Cost comparison: different sources of phospholipid-bound omega-3

[bladedmind]

I did a rough and ready comparison of the quantity and cost of phospholipid-bound DHA, or DHA-PL. Research, estimates, and calculations were hurried and there could be large errors. Challenge and correction are welcome.

Why? Apoe 4s may benefit more from phospholipid-bound omega-3s than omega-3s bound to triglycerides that are found in fish oil capsules. DHA is of primary importance and I focus on that for convenience of comparison. Comparison for EPA would have similar results.

Summary: Cost of DHA-PL
$24 per gram - salmon roe
$12 per gram - krill oil
$6-13? per gram - canned anchovy
ditto - kippered herring
$4 per gram - Atlantic salmon
$1.77 per gram - omega 3 eggs

A. Salmon Roe
https://www.vitalchoice.com/product/soc ... h-divider?
$129 per 2.2 lbs., 35 oz.
1 oz contains
400 mg DHA
400 mg EPA

https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/13/11/15401/htm

Fish roe from herring, salmon, pollock, and flying fish contain between 38%–75% of their lipids in the form of PLs with PC being the predominant lipid class

.
Salmon roe: 38% in phospholipid form. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/a ... 4604008106

DHA-PL from salmon roe per ounce = 40% X 400 = 160 mg X 34 = 5440 mg
5.44 gram for $129
$23.71 per gram


B. Selected Fish (S.M.A.S.H.)
https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/13/11/15401/htm

The main dietary source of EPA and DHA is fish, in particular cold-water oily fish like salmon, sardine, anchovy, herring, or mackerel. Fish contains between 1%–1.5% PLs and 10%–15% TGs. Depending on the kind of fish, up to one third of the EPA and DHA content might exist in the form of PLs. One study has shown that in Atlantic salmon, EPA and DHA are bound to PLs and TGs in a 40:60 ratio.

https://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/dg ... _adda2.htm
Caviar is highest in DHA per 100g, next other fish roes. More affordably, the next ranked are (some forms) of salmon, canned anchovy, kippered herring, pacific mackerel. That’s a crude summary of a lot of detail available in the link. Notice that some canned products are measured for DHA and EPA. Another source offers generally higher estimates of omega-3 content, but I'll use the lower estimates from the 2005 government report. http://www.dhaomega3.org/Overview/Dieta ... atty-Acids

Farmed (DHA content same for farmed and wild, we prefer wild but I couldn’t quickly find an online price for wild) Atlantic salmon at San Diego Ralph’s today = $9.99 lb.

1 lb. = 454 grams
DHA content 1.45 grams per 100 grams
= 6.6 grams X 40% phospholipid = 2.6 grams
$3.84 per gram of DHA-PL

Buy a dozen cans of Wild Planet canned anchovy (these are not small heavily salted items, but lightly salted and more like sardines) in water from Amazon for $24.99.
4.4 oz X 12 = 52.8 ounces = 1500 grams
DHA content 1.29 grams per 100 grams
= 19.35 grams X (assume 10%) phospholipid = 1.935 grams
$12.91 per gram of DHA-PL

I have no information on proportion of DHA bound to phospholipid in anchovy and selected what feels like a low estimate. If it were actually 40% phospholipid, then it would cost $3.22 per gram of DHA-PL.

Similar guess for kippered herring.

D. Omega-3 Egg
http://www.dhaomega3.org/Other-Omega-3- ... -Stockholm

The absolute average amounts of DHA-containing phospholipid per krill oil capsule were 46-54 mgs and 180 - 195 mgs in the omega-3 shell eggs. Up to 61-64 % of the total DHA plus EPA in the krill oil supplements was found in the phospholipid form as compared to 76-89 % for the omega-3 eggs.

One omega-3 egg contains 180-195 mg of DHA-PL.
One dozen large omega-3 eggs, Amazon Fresh today for $3.99.
2250 mg of DHL-PL for 3.99
$1.77 per gram of DHA-PL

D. Krill Oil
Antarctic Krill Oil (Amazon’s Choice)
$0.47 per softgel, DHA 60 mg per softgel
61-64% of DHA in krill oil is DHA-PL. http://www.dhaomega3.org/Other-Omega-3- ... -Stockholm
DHA 60 mg X 62.5% = 37.5 mg
$12.53 per gram of DHA-PL

Please excuse errors. I worked quickly on the assumption that better informed collaborators can advance the topic. Working together we can form more accurate estimates.

[Magda]

Bladedmind,
Thank you for putting this together! Great idea! Great resource!

Magda

[cardiolvr]

Nice cost/DHA content research. Interesting to see that at the end of the day the cheapest/easiest way to get the most DHA-PL is through salmon and eggs.

[cardiolvr]

This brand of Krill oil (naturemyst krill oil), claims to have 101mg of DHA per capsule at $0.283/capsule (is it all DHA-PL?) . The cost per gram would be $2.83 which would be competitive with the omega 3 eggs and salmon.

[circular]

bladedmind, thank you for that! What I'm getting is that it takes quite a lot of DHA-PL containing product to get a decent intake, regardless of price. It makes me wonder how humans got enough of it during evolution, especially when they strayed from the coastlines. Do you suppose the DHA in bone marrow is high in phospholipid form? Presumably that would have been mentioned already.

[Josiah]

I was under the impression that Omega 3 eggs just had the ALA form of omega 3 because the chickens were fed flax seeds.

[cardiolvr]

I was under the impression that Omega 3 eggs just had the ALA form of omega 3 because the chickens were fed flax seeds.

Eggs actually have some DHA. A regular egg has about 20mg of DHA (https://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/da ... ucts/117/2). When the chicken is fed with flaxseed that has tons of ALA, eggs end having about 100g of DHA. Also increased ALA of course. The only point of Omega 3 eggs would actually be the increase in DHA, given you can just take flaxseed directly.

[Josiah]

I was under the impression that Omega 3 eggs just had the ALA form of omega 3 because the chickens were fed flax seeds.

Eggs actually have some DHA. A regular egg has about 20mg of DHA (https://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/da ... ucts/117/2). When the chicken is fed with flaxseed that has tons of ALA, eggs end having about 100g of DHA. Also increased ALA of course. The only point of Omega 3 eggs would actually be the increase in DHA, given you can just take flaxseed directly.

What leads you to think that the omega-3 in chicken eggs is phospholipid-bound?

[cardiolvr]

I was under the impression that Omega 3 eggs just had the ALA form of omega 3 because the chickens were fed flax seeds.

Eggs actually have some DHA. A regular egg has about 20mg of DHA (https://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/da ... ucts/117/2). When the chicken is fed with flaxseed that has tons of ALA, eggs end having about 100g of DHA. Also increased ALA of course. The only point of Omega 3 eggs would actually be the increase in DHA, given you can just take flaxseed directly.

What leads you to think that the omega-3 in chicken eggs is phospholipid-bound?

Check this out:
http://www.dhaomega3.org/Other-Omega-3- ... -Stockholm

[Josiah]

That's helpful.