Compound or practice · Nutrition
Algae Omega-3
The vegan route to EPA/DHA — the same omega-3s fish get from algae, minus the fish.
- Overall grade
- Grade B
- Last revised
- 1
- graded outcome
- 0
- references listed
A structured monograph in Prometheus's bundled library. Its grades are the monograph's own reading of the evidence, not a peer-reviewed review.
1 at grade B — 1 graded row
What is known
Each outcome with its grade (how strong the evidence is, A to D), the size of the effect where the entry records one, and how often studies agree.
- Omega-3 indexEvidence grade B
Reliable in vegans
Moderatehigh
What is uncertain
Read off the same rows as above. Nothing here is added that the entry does not itself record.
- Caution with Anticoagulants (warfarin): High-dose omega-3 adds bleeding risk on anticoagulants.
Interactions
Documented pairings with supplements and medicines. A medicine on this list is a conversation for whoever prescribes it.
Anticoagulants (warfarin)Caution
High-dose omega-3 adds bleeding risk on anticoagulants.
The evidence in words
What it is
Algal oil supplies preformed DHA (and increasingly EPA) directly from the marine algae that are the original source of fish omega-3s.
How it works
It raises the omega-3 index the same way fish oil does, bypassing the poor conversion of plant ALA (from flax/chia) into EPA/DHA.
What the evidence shows
Algal DHA/EPA reliably raises the omega-3 index and is the evidence-based choice for vegetarians and vegans, for whom ALA conversion is inadequate. Outcome data mirror fish oil where measured. It costs more per gram than fish oil.
How to use it
Dose to ~250–1,000 mg combined EPA+DHA daily depending on goal.
Safety & interactions
Safe and sustainable; mild antiplatelet effect at high doses. warfarin — High-dose omega-3 adds bleeding risk on anticoagulants.
Bottom line
The right omega-3 for plant-based eaters — flax and chia won't convert enough. Dose to EPA+DHA, expect to pay more than fish oil.
How it is used
As the entry records it, from the studies it summarises. Not a recommendation for you — doses that suit a trial population may not suit you.
- Standard
- 250–1,000 mg EPA+DHA/day.
Related reading
Entries that share this one's tags or conditions.
- Algae Omega-3 for Omega-3 indexEvidence grade B — Reliable in vegansEvidence grade B
- Algae Omega-3: dosage and how to take it250–1,000 mg EPA+DHA/day.Evidence grade B
- Algae Omega-3: side effects, safety & interactionsSafe and sustainable; mild antiplatelet effect at high doses.Evidence grade B
- Krill OilPhospholipid-bound EPA/DHA with better absorption per gram — but far less omega-3 per capsule than fish oil, at a premium price.Evidence grade C
Sources
This entry lists no references of its own.
Last revised . A grade is this entry's reading of the evidence, not medical advice.