Most people are aware of the importance of omega-3, but fewer understand where it actually comes from. There’s a heavy reliance on fish oils and capsules, likely because they’re the most readily available. Before I went vegan, I relied on them too!
Doctors and nutritionists often tout fish oil as the best source of omega-3. On top of this, you may even get those pesky non-vegans ‘fishmongering’, with their “you can’t get high-quality sources of omega-3 that absorb without eating salmon” rubbish.
What many don’t realise is that fish aren’t the primary source of omega-3; they get it by eating algae. That means fish are actually a secondary source of this crucial fatty acid. The fact that this isn’t widely known allows the fish oil industry to continue thriving!
With fish oils dominating the market, it can be challenging for vegans to find plant-based alternatives. And when I say important, I mean vital – our bodies can’t produce omega-3, so we must include it in our diets.
In this article, I’ll introduce you to high-quality vegan omega-3 supplements that go straight to the original source: clean, pure algae!
My top vegan omega-3 supplements
- Best overall: Performance Lab | Skip to review
- Best pure DHA: Nothing Fishy | Skip to review
- Best carrageenan-free: DR.VEGAN | Skip to review
- Best eco-friendly: Ethical Nutrition | Skip to review
- Best flavoured: Ritual | Skip to review
- Best easy open capsule: Feel | Skip to review
- Best single capsule: Brain Feed | Skip to review
- Best multivitamin with omega-3: Ritual Multivitamin | Skip to review
- Best value: Vegan Vitality | Skip to review
What is omega-3?
Omega-3 refers to a family of three fatty acids, ALA, DHA, and EPA.
ALA is used for energy and is found in many plant-based sources including flaxseeds, walnuts and chia seeds. DHA and EPA, the most important omega-3 acids, are pretty vital in the maintenance of healthy brains. Whilst a small percentage of ALA can be converted into DHA and EPA, they are mostly sourced from animal-based foods, particularly fish oil.
What are vegan omega-3 supplements made from?
Vegan omega-3 supplements can be made from a variety of sources, including flaxseed oil and walnuts. But the most effective options which provide high levels of DHA and EPA, are made from algae, like these omega-3 supplements from Ethical Nutrition.
The algae is grown in controlled environments and then harvested, ensuring it is a pure source of vegan omega-3.
Are plant-based omega-3 supplements effective?
Vegan omega-3 supplements go straight to the source of omega-3, algae. They grow this and extract the fatty acids in controlled environments so that they can deliver highly potent pure sources of omega-3. So yes, those which use algae are very effective.
They are also much purer than fish-based omega-3 supplements. This is because fish oils contain toxins and other nasties that they may have ingested from our polluted seas.
Best overall
Performance Lab
- Nutrition: 270mg EPA & 540mg DHA per serving
- Form: Softgel (NutriGels®)
- Serving: 3 capsules a day
- Packaging: Plastic pot
- Price: From £29.92 for 1 month supply
If you are looking for a high-dose, bioavailable, carrageenan-free supplement, then Performance Lab has got your back!
Performance Lab is a supplement company that offers a variety of nutrition products created using advanced nutrition technology, ensuring that all of its supplements are clean and bioavailable.
Their omega-3 supplement is approved vegan by the Vegetarian Society and is made using ocean algae that has been put into one of their NutriGels®, which unlike many other softgels doesn’t contain gelatin or carrageenan. Instead, it is made using a prebiotic fibre, which is also great for the gut!
This is the highest EPA + DHA supplement you will find and also one of the most effective! In fact, it is the one I’m now taking (and have been for the past couple of months!)
Best pure DHA vegan omega-3
Nothing Fishy
- Nutrition: 400mg DHA per serving
- Form: Softgel capsule
- Serving: 2 capsules a day
- Packaging: Compostable packaging with a reusable glass jar
- Price: From £16 for 1 month supply
Nothing Fishy is a plant-based nutrition company specialising in algae-based supplements. Currently, this includes Omega-3, Vitamin D, and Irish Sea Moss. Find out more in my Nothing Fishy review.
Their plant-based algae omega-3 supplement only contains DHA, so if you need EPA then this won’t be for you. Each soft gel capsule contains 200mg of DHA and it is recommended you take two a day, but if you consume plenty of other vegan omega-3 food sources then you could take just one.
You can buy a glass jar with your first purchase or you can buy the supplements in a refill pouch, which is cheaper.
Nothing Fishy Discount – get 10% off your first purchase with code: HELLO10
Best carrageenan-free
DR.VEGAN
- Nutrition: 150mg EPA & 300mg DHA per serving
- Form: Softgel capsule
- Serving: 2 capsules a day
- Packaging: Compostable packaging with a reusable aluminium tin
- Price: From £18.69 for 1 month supply
DR.VEGAN are a fully vegan supplement company selling a range of vitamins and nutrients – find out more in my DR.VEGAN review. They have made sure their algae omega-3 is free from carrageenan (a type of seaweed that is used as a gelatin alternative), which is getting a bit of a bad rep at the moment.
