Flax + Algae Oil- why it's important for vegetarians and vegans

We’ve gotten in a new flax oil product by Barleans that I wanted to write about since it’s a fantastic omega 3 product for vegetarians, vegans, or people who prefer a plant based diet called Vegan Omega. The unique thing about this product is that it contains both flax and algae oil; that’s important because while flax is great (and has additional specific benefits), flax oil doesn’t have EPA and DHA (two essential parts of Omega 3s), which are really important for brain health.

Instead of EPA and DHA, flax has ALA, which the body works to convert into EPA and DHA. The problem with that is there’s no way to know how well your body is able to do that conversion, which is why we usually recommend taking an algae omega supplement for vegetarians in addition to flax oil. This new formula by Barleans is great because it combines high quality, unprocessed flax oil with algae oil, which is the only vegan form of EPA and DHA. We really recommend it. It can be taken straight off the spoon or is a great addition to smoothies. We have some right now in the store if you’d like to sample it to see how it tastes, just ask us at the counter.

We’re at 7228 W. College Drive in Palos Heights.

For more information on the difference between flax and fish oils, see our article:

Healthy Q & A: Fish Oil vs. Flax Oil