Joy Kong, MD, explains that ALA, the plant-based omega-3, is the only truly essential one because your body can't make it. EPA and DHA from fish are derivatives your body produces from ALA if you eat enough. Most people don't consume enough omega-3s to generate adequate amounts.
Omega 3s from plants. Are they different from the Omega 3s you can get from animals?
You're actually saying the question wrong, and it's because of the way they've been advertised. The essential fatty acid is plant based. It's called alpha linolenic acid and it has three double bonds in it. EPA and DHA that you find in fish are essential fatty acid derivatives. They're not essential fatty acids. You don't need them because your body can make them. If you get enough alpha linolenic acid, essential means you can't make it from anything else. But the fish oil industry always calls them essential fatty acids, and they like to diminish alpha linoleic acid. So the issue is that most people don't get enough Omega 3s, so then they can't make enough derivatives. So we fix that problem by getting them oils that are rich in omega 3s and that are made with health and lime. So they are different.
