We all need Omega 3 fats in our diet to maintain a healthy heart, metabolism and brain function, but which are the best vegan Omega 3 supplements? I found that so many brands rely heavily on fish oil as a basis for their products which limits the range available to those of us on a plant-based diet. Then to add some complexity, there’s Omega 6 and Omega 9 – do vegans need to supplement those too? And what about ALAs, EPAs and DHAs – are they important? You could be forgiven for getting into a brain fog just thinking about it all!
Consequently, I carried out some research to find out what Omega 3 is and why it’s important, before going on to try out a number of different products for this guide. I have brought the best of those together here, so I hope my selection helps you to find the right one for your needs. Oh, and one for your dog too!
My Top Picks
- Best overall: Performance Lab
- Best DHA only: Brainfeed
- Best low dose: Nothing Fishy
- Best packaging: Dr Vegan
- Best liquid: Vegetology
- Best budget: Vegan Vitality
- Best additional nutrients: Dr Seaweed
- Best ‘free-from’: Feel
- Best for your dog!: Just be Kind
Looking for genuine discount codes? See individual products below for details.
Dr Vegan discount offer
Save 30%* on your first three months of Vegan Omega 3 when you subscribe today!
*Ts&Cs apply – 30% discount valid for the first 3 months of any new Omega 3 subscription. Sponsored offer
If you’d like to know a little bit more about Omega 3 generally before reading the individual product reviews, click below where I have answered a couple of the more commonly asked questions. If they don’t give you the information you’re looking for, I have also added some further FAQs at the bottom of this guide.
What is Omega 3, DHA and EPA?
Omega 3 is a collective name for a group of polyunsaturated fats with 3 main component parts, each of which we need for the reasons shown below:
- ALA – benefits immune and nervous system and heart
- EPA – helps reduce inflammation
- DHA – aids brain development and function
And what about Omega 6 and Omega 9 I hear you say? Well, supplementation for these is not generally thought to be necessary, but you can read more about that in my FAQs below.
Do vegans get enough from their diet?
Eating a balanced plant-based diet should give you plenty of ALAs, but not EPAs and DHAs (which omnivores can get from oily fish, although studies suggest many people in the west are still short of them anyway). The body can convert ALAs into EPAs and DHAs, but it is thought that it does not do so very efficiently, so it’s true that vegans may well lack these 2 crucial elements. However, with the relatively recent discovery of an algae that contains EPAs and DHAs, vegans can now successfully add these components into their diet, with supplements containing them now widely available.
We then come onto the contentious issue about whether the body actually absorbs and uses these fatty acids when taken in supplement form. Well, cleverer people than me are looking at that but personally, I like to err on the side of caution and take an omega 3 supplement anyway, although not daily. I guess I have everything to gain (and hopefully nothing to lose!) from doing so.
My top vegan Omega 3 supplements
If you do decide to take one, it is important to ensure that as a vegan, you are taking an appropriate, high quality algae-based supplement. So having done some research, I believe the products listed below – all of which I have trialled – in this Best Vegan Omega 3 Supplements Guide tick all of those boxes. I have looked at the ingredients, price, quality, and nutrient levels to help you choose the product that’s right for you.
Performance Lab
- Price: from £29.92 per month – free shipping
- Type: softgel capsule
- Packaging: plastic tub
- Serving: 3 capsules with 1st meal of day
- Amount per serving: DHA 540mg, EPA 270mg
This high-purity supplement contains a good balance (a 2:1 ratio of DHA:EPA that is considered optimal) of the omega-3 elements that you need and is made direct from clean and very sustainable algae – absolutely no fish involved, so no fishy smell or taste, and none of the associated contaminants either! The softgels come in vegan, carrageenan-free NutriGels® that are made from prebiotic fibre to support optimal absorption of the nutrients too.
I think Performance Lab is a very interesting brand that has a unique process for growing its nutrients, called NutriGenesis®. Without getting into too much detail, they say that it ensures the nutrients are structurally identical to those found in whole foods, meaning our body can recognise and absorb them more easily than many other supplements.
And whilst this omega-3 supplement seems to be at the higher end of the price range at first glance, shipping is free and you can get 4 month’s supply at once, so this is another point of difference from many of their competitors, which makes it much more cost-effective.
brainfeed
- Price: from £17.99 per month
- Type: capsule
- Packaging: non-recyclable pouch
- Serving: 1 capsule per day
- Amount per serving: DHA 500mg, EPA 20mg
- DISCOUNT CODE: NEW15
This brainfeed supplement focuses in on DHA, with a much lower emphasis on EPA. The capsules are quite large, although I find them surprisingly easy to swallow, and I love the fact that the flavour is completely neutral too. Whilst this may sound trivial, if you have ever burped algal oil on repeat, you’ll know why that’s important! Fortunately, I’ve not experienced that at all with this supplement.
