Omega & Fish Oil Guides

Omega-3 supplements are compared on one number that most front labels do not show: the combined EPA and DHA per capsule. A softgel described as 1,000 mg of fish oil states the weight of oil, not the amount of omega-3 inside it — which might be 300 mg, or considerably more in a concentrated product. Two bottles with identical front labels can differ two or threefold on the figure that counts.

Source is the second variable. Fish oil is the standard. Krill oil delivers its omega-3 in phospholipid form, typically at lower doses per capsule, and states astaxanthin content. Algal oil is the option for anyone avoiding marine animal sources and is usually DHA-dominant where fish oil is more often EPA-dominant. Cod liver oil additionally carries vitamin A and vitamin D, so its panel has three figures to read rather than one.

Form and freshness follow. Triglyceride and ethyl ester are both widely sold and named on the back panel, and fish oil oxidises — a strongly rancid smell is a reason to return a product rather than finish it.

These guides cover the numbers, the sources and the forms. To compare products, the omega and fish oil comparison filters by brand, strength, format and pack size.