Fish oil and omega-3: what to look for on the label

If you are comparing fish-oil or omega-3 supplements at all, read the Supplement Facts panel for EPA, DHA and ALA in grams or milligrams — not only a “fish oil” or “omega-3” total — and look for a recognizable testing mark. ODS explains that ALA comes mainly from plant oils, while EPA and DHA come mainly from fish and other seafood, and that the body converts only very small amounts of ALA into EPA and then DHA. FDA does not approve dietary supplements before they are sold. This is not medical advice, and it is not a reason to take a supplement.

• Anyone looking for medical advice, a heart-disease plan or a dose. We will not provide those. A clinician should.
• People who take warfarin or other anticoagulant medicines, unless a clinician is already involved. ODS notes that high doses of omega-3s may cause bleeding problems when taken with those medicines.
• Shoppers who wanted a ranked list of bottles. This is a label checklist, not a product review.

The ODS consumer omega-3 fact sheet, updated July 18, 2022, describes three main omega-3 fatty acids: ALA, EPA and DHA. ALA is an essential fatty acid found mainly in plant oils such as flaxseed, soybean and canola oils. EPA and DHA are found in fish and other seafood. ODS says the body can convert only very small amounts of ALA into EPA and then DHA, so getting EPA and DHA from foods — and from supplements, if you take them — is the only practical way to increase those two fatty acids. Dietary supplements include fish oil, krill oil, cod liver oil and algal oil, and they provide a wide range of doses and forms.

ODS lists average daily recommended amounts for ALA only (for example, 1.6 g for men and 1.1 g for women). Recommended amounts for EPA and DHA have not been established, according to the same sheet. Those ALA figures are ODS Dietary Reference Intake numbers, not a capsule serving we recommend. ODS also summarizes research on several health topics, including that evidence is mixed and that some benefits associated with eating seafood may not come from supplements. We do not repeat those research summaries as advice or as a reason to take a product. ODS states that FDA recommends consuming no more than 5 g/day of EPA and DHA combined from dietary supplements; that is an attributed upper figure, not a dose we recommend.

FDA’s consumer pages state that the agency does not approve dietary supplements for safety and effectiveness, or approve their labeling, before they are sold. Manufacturers are responsible for safety and for truthful labeling. A Supplement Facts panel must list serving size and the dietary ingredients and amounts per serving. “1,000 mg fish oil” is not the same thing as 1,000 mg of EPA plus DHA; the useful numbers are the individual fatty acids, if the maker lists them. If a product is marketed to treat, cure or prevent a disease, FDA treats it as a drug.

USP Verified is especially relevant for a quality-verification check on labeled amounts and specified contaminants, as described on USP’s official program page. NSF Certified for Sport remains a banned-substance and label-review program, not an FDA approval. Confirm any mark in the certifier’s current database.

• The product is labeled as a dietary supplement and has a Supplement Facts panel.
• EPA, DHA and, if relevant, ALA are listed separately in amounts per serving, not only as a blended “omega-3” or “fish oil” line if you intended to compare those fatty acids.
• The form is named (fish oil, krill oil, algal oil, or another official name on the label).
• A recognizable testing mark is present and can be confirmed in a current database.
• You have a plan to talk with a clinician before using it, especially if you take anticoagulant medicines.