[aarealskei]

What is the best source of Omega 3 fatty acids? I know that fish is the first one, but since 1) I am vegan and 2) I am allergic to fish anyway, that one is out.

I have read on several boards that Omega 3 fatty acids are the best natural treatment for depression. I have a liver problem, so taking depression meds is not an option for me any longer. I need to do something, so I thought about trying the Omega 3 thing, but I don't know which source to get it from. Any suggestions?

 

[janette]

flax seed (oil or fresh ground seeds), or udos oil is always good.

for depression you may want to look into st johns wort. if supplements/oils are too expensive it is VERY easy to make your own st johns wort oil... especially if you can harvest the plants your self.

 

[aarealskei]

wow...I didn't know you could make your own St. John's Wort. How do you do it???? Is it possible to take too much of it?

 

[zoebird]

i recommend Udo's Special blend of oils--which is vegetarian and/or Spectrum Omega Essentials Spread. It's very good, also vegetarian. you can have it on toast--very nice.

 

[GhostUser]

Flax seed is the only source of omega-3 I can think of. Some studies say it's not as easily broken down as fish oil, but I am not about to try fish oil!

Educate yourself before you take St. John's Wort. It really works for some people, but can cause problmes for others. And I'm pretty sure it has some drug interactions (like birth control).

SAM-e is a supplement for depression I've considered taking, but I don't have any first-hand experience with it. In the US it's not prescription, though in other places it is. It can be expensive, though.

 

[GhostUser]

(St. John's Wort shouldn't be taken if you are on the birth control pill, fyi.)

B vitamins are also good in aiding with depression as well.

Good luck!

 

[GhostUser]

Walnuts are also an excellent source of omega 3. 3tbsp is a serving size for it.

 

[Kyo]

There are other sources of vegetarian omega-3 in foods but flaxseed is by far the best. I say that because not only is it an excellent source of omega-3, it doesn't have a lot of omega-6 which is a very good thing. Most vegetarians and especially vegans consume too much omega-6. By "best" I mean that flaxseeds are the best for most people, but some people's bodies don't perform necessary conversions so they need to take other sources of omega-3.

There are 3 types of omega-3 I know of: DHA, EPA and LNA. The omega-3 in flaxseed and most other vegetarian sources is LNA. Our bodies need to convert the LNA to EPA and DHA. Both EPA and DHA are important but our bodies don't perform the convertion efficiently under certain curcumstances. One advantage of fish oil is it has EPA and DHA in it so we don't have to rely on the conversion. It's a direct source of EPA and DHA.

Well the good news is that there is now a vegetarian source of DHA. There are DHA supplements from microalgae. I've also seen EPA supplements from microalgae but all the ones I've seen were in gelatine capsules. I'm sure this will change eventually. And, our bodies can also convert DHA to EPA. So, people that can't efficiently perform the conversion of LNA to EPA and DHA now have a vegetarian option. They don't need to take fish oil.

 

[janette]

to make st johns wort oil (or any other herbal oil) all you have to do is put the dried (or almost dried) and chopped plant material (in the case of st johns wort use the flowers and their stems) into a sealable glass jar. cover the plant material with extra virgin olive oil. there should be about an extra inch or two of oil. let it soak for atleast two weeks (a little longer is better but it doesnt stay fresh for ever). shake it every day and try to put it in the sun light to speed things up. once it has soaked for long enough strain out the plant material. thats it. st johns wort is a safe herb. i would take maybe a tsp or a bit less 3x a day. however, you might want to consult a herbalist first. they may also be able to suggest better treatments.

you could also make a tea or you could make a tincture (essentially the same as making an oil except the plant material can be fresh. cover it + one inch with 30 - 40% vodka or other 'additive free' alcohol)

xoxo