← The FormularyLong gameOmega-3 (EPA + DHA)
Also known as Fish oil, marine omega-3The supplement with the least argument attached to it.
Most diets are short of it and most people will never eat oily fish three times a week. Dose matters more than brand: the triglyceride claims you see everywhere need around 2 g a day, which is far above what a general daily softgel provides. Anyone quoting those numbers on a 300 mg product is quoting someone else's study.
Two long-chain fats, EPA and DHA, concentrated from fish oil. The body makes them only poorly from plant sources, so they are effectively dietary.
Incorporated into cell membranes and used to make signalling molecules involved in inflammation and vascular tone. It works on the scale of months.
Supports normal heart function. That is the claim the dose in a daily softgel actually supports.
Everyone, honestly. It is the least interesting recommendation in the catalogue and the easiest to defend.
With food — absorption is markedly better with a meal containing fat.
Nothing you can feel. Judged on bloodwork and time, not sensation.
Read the EPA and DHA numbers, not the fish oil number. A 1,000 mg softgel is usually 300 mg of the two that matter.
Read the labelCONTAINS FISH — a different allergen from shellfish. Speak to a doctor if you take anticoagulant medication or have surgery coming.
Evidence grades describe how well an ingredient is studied — A well-supported, C emerging — not a promise of results. Educational, not medical advice. Doses are typical ranges; follow the label on the product.