Good DHA source besides salmon and tuna?

[lovemyfamily6]

My 2.5 year old has Apraxia. Today his speech therapist recommended really increasing the omega 3's and getting DHA. I told her we're vegetarian, but this is important. I don't want to eat fish, but I'm concerned about him as well. I've read lots of research that states DHA can really help with neurological issues like apraxia. We were using the drops from Vegan Essentials, but didn't notice a difference. A co-worker suggested that the oils are better from fish rather than sourced from the algae and bottled. Thoughts or suggestions? Thanks!

[MountainMamaGC]

DHA is DHA. Whether is comes from fish or algae, its the same thing. You can try supplementing with flax oil and walnuts on top of the algae supplement because the body does convert ALA to DHA too. Some people think that the ratio of omega 3 to omega 6 also plays a part in omega 3's benefits so adding things like walnuts and flax may help make a difference. Hemp seed and canola oil have omega 3 as well.

[lovemyfamily6]

I looked at our hfs website and they have DHA supplements there. I just need to find one that isn't fish.

Any ideas where to find the amounts we can give daily? My kids are 8, 6.5, 6.5, 2.5, then dh and I.

[ShadowMoon]

We use Spectrum Essentials brand DHA. It's plant sourced, 100% vegan. They make oils and pills.

[kalliope999]

As a long time vegan (9.5 yrs), my favorite DHA supplement has been V-Pure's. I have an omnivorous friend who was actually recommended this brand by her doctor, too. I switched to it originally because it contains both EPA and DHA, which spares the body some conversion (most vegan ones only have the DHA). Although it can be purchased through some of the vegan stores online, I've found that it's cheaper to buy directly from them, and the other stores used to be out of stock a lot, too. They usually have this buy 3 for the price of 2 thing going:

http://www.v-pure.com/

(Full vegan-status disclosure: I've just started including eggs & ghee in my diet, and I'm contemplating some fish.)

-Nicole

[noobmom]

Purslane! It's really easy to grow too--in fact, it's classified as a weed by some people.

[eepster]

If you do eggs, there are some that have DHA and omega 3s. Regular eggs from indoor/caged hens don't have it, they need to have a high omega diet themselves, so you need eggs from freerange/cagefree hens who are fed well (bugs the hens find themselves and flax seed the farmers give them.)

[Sayward]

Originally Posted by noobmom

Purslane! It's really easy to grow too--in fact, it's classified as a weed by some people.

Purslane is a great source of other Omega-3s, but not DHA. Just fyi =)

The only non-animal source of DHA is algae, available in supplements. It's awesome stuff!

[treehugz]

Originally Posted by ShadowMoon

We use Spectrum Essentials brand DHA. It's plant sourced, 100% vegan. They make oils and pills.

I'm in the market for vegan DHA for myself (bf-ing and soon ttc) and for my 24mo dd and just saw this thread. I was thinking about getting the Sprectrum DHA, but they have rosemary extract, which is not recommended for pregnancy. Some of the other brands I looked at have it too (Dr Fuhrman, NuTru).

The Deva brand that I've seen suggested has grapeseed oil, also not recommended for pregnancy.

Originally Posted by kalliope999

As a long time vegan (9.5 yrs), my favorite DHA supplement has been V-Pure's.
http://www.v-pure.com/

This one seems vegan and safe for pregnancy, but it's a bit pricier even after the 3-for-2 deal... any other ideas?

[thehappydeer]

Udo's is also making a great oil blend with algae sourced DHA now. Not every place that carries Udo's is carrying this item, but they should be able to order it for you.

http://www.florahealth.com/flora/hom...cts/R67998.htm

i like that its not in capsules too

[rainyday]

http://mothering.com/discussions/sho....php?t=1205500

Did you see this thread (above)? It's got a couple of links for sources. Be prepared to experiment a bit, though, because it seems like different people like different supplements. The algae oil (DHA source) has a very fishy taste, so a lot of the supplements cause fishy burps for several hours in some people. I've found that with a lot of them, but over time I've figured out the brand that works best for me, and I've also figured out how to take it time wise. For me, it works best to take it before a meal, preferably before a highly flavored meal (like Thai food or Mexican, but not before a piece of toast!).

We've tried a couple of vegan algae oils for our child when he couldn't swallow capsules yet, and all the ones that we tried were very fishy. We broke a bottle once, and our house smelled like a cannery for a week! Our son did seem to adapt to the taste, though, and he eventually took it fairly willingly with some fruit juice.

One other note - be sure to check that the capsule is vegetarian as well. I've noticed at least one brand (can't remember which one) which sells a vegan oil inside a gelatin capsule! Obviously if you buy from a veg store then it's not an issue but beware if shopping elsewhere!

[treehugz]

Originally Posted by thehappydeer

Udo's is also making a great oil blend with algae sourced DHA now. Not every place that carries Udo's is carrying this item, but they should be able to order it for you.

http://www.florahealth.com/flora/hom...cts/R67998.htm

i like that its not in capsules too

Yay! I hadn't seen the Udo's veg before... I'll take a look at the link.

Originally Posted by rainyday

http://mothering.com/discussions/sho....php?t=1205500

Did you see this thread (above)? It's got a couple of links for sources.

Thanks! I'm going to look at it now... and yeah, I've seen some that are labeled as vegan with a gelatin capsule too... blows the mind.

[treehugz]

Originally Posted by thehappydeer

Udo's is also making a great oil blend with algae sourced DHA now. Not every place that carries Udo's is carrying this item, but they should be able to order it for you.

http://www.florahealth.com/flora/hom...cts/R67998.htm

i like that its not in capsules too

argh... udo's looked perfect, but then it has rosemary oil. a no-no for pregnancy.

[treehugz]

Okay, I looked back at the brands again cause it's time for me to make a decision and buy some already!! The only options I've found that are vegan and safe for pregnancy (i.e. no rosemary oil or grapeseed oil) are:

1. Nutru O-mega-zen 3 (liquid has rosemary oil, but capsules do not)

2. V-Pure Omega 3 Vegetarian EPA & DHA

3. Optimized Omega-3 DHA / EPA Supplement by Pure One

4. DEVA Liquid Omega-3 DHA w/ Lycopene

If anybody else knows of other options, please post!