Omega-3 ALA
ALA (alpha-linolenic acid) is the omega-3 fat in plants and the only omega-3 the body strictly needs from food. Adults need about 1.1 to 1.6 g a day, and a spoonful of the right seeds covers it.
1.1-1.6 ga day for adults, adequate intake (US)
0.5% of daily energy (EFSA adequate intake)
Upper limit · none set
- Most per 100 g 53.4g Flaxseed oil
- Most per portion 7.5g 1 tablespoon flaxseed oil
- Main sources Flax, chia, and walnuts then canola and soybean oil
- Chain length 18 carbons, with 3 double bonds
Daily amounts: US and EFSA adequate intakes. Food figures per 100 g from USDA FoodData Central.
Foods High in Omega-3 ALA
Ranked per 100 g, with what a usual portion gives, limited to 3 foods per category. Foods with a Caltide calorie page link to it.
F
Flaxseed oil
7.5 g in 1 tablespoon
53.4g / 100 g
F
Flax seeds (ground)
19.4g / 100 g
C
Chia seeds
2.1 g in 1 tablespoon
Nutrition facts
17.8g / 100 g
W
Walnut oil
1.5 g in 1 tablespoon
10.4g / 100 g
W
Walnuts
2.5 g in 1 handful
Nutrition facts
9.1g / 100 g
R
Rapeseed oil (canola)
1 g in 1 tablespoon
7.5g / 100 g
What ALA Does
ALA is one of only two fats the body cannot make; the other is linoleic acid, an omega-6. Most of the ALA you eat is burned for energy like any other fat. The rest is built into cell membranes, or lengthened step by step into the longer omega-3s.
That lengthening is slow. Only a small share of ALA becomes EPA, and less still becomes DHA. It uses the same enzymes as omega-6 fats, which most diets have far more of, so ALA is a backup route to the long-chain omega-3s rather than a replacement for them.
How EFSA Sets ALA Needs by Calories
EFSA sets the ALA need as 0.5% of daily energy, so it grows with how much you eat. Fat has 9 kcal per gram, which turns that share into these amounts:
| Daily energy | ALA a day |
|---|---|
| 1,600kcal | 0.89g |
| 2,000kcal | 1.1g |
| 2,500kcal | 1.4g |
| 3,000kcal | 1.7g |
ALA in a Usual Portion
Only a few foods give a meaningful amount in one serving. These are the richest in our library:
| Food | Usual portion | Per portion |
|---|---|---|
| Flaxseed oil | 1 tablespoon (14 g) | 7.5g |
| Walnuts | 1 handful (28 g) | 2.5g |
| Chia seeds | 1 tablespoon (12 g) | 2.1g |
| Walnut oil | 1 tablespoon (14 g) | 1.5g |
| Rapeseed oil (canola) | 1 tablespoon (14 g) | 1g |
Other Sources of ALA
Flaxseed is the classic ALA food: the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements lists 2.35 g in a tablespoon of whole flaxseed and 7.26 g in a tablespoon of flaxseed oil. Canola oil has 1.28 g per tablespoon and soybean oil 0.92 g, which is why ordinary cooking oils supply much of the ALA in US diets.
Common ALA Mistakes
Thinking plant omega-3 is the same as fish omega-3. A label that says omega-3 on a seed or nut product means ALA. It counts toward the ALA need but does almost nothing for the EPA and DHA covered on the omega-3 page.
Assuming a vegan diet is short on omega-3. Plant-based diets with seeds, nuts, and plant oils usually have plenty of ALA. What they lack is EPA and DHA, which come from fish or algal oil.
ALA Supplements
Supplements are a source of ALA too, though most people already get enough from food.
- Flaxseed oilSold as a liquid or in softgels. The amount of ALA per serving is on the label, and it is ALA only, with no EPA or DHA.
- Mixed omega-3 productsSome combine flaxseed oil with fish or algal oil. Read the ALA, EPA, and DHA lines separately, since they do different jobs.
Sources: NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, EFSA. Not medical advice.
Tracking ALA in Caltide
- Logged automaticallyCaltide adds up the ALA in every food you log and lists it under omega-3 in the Nutrition tab. The omega-3 total there is shown against the ALA amount for your age and sex.
- Supplements count tooAdd your flaxseed oil once with its ALA per serving as an ingredient. Each day you tick it off, it counts toward your total.
Omega-3 ALA Sources and References
The figures and claims on this page are checked against these sources. Food amounts come from USDA FoodData Central.
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements: Omega-3 Fatty Acids, Health Professional Fact Sheet
- National Academies: Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein, and Amino Acids (2005)
- EFSA: Scientific Opinion on Dietary Reference Values for fats (2010)
- USDA FoodData Central
Questions About Omega-3 ALA
ALA (alpha-linolenic acid) is the omega-3 fatty acid found in plants, with 18 carbons. It is essential: the body cannot make it, so it has to come from food or supplements.
The US adequate intake is 1.6 g a day for men and 1.1 g for women. EFSA sets it as 0.5% of daily energy, which is about 1.1 g on 2,000 kcal.
In our food library, flaxseed oil: 53.4 g per 100 g, then Flax seeds (ground) (19.4 g) and Chia seeds (17.8 g). Most of the richest foods are seeds, nuts, and plant oils.
About 2.35 g in a tablespoon of whole flaxseed and 7.26 g in a tablespoon of flaxseed oil, according to the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements.
No. The body turns only a small share of ALA into EPA and even less into DHA, so ALA covers its own need but not theirs.
Yes, as ALA. Walnuts in our library have 9.1 g per 100 g, so one handful of 28 g covers about the daily need of most adults.
Yes. Flaxseed oil capsules are the common one. Most people already get enough ALA from food, mainly from plant oils, so these are rarely needed.
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