I took this supplement for several months when I knew I’d been neglectful of my diet and based on its dosage, I was confident it would quickly get me back to where I needed to be. DHA is also incredibly important to a developing foetus, and brainfeed state that this supplement is suitable for taking during pregnancy too is great (although I would always recommend talking to your doctor in these circumstances).
Brainfeed’s supplement is in the mid price range of those on this list, although subscribing will save you 10%, and new customers can get a further 15% with the code below.
Nothing Fishy
- Price: from £16.00 per month
- Type: capsule
- Packaging: recyclable pouch
- Serving: 2 capsules per day
- Amount per serving: DHA 200mg
- DISCOUNT CODE: SUB15
Nothing Fishy was, I think, one of the early adopters of algal oil Omega 3 supplements. They really focus on just Omega 3, Sea Moss and Vitamin D3, so aren’t trying to produce a broad product range and I always find that specialisation reassuring somehow. The supplement contains quite a low level of DHA only, and after an initial delivery of a glass jar, refills come in compostable packaging.
My husband is a regular user of this brand and has always been very happy with it, and he takes their D3 capsules as well.
I found this brand to be a much more cost-effective option than some others, although the dosage is low and DHA only, so it depends on what you want from your supplement. I also have a discount code for you to use below too.
Dr Vegan
- Price: from £18.69 per month
- Type: capsule
- Packaging: recyclable pouch
- Serving: 2 capsules per day
- Amount per serving: DHA 300mg, EPA 150mg
- DISCOUNT CODE: OMEGAMUM30
With optimal levels of both DHA and EPA (there are no recommended limits, so scientific research suggests these levels), this Dr Vegan supplement also contains vitamin E which can offer additional anti-inflammatory benefits. I do like their sustainably-produced packaging which is plastic-free and home compostable, but if you don’t compost at home, it can just be recycled with paper.
The capsules are a good size and easy enough to swallow, but they do recommend 2 per day. Fortunately, in my experience of taking this supplement, I have never had any significant aftertaste from them.
I’ve been a customer of Dr Vegan for nearly 2 years and really like their products, taking several of them as and when I needed to over that time, and whilst Dr Vegan supplements are in the higher price range, you do have the option to take up their easy to manage subscription which offers you a reasonable discount. You can also use the discount code below for an exclusive 30% reduction at checkout too (for the first 3 months of a new omega 3 subscription).
And if you’d like to know a bit more about this brand, take a look at my full Dr Vegan review.
Vegetology omega 3 liquid
- Price: from £17.99 per month
- Type: liquid
- Packaging: glass bottle
- Serving: 5ml per day
- Amount per serving: DHA 500mg, EPA 300mg, DPA 35mg
If you don’t like soft gels and capsules, this Vegetology liquid supplement is the answer – the EPA and DHA is carried in an olive oil so you can take it straight off a spoon, or add it to your food or drink. I’ll be honest though, it took me a while to get used to the taste and as a result, I tend to mix it into dressings if I’m using it.
The EPA & DHA concentrations are at good levels and alongside the original, it is also available in a mild orange flavour which might be better if you are giving it to children (or if you just like orange)! I haven’t tried the orange flavour myself though.
Of course, you can’t have it all ways; being in liquid form means it comes in a bottle which might be less eco-friendly because of transportation – heavier and bigger – but I guess it’s better than a plastic bottle for so many reasons. I used to use this for my dog too, adding just a couple of drops to her food occasionally, but I now have an omega-3 supplement made specially for dogs – see Just be Kind below!
Vegan Vitality omega 3 algae oil
- Price: from £6.00 per month
- Type: softgels
- Packaging: plastic tub
- Serving: 1 per day
- Amount per serving: DHA 400mg
- DISCOUNT CODE: VEGAN15
This vegan-focused brand has a good range of low-cost supplements, and this Vegan Vitality omega 3 is no exception. It certainly comes in as the cheapest option on my list, and with 60 capsules at £11.99 if you subscribe, it constitutes a 2 month supply. It also contains a good level of 400mg of DHA (although it doesn’t provide any EPA) and the capsules are free from carrageenan, an ingredient which some people can take issue with.
Like many supplements, it is packaged in a plastic tub which is a shame because some of their other products come in paper – see my Best Vegan Collagen Supplements Guide to see Vegan Vitality’s thoughtfully packaged collagen complex.
