More good reasons to buy fish oil (or not)

If you are like me, then you are over being told that fish oil will save the world. The oils from oily fishes are high in the long chain omega 3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). DHA is thought to be essential to good health in humans, with implications for brain function in particular.

But time and again you will see research presented as though there is no other possible source for DHA than fish oil. Of course, humans make our own DHA from the shorter chain fatty acids like LHA which are abundant in plant foods such as flax seeds (aka linseeds), walnuts and countless other goodies. But there is a problem, we don't convert LHA to DHA very efficiently. So, enter the knight in vegan armour; algae. Algae is the source of the DHA in fish, can be cultured in a lab; and is hence a sustainable source of nutrients (unlike fish, which is completely unsustainable). So why not cut out the middle man? I get my DHA from a product called Udo's Choice and I mix 1 tablespoon in with a fresh fruit/vegetable juice for breakfast.

Anyway, the latest research shows that DHA is converted to a chemical called Resolvin D2 which is good for your joints and helps prevent inflammation caused by arthritis etc as stated by the articles here, here and here. So if you've got joint problems, or are worried about developing Alzheimer's disease, seek out an algal source of DHA.