Omega-3 EPA/DHA 1,000 mg
Solid on triglycerides. Far less certain for cardiovascular prevention if you are in good health.
The short version
What it does A background intake for the heart and the brain when you eat little oily fish.
What it does not do If you eat sardines or mackerel twice a week, you have nothing to add. And you will never feel anything: it is not something you sense.
What the studies say
Bhatt’s REDUCE-IT trial tested a high dose of purified EPA in patients at cardiovascular risk with high triglycerides: a significant reduction in major cardiovascular events. EFSA also recognises claims on normal heart function for EPA and DHA, and on brain function for DHA.
REDUCE-IT used a high dose of purified EPA in an at-risk population, not a standard fish oil capsule in the general population. Trials at ordinary doses in primary prevention are markedly less convincing.
If you eat oily fish twice a week, you probably have nothing to add. Otherwise, it is a sensible background intake.
How to take it
Relevant if you eat little or no oily fish, with high triglycerides, or on a fish-free diet. Useless if you already eat sardines, mackerel or salmon twice a week.
1,000 mg of EPA + DHA combined a day. During a meal containing fat: on an empty stomach, absorption drops sharply. In the evening if you get reflux.
There is nothing to feel: it is a background intake. If you want to check, the omega-3 index can be measured in a laboratory. Fishy repeats mean an oxidised oil: change product.
What is inside
Three forms. Natural triglycerides (TG) and re-esterified triglycerides (rTG) are better absorbed than ethyl esters (EE), which are the cheapest and most widespread form. The form is rarely stated plainly, which is itself a signal.
Read the dose as EPA + DHA, never the oil weight: a 1,000 mg oil capsule may contain only 300 mg of it. Look for a published peroxide or TOTOX value: those figures measure how far the oil has gone rancid. That is the real quality test for a fish oil, and almost nobody gives it. An antioxidant such as vitamin E in the formula is a good sign.
Oils with no explicit EPA/DHA dose, bottles open for a long time, and storage in the light. Cod liver oil also brings a lot of vitamin A, which is toxic in excess. Caution on anticoagulants.
Cautions
- Anticoagulants: medical advice above 3 g/day
- Atrial fibrillation: more frequent on high doses in REDUCE-IT (3.1 % vs 2.1 %)
The three options
Checked by a third party, batch by batch
1,500 mg of EPA+DHA, IFOS certified
IFOS is an INDEPENDENT body: it tests every batch and publishes the report, oxidation included. It is the only guarantee in the aisle that does not come from the seller. 900 mg of EPA and 600 mg of DHA per 2 capsules, rTG form (re-esterified triglycerides), fish gelatin, Friend of the Sea certified fishing. 481 reviews. The TOTOX — the figure that tells you whether the oil has gone rancid — is not on the Amazon page: it is in the batch’s IFOS report, which you can look up online.
For whom — Anyone who wants purity attested by someone other than the manufacturer.
The largest dose, figure stated by the brand
2,160 mg of EPA+DHA, barely oxidised oil
This is the highest dose of the three: 1,260 mg of EPA and 900 mg of DHA per 3 capsules, against 1,500 mg for the premium option. EPAX oil, fish gelatin, encapsulated in Brittany, rosemary and tocopherols as antioxidants, Friend of the Sea. 1,111 reviews. The difference with the premium option is NOT the price — per gram of omega-3 the two are level — it is WHO signs off the check: here the oxidation figure (TOTOX under 7, meaning an oil that has not gone rancid) is stated by the brand on its own listing, not published batch by batch by an independent body. EPAX is a label on the oil, not a certification of the finished batch.
For whom — Anyone who wants the highest dose in three capsules, and accepts that the purity figure comes from the manufacturer.
Large format, form not declared
The dose is stated, the form is not
240 capsules, 24,049 reviews. The listing now states 660 mg of EPA and 440 mg of DHA per 2 capsules — 1,100 mg a day, which is a real dose. A short list: fish oil, vitamin E, bovine gelatin. What it never says is the FORM of the oil: triglyceride or ethyl ester. Both options above do say it, and also say where to find their oxidation value. That is where the trade-off sits — not on the dose.
For whom — Tight budget, and you accept not knowing which form the oil is in.
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* Budget bands are indicative and change often. Only the price shown on Amazon at the moment you buy counts: check it before you order.