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List of Fish That Contain Omega-3

The human body does not produce essential fatty acids (EFAs). People obtain them instead from ingesting organisms that do produce them. The two classes of EFAs are omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Omega-3 fats consist of EPA, DHA and ALA, which the human body converts between each other. However, the human liver does not efficiently convert ALA into EPA and DHA. Therefore, most of the beneficial effects of omega-3 fatty acids are due to ingestion of EPA and DHA. Fortunately, the content of fish biases toward EPA and DHA.

  1. Big Saltwater Fish

    • Large saltwater fish that contain significant amounts of omega-3 include salmon, spiny dogfish (a popular type of shark), and certain kind of tuna (e.g. albacore). Unfortunately, these fish, being on the top of the food pyramid, tend to accumulate toxic heavy metals. There is no sense in eating them just to trade one health problem for another. Another drawback is environmental concern: salmon and spiny dogfish are over-fished and depleted.

      If your taste leans toward large saltwater fish, one solution is to eat farm-grown salmon. This avoids both the toxicity and the environmental problem. Unfortunately, the way they are raised decreases the omega-3 concentration.

      Swordfish and shark in general have a relatively low concentration of omega-3 fats.

    Small Saltwater Fish

    • Small saltwater fish that contain concentrations of omega-3 fats include herring, sardines, anchovies and mackerel. Though mackerel can grow over a yard long, the emphasis by the word "small" here is on being near the bottom of the food pyramid, and therefore containing far lower heavy metal concentrations than tuna and salmon.

    Freshwater Fish

    • Lake trout, as opposed to rainbow and brook trout, contains very high levels of omega-3 fats. Striped bass has higher levels of omega-3 than freshwater bass, but its levels are still low compared to the fish mentioned above.

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