They use high-strength and highly absorbable sources of omega-3 that are grown in controlled environments, so you can be sure they are full of what they say they are. Each serving is made up of 150mg EPA and 300mg DHA, which is above the recommended daily amount.
Whilst they do state that their packaging is compostable, it does still contain bioplastics which are a lot better than traditional plastic, but they do need to be composted at controlled higher temperatures to truly decompose.
Best eco-friendly
Ethical Nutrition
- Nutrition: 140mg EPA & 420mg DHA per serving
- Form: Softgel capsule
- Serving: 2 capsules a day
- Packaging: Recyclable glass jar & aluminium lid
- Price: From £18.70 for 1 month supply
Ethical Nutrition is a family-run business with a fully vegan range of vitamins and supplements, including these high-strength vegan omega-3 soft gel supplements made using algae. Find out more in my Ethical Nutrition review.
They use natural high-quality sources of algae grown in controlled environments, so no nasty toxins will make their way into these! It is one of the highest purity DHA + EPA I’ve seen per serving, which is awesome. And they also assure me that it is highly absorbable as it is in triglyceride form.
Ethical Nutrition is also really conscious about its packaging, which is completely plastic-free (and no bio-plastics either!). The omega-3 comes packaged inside a glass jar. You can easily reuse these to make homemade jams, store things, or simply recycle.
Best flavoured
Ritual
- Nutrition: 154mg EPA & 308mg DHA per serving
- Form: Delay-release capsule
- Serving: 1 capsule a day
- Packaging: Recycled plastic pot
- Price: £33 for 1 month supply
Ritual is a subscription-based supplement company that is 100% plant-based with a focus on using only traceable high-quality ingredients. Find out more in my Ritual review.
Their standalone vegan omega-3 supplement is dosed with the science-backed ratio of 2:1 to DHA and EPA, all housed within one carrageenan-free capsule.
The best bit, they’ve managed to mask the fishy taste with a natural orange flavouring that leaves a really pleasant taste in your mouth. It does make a difference! It isn’t the most budget-friendly on this list, but it contains traceable ingredients at the correct dose.
Best easy open capsule
Feel
- Nutrition: 150mg EPA & 300mg DHA per serving
- Form: Capsule
- Serving: 2 capsules a day
- Packaging: Compostable packaging
- Price: From £14.95 for 1 month supply
Feel is a fully vegan supplement company specialising in vitamins and shakes, as well as these vegan omega-3 capsules. Their EPA and DHA levels are similar to other brands. But the thing that sets them apart is the lower price point.
They come inside a capsule that is easy to open, just in case you prefer to mix the supplement in with your food or drinks. Unlike the soft gel capsules used by other brands, this standard pill capsule also makes their supplement carrageenan-free. But they do have a tendency to break open and leak smelly algae oil everywhere.
Feel Discount – get 20% off your first purchase with code: PARTNER20
Best single capsule
Brain Feed
- Nutrition: 500mg DHA per serving
- Form: Softgel capsule
- Serving: 1 capsule a day
- Packaging: Plastic pouch
- Price: From £19.99 for 1 month supply
If the thought of swallowing capsule after capsule each morning is enough to put you off taking your supplements altogether then you will be happy to discover this single capsule high-dose of vegan omega-3 DHA.
It contains 500mg DHA, but no EPA. This is more suitable for anyone eating a variety of plant-based foods high in omega-3s since your body should already be getting enough EPA from your diet.
Brain Feed Discount – get 15% off your first purchase with code: NEW15
Best multivitamin with omega-3
Ritual Multivitamin
- Nutrition: 330mg DHA per serving
- Form: Capsule
- Serving: 2 capsules a day
- Packaging: Recycled plastic bottles that can be recycled
- Price: £33 for 1 month supply
This is the second time I’ve mentioned Ritual, but it would be a shame to leave out this clever supplement. This is Ritual’s vegan multivitamin that includes a daily dose of algal oil.
They have been clever in getting the algal oil inside the capsule. Since it is a liquid and the other vitamins come in a dry powdered format this is normally impossible to pull off. But they’ve created a patented beadlet technology that allows the powdered vitamins to sit amongst the oil. Pretty cool, right?
Considering that many people take both a multivitamin and an omega-3 supplement it is pretty nifty getting both in one, and what with the ingredients being of high quality the price is reasonable! You can spend more buying both of these items separately.
Best value
Vegan Vitality
- Nutrition: 400mg DHA per serving
- Form: Capsule
- Serving: 1 capsule a day
- Packaging: Recyclable plastic tub
- Price: £14.99 for 2 month’s supply
Your vegan omega-3 supplement need not break the bank. This algae oil capsule from Vegan Vitality contains 400mg of DHA per serving and the tub will last you 2 months, only costing £14.99.
Their softgels are gluten-free and GMO-free, plus they have just started to make them with zero carrageenan. Not bad for a budget option! Although, these aren’t suitable if you are looking for EPA + DHA.
It does come inside a plastic tub but it is easy enough to recycle this.
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