Vegan EPA only supplements


People who have already suffered from a heart attack and those at high risk of a heart attack in general might benefit from taking a supplement with long-chain omega-3 fatty acids (LC-n-3-PUFA), i.e., EPA and DHA. EPA and DHA are the most relevant LC-n-3-PUFA, although n-3-DPA may also be relevant (but it typically occurs in much smaller amounts).

The typical EPA/DHA supplements include both EPA and DHA but it may be that "EPA only" (pure EPA, without DHA ) supplements are more effective for the prevention of myocardial infarction (heart attack) than the more common EPA/DHA supplements.

There are not many vegan "EPA only" supplements available. The only one I know of is the one by the brand "iwi". The company is based in Texas, USA, it seems. And "iwi" seems to be a vegan company, i.e., they don't seems to sell any non-vegan supplements.

The iwi website says that this "EPA only" supplement is made from microalgae of the genus Nannochloropsis. They also say that their supplement is "the world’s first (and only!) source of pure, natural EPA by itself." They might be right that it is the only vegan one currently available.


The iwi website says that this supplement delivers 50% better absorption than fish, krill, or other forms of algae oil - I think this must be a mistake. Maybe they mean it contains more EPA than EPA/DHA supplements of the same amount. Their website also says that the taking EPA by itself, without DHA, produces some of the most dramatic benefits for heart health - this seems a bit exaggerated (see my info above).
Their website also says: "Plant sources such as flax, hemp, chia, and ahiflower contain a short-chain precursor to true Omega-3 [EPA/DHA] called ALA. They do not provide true DHA and EPA like algae does." This is correct - apart from the fact that ALA, of course, is a "true" omega-3-fatty acid as well.
The website also claims that the supplement will strengthen help immune system and improve your bone and joint health - all this might be true but it is not certain and it may equally be true for other omega-3 sources.

The current link under which you can find this supplement is: https://iwilife.com/products/epa-omega-3-supplement




It may be good if other companies were to also make vegan "EPA only" supplements/oils. I'm not sure how profitable this would be though.




Abbreviations: ALA, alpha-linolenic acid; DHA, docosapentaenoic acid; DPA, docosapentaenoic acid (note that I'm referring to the omega-3-fatty acid of that name - there is an omega-6 fatty acid of the exact same name); EPA, eicosapentaenoic acid


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Update February 2024:

"Omega-3 fatty acids (O3FAs) possess beneficial properties for cardiovascular (CV) health and elevated O3FA levels are associated with lower incident risk for CV disease (CVD.) Yet, treatment of at-risk patients with various O3FA formulations has produced disparate results in large, well-controlled and well-conducted clinical trials. Prescription formulations and fish oil supplements containing low-dose mixtures of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) have routinely failed to prevent CV events in primary and secondary prevention settings when added to contemporary care, as shown most recently in the STRENGTH and OMEMI trials. However, as observed in [the large randomized-controlled trials] JELIS, REDUCE-IT, and RESPECT-EPA, EPA-only formulations significantly reduce CVD events in high-risk patients. The CV mechanism of action of EPA, while certainly multifaceted, does not depend solely on reductions of circulating lipids, including triglycerides (TG) and LDL, and event reduction appears related to achieved EPA [blood] levels suggesting that the particular chemical and biological properties of EPA, as compared to DHA and other O3FAs, may contribute to its distinct clinical efficacy. In vitro and in vivo studies have shown different effects of EPA compared with DHA alone or EPA/DHA combination treatments, on atherosclerotic plaque morphology, LDL and membrane oxidation, cholesterol distribution, membrane lipid dynamics, glucose homeostasis, endothelial function, and downstream lipid metabolite function. These findings indicate that prescription-grade, EPA-only formulations provide greater benefit [for CVD prevention] than other O3FAs formulations tested. [...]
Together, these data indicate particular benefits [of EPA-only supplements] for patients at risk for CVD that are not shared by formulations containing DHA, including FODS [fish oil dietary supplements] and pharmaceutical preparations [...]" Sherratt et al. 2024