October 8, 2025, Sioux Falls, SD: A recent peer-reviewed study published in Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes and Essential Fatty Acids (PLEFA) has shed new light on how diet patterns influence long-chain omega-3 levels (EPA and DHA) across different groups. The research, conducted among members of the Adventist Health Study cohort, demonstrates that individuals adhering to vegan diets have significantly lower Omega-3 Index values (scale above) compared to those on lacto-ovo vegetarian, pescatarian, and non-vegetarian eating patterns.
Key Findings
- The study measured both dietary intake and red blood cell levels (i.e., Omega-3 Index) of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), including EPA and DHA, among vegan, lacto-ovo vegetarian, pesco-vegetarian, and non-vegetarian participants.
- Vegans had the lowest Omega-3 Index among all groups.
- In comparison, pescatarians and non-vegetarians achieved notably higher Omega-3 Index values, consistent with consumption of fish or marine-derived omega-3s.
- The results underscore that diet alone may be insufficient for certain populations—especially strict plant-based eaters—to reach optimal Omega-3 Index levels without supplementation or fortified foods.
- The study supports the notion that omega-3 status is strongly influenced by dietary source, and that baseline differences by diet group should be accounted for in both nutritional research and personalized health strategies.
Implications for Health & Nutrition
This research adds important nuance to the dialogue around plant-based nutrition and omega-3 adequacy. While vegan diets offer many health benefits, these results suggest that without careful planning (e.g., use of algae-based EPA/DHA supplements or fortified foods), some individuals may fall short of achieving beneficial levels of long-chain omega-3s. In turn, suboptimal Omega-3 Index values have been associated in other studies with increased risk for cardiovascular, cognitive, and inflammatory conditions.
Given the growing global interest in plant-based diets, this work prompts a reevaluation of dietary recommendations, educational messaging, and supplement strategies to ensure that those avoiding animal-sourced foods can still maintain robust omega-3 status.
“As more people move toward plant-based eating, it’s critical to understand the nutritional gaps that can come with that shift,” said Dr. Bill Harris, President of the Fatty Acid Research Institute (FARI) and co-author of the study. “This study provides clear evidence that omega-3 status is one of those gaps—and it’s one we can easily fix through awareness, testing, and smart supplementation.”
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About OmegaQuant:
OmegaQuant is an independent, CLIA-certified lab that offers nutritional status testing to researchers, clinicians and the public. OmegaQuant performs analysis in Sioux Falls, SD, for commercial and academic research collaborators, and for consumers interested in monitoring their nutritional status in both blood and breast milk. Its goal is to offer the highest quality fatty acid analytical services to researchers and to provide simple tests of nutritional status to consumers, with the ultimate purpose of advancing the science and use of certain nutrients to improve health. Internationally, OmegaQuant works with the University of Stirling, based in the Scotland, to help process blood samples from Europe. Learn more @ www.omegaquant.com
About FARI:
FARI was established in 2020 as a non-profit foundation that brings together nutrition scientists and biostatistical experts with strong publication records and expertise in fatty acids to accelerate discovery of the relationship between fatty acids, especially omega-3s, and health. FARI is currently the only organization focused directly on discovering and publishing research evaluating the health effects of individual fatty acids. Learn more @ www.faresinst.org