Teaching at the University of South Florida, Dominic D’Agostino has a research focus on ketone supplementation and ketone ester, and the effect of a ketogenic diet on metabolism and muscle growth. One area that Dominic D’Agostino explored in a KetoNutrition article is how a keto diet affects one’s omega-3 fatty acid intake.
As a meat eater following a keto diet, the arithmetic is relatively simple: two or three servings of fatty fish each week should fulfill one’s docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) requirements. Both DHA and EPA are omega-3s that have been linked to a variety of positive health outcomes.
As a vegan, obtaining omega-3s is more challenging. Those who make the effort to eat walnuts, flax seeds, and chia on a regular basis may feel that that they have all the bases covered. Unfortunately, these foods are only rich in the omega-3 fatty acid alpha linolenic acid (ALA), which is a precursor to the even more vital DHA and EPA. While there is a slow enzymatic process by which the body does complete the conversion to the desirable omega-3, it would take large quantities of such foods to produce a sufficient quantity.
One plant-based solution is to eat microalgae in an accessible form such as the spirulina tablet ENERGYbits. Similar microalgae are consumed by fish such as sardines and salmon, who then store the DHA and EPA as fat. For more in depth discussion abotu this topic and other topics related to ketogenic nutrition be sure to check out KetoNutrition.org website and blog.
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