How much Omega-3 do Chia seeds have?

Chia seeds have nearly 18g of Omega-3 fatty acids per 100g, of the α-linolenic acid (ALA) type.

Different Types of Omega-3

There are three types of Omega-3 fatty acids:

α-linolenic acid (ALA)

The ALA omega-3 fatty acid is found in seeds, such as Chia seeds, as well as other vegetables and nuts. Although there doesn’t seem to be evidence to support it, it is reported that Chia seeds is the richest source of of Omega-3 acids, followed by other fruit/vegetables such as flax, kiwifruit seeds, lingonberries and several others.

Content of α-linolenic acid (ALA) in Chia seeds: 17.83g/100g

eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)

The EPA omega-3 acid is usually found in marine oils such as fish oils, and fish such as cod and salmon, hence it is not found in seeds such as chia.

Content of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) in Chia seeds: 0g/100g

docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)

The DHA omega-3 acid is also usually found in marine oils such as fish oils, and fish such as cod and salmon. Cold-water oceanic fish oils are especially rich in DHA. DHA is not found in seeds such as chia.

Content of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) in Chia seeds: 0g/100g

What role does Omega-3 in Chia seeds play?

Whilst dietitians would usually recommend intake of all three essential omega-3 oils, Chia seed has very high content of the ALA type, but non of the other two, so although fish and sea foods provide all three essential oils, Chia is an excellent source of Omega-3 for vegan or vegeterian diets, and our bodys can actually produce a very small amount of EPA and DHA from ALA.

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*Different reports state different levels of endogenously synthesized EPA and DHA from ALA intake – more information about that can be found here

More information on Chia from Argentina