturated fat under 10%E doesn't seem to contribute to AS or CVD
@@gb7168 lol, toxic saturated fat. It's glycation of proteins and inflammatory effects of elevated insulin that cause damage to arterial walls. Cholestorol is there as a bandaid to patch damage from too much sugar damaging the vascular system but people blamed the cholestorol composing plaques instead of asking why is cholestorol depositing in those locations in the first place. Cholestorol and lipids are the primary building block of cell membranes, the brain, nervous system, kidneys, all hormones are built from cholestorol. Beef consumption in the US is down 40% from the 1950's yet here we are with record neurodegenerative and metabolic disease. Kids now suffer fatty liver which used to only be seen in alcoholics as fat has been supplanted with carbs in school lunches, informed by the wonderful food pyramid. Just a simple thought experiment- we evolved for hundreds of thousands of years foraging and hunting- did our ancestors get 6-11 servings a day of grains and starches? They were lucky to find some berries or honey a few times a year, and maybe some root vegetables or tubers that might be local to them. Additionally the produce we eat now has all been selectively bred for high sugar/starch content and sweetness. A modern farmed blueberry is the size of a grape and full of sugar, go find some wild blueberries in a desolate area that have not been cross-polinated by farmed crops and you will see they are shriveled up tart little things. The fruit and vegetables our ancestors did manage to forage were dramatically different than the glucose bombs we claim to be healthy now. In 2 weeks of replacing grains and sugar with grassfed beef my arthritis disappeared, backpain improved. In 2 months I lost 35lbs and am now working out like I used to in my late teens and 20's. The fat that clung to my belly and sides melted off in just a couple months as I lowered insulin levels and my body was finally allowed to access the fat stores that had been locked up for decades. After 6 mile runs and calisthenics and bodyweight routines I have no muscle soreness. As a glucose burner I used to be nearly paralyzed the next day after exercising. BP down 30 points, resting heart rate down nearly 20BPM, better attention and focus, etc... From both the historical facts and latest research as well as my own anecdotal experience we are obviously meant to run on ketone metabolism and rarely eat limited amounts of glucose. Fat has been the enemy since 1970 and whole grains the supposed miracle cure for all that ailed society but here we are with record levels of obesity and diabetes. India has the highest vegetarian population in the world and also has the highest levels of diabetes in the world (even among low BMI individuals). The Indian provinces where the most red meat (goat) is consumed have dramatically lower incidence of diabetes (and also all-cause mortality). Meat & saturated fat = health and vitality. Starch and sugar = sickness and death.
"Grass fed beef...when pastured with the proper MIX of many forage plant species...has more DHA/EPA than wild Salmon"
Ok, so.
The downsides of eating that for DHA/EPA is well known.
There are also compounds that we need in bacon, ice cream, candy, and cake. should we eat those for specific nutrients? Or make better choices and consume the foods that have what we need with as few bad things for us as possible?
@@krisfarrugia6490
"Context matter. Saturated fat under 10%E doesn't seem to contribute to AS or CVD" Based on what? If that is based on the population as a whole, then you are looking at that based on a generally unhealthy group. If you are looking at people that eat a health diet and exercise, don't smoke or drink, then 10% might have a negative impact (depending on source). The reason why sample groups matter is how eggs are considered ok. Because if you take a large sample of the average person (they have high cholesterol) and give them an extra egg or two per week their cholesterol almost doesn't move....as it is already elevated and dietary cholesterol's impact on blood lipids is a log curve (meaning the higher your cholesterol already is adding more in your diet increases it less). But if you are healthy and have a cholesterol level under 150 and then that person is given a couple eggs per week their level will rise much more than someone starting with a base level of 220.
There are other things in meat as well that you don't need to be eating as well as compounds that form from the cooking process, less you are someone that only eats boiled or steamed meats.
Source matters as the proportion of lauric, myristic, palmitic, and stearic acid are all over the place and each one has a different impact on the body.
I mean would you seriously think that 10 grams of saturated fat from eating avocado is the same effect on your body as 10 grams of saturated fat from bacon and then that being the same as 10 grams of saturated fat from a wild caught fish?
Then, you have all the other compounds that come along for the ride as well as other micronutrients, and the compounds that form during the cooking process.
The RDA for things like sat fats are based on a broadly varied intake of foods that are bringing the nutrient of interest that you are monitoring. Eating 20 grams of sat fat from coconut oil will be a big negative for your body while 20 grams of sat fat from canola oil or avocado not so much to beneficial (don't forget the lipid / fatty acid profiles of the saturated fats in each item matters).
Better take massive amounts of spirulina