Dr Seaweed Focus+
- Price: from £25.60 per month
- Type: softgels and capsules
- Packaging: recyclable pouch
- Serving: 1 softgel and 1 capsule per day
- Amount per serving: DHA 250mg
- DISCOUNT CODE: VEGANMUM20
I do love this brand and its commitment to using natural Scottish seaweed – it exudes good health somehow. This is one of the more expensive options in this list, but you get a good subscription discount, and I can also offer a further exclusive Vegan Mum discount too – code below.
This Dr Seaweed supplement covers a good range of nutritional requirements – the box contains 2 different types of capsule, one for the Omega 3 (DHA only) and the other for Vitamin B complex, D3, zinc, iodine, and more. If you would normally supplement all these then just buying this one product may well be end up being a cost-saving for you.
It really just depends on whether the product is right for you – I have used it in the past and have a lot of trust in this brand with its high quality range of products. You can read a bit about their skin supporting supplement too in my Best Vegan Collagen Supplements guide, and their Immunity+ capsules in my Doctor Seaweed review.
Feel
- Price: from £15.00 per month
- Type: capsules
- Packaging: cardboard tube
- Serving: 2 capsules per day
- Amount per serving: DHA 300mg, EPA 150mg
- DISCOUNT CODE: PARTNER20
Feel has become a respected and sustainable brand in the supplements arena in recent years and their reviews online from customers reflect that. I do like that these come in cardboard packaging.
This supplement is a slightly lower concentration of DHA and EPA than some on this list (so Feel recommends taking 2 capsules per day) but it does mean they are smaller which makes them easier to swallow. A couple of online reviews I saw suggested they had a bit of a strange smell, but I haven’t noticed that at all when I’ve taken them.
If you sign up for a subscription, you benefit from some great discounts which makes this a reasonably cost-effective option. You can also use the discount code below to give you a further 20% reduction.
If you’d like to read about some of Feel’s other products, you can take a look at my Feel multivitamin review.
Just be Kind – for the dog in your life!
- Price: from £10.00 per month depending on dog size
- Type: liquid
- Packaging: plastic bottle
- Serving: varies by dog size
- Amount per 5ml: DHA 266mg, EPA 533mg
- DISCOUNT CODE: VEGANMUM
Yes, that’s right – our dogs can benefit from taking an omega-3 supplement too. And with benefits including improved joint and bone health, enhanced calcium absorption and support for collagen production, why wouldn’t you want to give this to your dog! Omega-3’s anti-inflammatory properties work so well for your dog and can help give them relief from joint pain and stiffness.
This lovely supplement also contains vegan D3, and a powerful antioxidant called astaxanthin. This pink microalgae (also eaten by salmon!) can help to reduce greying muzzles, delay the onset of cataracts in their eyes, and it encourages good brain health too.
And because it is using human-grade ingredients it is free from contaminants and very sustainable, just like all the other supplements on this page. In fact, you can probably even take this yourself if you don’t mind the fishy smell that comes from the pink microalgae! I have just received a bottle of this and my dog Coco loves it and because it is from plant-based sources, she has no sensitivity to it either.
If you’d like to read about some of Just be Kind’s other products for dogs, why not start with my Give a Dog a Bean review
FAQs
What are the benefits of Omega 3?
Omega 3 fats are incredibly important, contributing to good heart health, brain development in babies, and fighting inflammation, with some studies suggesting that it may also reduce fat around the liver, help with weight control and even support those at risk of certain mental health issues.
What is Omega 6 & Omega 9?
Omega 6 – like Omega 3, our bodies cannot make Omega 6, so we need to obtain this fat through what we eat. However, it is thought that most of us on a western-style diet, including plant-based, get enough through our use of refined cooking oils, nuts and seeds. The relationship between Omegas 6 & 3 is a complicated one, because the ratio should be quite low and we should eat more Omega 3 than 6 – it is generally accepted that most of us exceed our required intake of Omega 6, so supplementation is normally discouraged.
Omega 9 – because our body can make its own Omega 9, it is not considered essential and therefore would rarely need to be supplemented. It is also widely available in plant oils, nuts and seeds and we are not generally considered to be deficient in this fat.
References
I hope this Guide to the best vegan Omega 3 supplements has been useful. I carried out quite a lot of research in order to write it, coupled with the information that I gathered when I first decided to take an Omega 3 supplement. I have listed some of those research sites below in case you’d like to learn more:
Harvard Health – don’t avoid Omega 6
More vegan supplement articles
I hope this guide has been useful. Below you can find just a few of my many other articles on vegan health.
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