nutrient

Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA)

ALA is an essential omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid found mainly in plant oils, seeds and nuts.

Educational draft · Human scientific and editorial review pending. About review status

Humans cannot make ALA, and only a small fraction is converted to the longer-chain omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA.

Food sources

Per 100 g

Food amounts per 100 g
Food	Per 100 g
Ground flaxseed	19.4 g
Hummus, commercial	0.64 g
Atlantic salmon, farmed, raw	0.54 g
Soy milk, unsweetened and shelf-stable	0.17 g
Atlantic salmon, farmed, raw (SR Legacy 2018)	0.15 g

Show 9 more foods

Food amounts per 100 g
Food	Per 100 g
Almonds, dry-roasted and salted	0.05 g
Braised chicken drumstick	0.05 g
Braised chicken breast	0.03 g
Salmon	0.02 g
Roasted beef tenderloin	0.01 g
Cottage cheese, 2% fat	<0.01 g
Low-fat milk, 1% and fortified	<0.01 g
Light tuna, canned in water, drained	<0.01 g
Greek yogurt, plain nonfat	<0.01 g

About these amounts

These values describe the named food and preparation. A 100 g comparison is not a suggested serving. Small amounts are rounded for display; an unreported amount is not zero.

Portions recorded by the source

Hummus, commercial: 2 tablespoon (33.9 g) — 0.22 g.
Almonds, dry-roasted and salted: 1 cup (135 g) — 0.07 g.
Braised chicken drumstick: 1 drumstick (104 g) — 0.05 g.
Braised chicken breast: 1 piece (174 g) — 0.05 g.
Roasted beef tenderloin: 1 roast (462 g) — 0.06 g.
Cottage cheese, 2% fat: 1 cup (220 g) — 0.02 g.
Low-fat milk, 1% and fortified: 1 cup (246 g) — <0.01 g.
Light tuna, canned in water, drained: 1 can (142 g) — <0.01 g.
Greek yogurt, plain nonfat: 1 container (156 g) — <0.01 g.

The source records and EFSA guidance are linked in References below.

How it works

The essential plant omega-3

ALA is a fatty-acid building block in cell membranes and a precursor for longer-chain omega-3 synthesis. NIH ODS describes conversion to EPA and DHA as very limited, so foods provide these fatty acids either as ALA or in preformed forms.

Worth knowing

EFSA adequate intake. EFSA sets an adequate intake for ALA at 0.5% of energy for adults.

A closer look

Conversion is not equivalence

The existence of a conversion pathway does not mean that a given ALA intake supplies a predictable amount of EPA or DHA.

Conversion to EPA and DHA is limited

The body can convert ALA to longer-chain omega-3 fatty acids, but NIH ODS describes the conversion as very small.

References

Source-checked local draft.
Human editorial review pending.