Have you noticed that omega-3s seem to be added to all types of food such as eggs, oj, milk, cereal and yogurt? When you read the label it can be confusing. What is the source of the omega-3s and how much is in the product? Here’s what you need to know to be a label sleuth.

There are three types of omega-3 fats which include DHA, EPA and ALA. The majority of omega-3 research looks at the health benefits of DHA and EPA which are found in the highest amounts in fatty seafood such as tuna, salmon and sardines. The suggested intake for these two omega-3s combined is about 650 milligrams per day (DHA + EPA) but this amount varies significantly depending on health issues you may have such as heart disease. DHA is also found in marine algae and this source of DHA is often added to food products.

ALA is found in plant sources only such as walnuts, pumpkin seeds, flaxseeds, kale and small amounts in soybean and canola oil. ALA must convert in the body to EPA and DHA and the conversion rate is only about 10%. This means that if you have a serving of a food which contains 100 milligrams of omega-3s from an ALA plant source, after the 10% conversion you end up with 10 milligrams of EPA and DHA…the form that the body uses. You can see it takes a lot more ALA.

If you are buying omega-3 fortified foods, meaning that omega-3s have been added to the product, they are likely in the form of ALA or maybe marine algae (DHA) or a combo of both such as flax and marine algae. So, if the product you are about to buy says it contains 300 milligrams of omega-3s per serving, flip it around and read the ingredient label.

What is the source of omega-3s? If it’s flax, walnuts or any of the other plant food items just mentioned, remember that you are only going to derive about 10% as usable DHA and EPA or 30 milligrams. If a product doesn’t tell you which omega-3s are added, assume it to be a plant ALA source.

If you’re a fish eater, two servings a week is an easy way to get DHA & EPA. In these lean economic times, fish doesn’t have to blow your budget either. Canned salmon, light tuna and sardines all work just fine. You might be saying to me…what about the mercury in fish? The PCBs? Try this tech tip courtesy of blueocean.org. You can send a text and make sure the fish you purchase is eco-friendly and without a health advisory. Send a text to 30644 with the message FISH followed by the name of the fish you want to buy…for example, FISH SCALLOPS or FISH SALMON.

I sent a text for FISH SALMON and received two texts within a few seconds. The first text had a red flag saying that farmed salmon has significant environmental concerns with a health advisory for potentials PCBs and pesticides. The second text with a green flag indicating a better choice said that wild Alaska salmon has very few environmental concerns. The Blue Ocean Institute tracks 90+ fish species and regularly updates their database. You can check out their website at http://www.blueocean.org.