Fish Not Necessary for DHADHA is an omega-3 fatty acid found mainly in oily fish. DHA plays a role in reducing the risk of heart disease and may be involved in other chronic diseases. Vegetarian and vegan diets contain little or no DHA unless fortified foods or supplements are used. Vegan DHA supplements that are derived from microalgae have been developed. Are these supplements equivalent to fish in terms of their DHA? To address this question, researchers studied 32 men and women. Study subjects either ate 2 ounces of salmon (which provided 600 milligrams of DHA) or took capsules containing 600 milligrams of DHA from microalgae daily for two weeks. The subjects’ blood DHA concentrations were measured. Both groups saw an increase in blood DHA levels, and the increase in DHA in both groups was similar.
These results suggest that microalgae-derived DHA is as effective as fish in increasing blood DHA levels.
References - Arterburn LM, Oken HA, Hall EB, et al. 2008. Algaloil capsules and cooked salmon: nutritionally equivalent sources of docosahexaenoic acid.
J Am Diet Assoc 108:1204-1209.
Source - The Vegetarian Journal, , issue 2009-1
http://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2009issue1/2009_issue1_index.php 
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