PUFA sources

ω-3 sources (EPA, DHA):

  • (cold water, especially seawater) fish, seafood, fish oil, krill oil – more info on fish here
  • some seaweed / micro-algae (original source of EPA, DHA also for marine animals) – commercial products chlorella, spirulina
  • PUFA can also be found in meat, animal fat and eggs – but in a very small proportion. Moreover, there is more ω-6 than ω-3 there (this is even more prominent in case of factory farming) – it is recommended to focus on grass-fed animals

ω-3 sources (ALA):

  • (fresh) ground / crushed flaxseed, flaxseed oil (4: 1), chia seeds (3: 1)
  • kiwifruit seed oil (5: 1), perilla (4: 1) camelina (4: 3), sea buckthorn (1: 1)
  • walnuts – ALA alongside predominant LA 1: 4 (OK since nuts eaten in whole contain antioxidants)
  • (high quality, non-hydrogenated, unrefined) vegetable oils (rapeseed 1: 2, hemp 1: 3, soybean 1: 7) – ALA alongside predominant LA (ie these oils are not always the ideal source if we explicitly aim to reduce ω-6 – depends on the ratio)
  • spinach (5: 1), purslane (1: 1) – (lower ALA content, approx. 0.2% spinach and 0.4% purslane)
  • other leafy vegetables (cabbage, kale, lettuce, arugula) as well as kohlrabi (1: 1-2: 1) – (ALA approx. 0.1%)

ω-6 sources in general:

  • vegetable oils, seeds, nuts.

In more detail – AA together with LA:

  • meat (especially liver) and animal fat, eggs (AA in very small quantities, LA, while majority is SFA)
  • especially freshwater algae, fish (AA in very small quantities, LA, alongside ω-3 PUFA and SFA)

ω-6 sources (LA only):

  • almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts, pistachios, peach seeds
  • (quality, non-hydrogenated, unrefined) vegetable oils (sunflower, maize, wheat germ, poppy, melon and grape seeds, or less traditional plants such as evening primrose, safflower, sesame, prickly pear, or cotton
  • walnuts, flaxseed oil, chia (alongside ALA)
  • oils where ALA is also found, especially rapeseed, hemp and soy, but also others (see ω-3 sources)
  • olive and palm oil (around 10%, the remainder being MUFA and also SFA in palm oil)

Back: Polyunsaturated fats