Pick up two bottles of fish oil. One says 1,000 mg. The other says 1,200 mg. The second is better value, right?
There is no way to tell from those numbers, because neither one is telling you the thing that matters. Total fish oil weight says almost nothing about what you are actually getting.
Here is how to read the label properly, and what the research actually says about how much you need.
EPA and DHA are the part that counts
Fish oil is a mixture. The two components with meaningful human research behind them are EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid). The rest is other fats along for the ride.
A "1,000 mg fish oil" softgel might contain 300 mg of combined EPA and DHA. It might contain 600 mg. The label on the front does not distinguish between those, and the difference is the entire product.
So: ignore the big number. Turn the bottle around and find the two lines that say EPA and DHA. If a product does not break them out separately, that is information too.
They do different jobs
DHA is structural. It is physically built into the membranes of your brain cells and your retina, and the brain holds onto it. This is why DHA dominates in formulas aimed at cognitive and eye health.
EPA is more of a signalling molecule. It is the one that features most in research on inflammatory response.
Products weight them differently on purpose. A brain-focused formula usually leans DHA. A formula aimed at inflammatory response usually leans EPA. Neither is universally "better" — it depends what you are after.
The dose question, answered honestly
This is where we are going to be more candid than most supplement companies, because the numbers matter and they are not all in our favour.
For general intake — supporting normal brain function, eye health and heart health as part of a regular diet — the amounts in a typical daily softgel or two are in a reasonable range, and are the kind of intake health bodies broadly encourage, particularly for people who rarely eat oily fish.
For exercise recovery specifically, the picture is different. A recent meta-analysis pooling 41 randomised controlled trials found that EPA and DHA moderately reduced delayed-onset muscle soreness — but the effects were strongest at 2 grams per day or more of combined EPA and DHA, taken for at least six weeks. Doses under 1 gram per day, and trials shorter than two weeks, did not typically produce a notable effect. Some research also found no measurable benefit in already well-trained athletes.
That threshold is worth sitting with. Our own Omega-3 provides 180 mg EPA and 120 mg DHA per softgel — 300 mg combined, or 600 mg at the suggested two softgels daily. That is a sensible general-intake amount, and it is what the product is for. It is below the range where the soreness research showed its effects. We would rather tell you that than let you buy it for a purpose the dose does not support.
If muscle soreness is specifically what you are chasing, you would need a higher-EPA/DHA product taken consistently for a couple of months, and you should know going in that the evidence in trained lifters is mixed.
Why the six-week minimum
This part is biologically sensible rather than arbitrary. EPA and DHA work by being incorporated into cell membranes, and that takes time. Membrane composition does not change overnight. Studies that run two weeks and report nothing are often not measuring a failed ingredient — they are measuring an ingredient that has not finished arriving.
The practical implication: judge omega-3 on a two- to three-month timeline, not a two-week one.
Three other things worth checking
- Oxidation. Fish oil goes rancid. Look for products tested for oxidation, keep them cool, and if a capsule smells strongly off, do not take it.
- Heavy metals. Distilled and tested for heavy metals should be stated somewhere. Marine oils concentrate what was in the fish.
- Medication interactions. Omega-3 may increase bleeding risk alongside anticoagulant or antiplatelet medication. If you take blood thinners, clear it with your clinician first. Not suitable if you have a fish allergy.
The one-line version
Read the EPA and DHA lines, not the headline milligrams. Match the dose to your actual goal. Give it two months.
Every ingredient we sell is listed with its form, serving range and cautions on The Science, including the ones where the evidence is thinner than we would like.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Speak to a healthcare professional before starting any supplement, particularly if you take prescription medication or manage a health condition.