Omega-3 Fatty Acids (EPA + DHA)
Of 4,572 on-market omega-3 fatty acids (epa + dha) products in the January 2026 DSLD dump, the median declared dose is 501 mg, and 55.1% list Total/Mixed Omega-3 (undifferentiated triglyceride) as the primary form.
Form share
Of 4,512 products with an identifiable primary form, here is the share held by each form of Omega-3 Fatty Acids (EPA + DHA) on the market today.
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| Form | Quality tier | n | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total/Mixed Omega-3 (undifferentiated triglyceride) | Tier 1 | 2,488 | 55.1% |
| EPA (Eicosapentaenoic Acid) | Tier 1 | 1,173 | 26.0% |
| DHA (Docosahexaenoic Acid) | Tier 1 | 763 | 16.9% |
| Docosahexaenoic Acid Ethyl Ester | Tier 3 | 77 | 1.7% |
| Other Omega-3 (remainder beside EPA/DHA) | Tier 1 | 11 | 0.2% |
Form share over time
Entry-year breakdown of the top forms, 2012–2025.
Dose distribution
Deciles of declared dose per serving (mg), among 4,269 products with a disclosed amount.
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- 19.4% of products fall below the fairy-dust threshold (200 mg, 20% of the studied low dose).
- 5.9% of products don't disclose an amount because Omega-3 Fatty Acids (EPA + DHA) is declared inside a proprietary blend.
Where does your dose rank?
Enter a per-serving dose (mg) to see exactly how it compares to the 4,268 on-market omega-3 fatty acids (epa + dha) products with a disclosed amount (combining EPA (Eicosapentaenoic Acid) + DHA (Docosahexaenoic Acid) + Docosahexaenoic Acid Ethyl Ester, or the label's own total if it gives one). The chart above groups doses into deciles; this looks up the exact percentile for one number.
By dosage form
By target group
Top brands
Search interest over time
How often people search for omega-3 fatty acids (epa + dha) on Google, US only, the last 5 years. This is public interest, not DSLD label data — a spike here doesn't necessarily line up with anything on this page, and Google's own index (100 = that term's peak popularity in the chosen window) is relative, not an absolute search-volume count.
Or see this search directly on trends.google.com.
Forms explained
Native triglyceride form found in fish; well-absorbed baseline reference form in head-to-head bioavailability trials.
Source: Dyerberg J et al. 2010, Prostaglandins Leukot Essent Fatty Acids 83(3):137-141, PMID 20638827
Remainder of the omega-3 fraction (ALA, DPA, SDA etc.) listed alongside EPA and DHA; sits in the same triglyceride oil, so it carries the baseline tier.
Source: Dyerberg J et al. 2010, PMID 20638827
Re-esterified triglyceride form of EPA/DHA showed the highest bioavailability index (124%) vs ethyl ester (73%) and free fatty acid (91%) in a 72-subject comparison; plain/natural triglyceride EPA is the well-absorbed baseline.
Source: Dyerberg J et al. 2010, PMID 20638827
Same bioavailability ranking as EPA (rTG > natural TG ~ FFA > EE); algal-oil DHA (vegan source) was bioequivalent to cooked-salmon DHA at 600mg/day, and different algal oils were equivalent to each other at 200-1000mg/day.
Source: Dyerberg J et al. 2010, PMID 20638827; Arterburn LM et al. 2007, Lipids 42(11):1011-24, PMID 17713804 (algal oils equivalent at 200-1000 mg/day); Arterburn LM et al. 2008, J Am Diet Assoc 108(7):1204-9, PMID 18589030 (algal-oil DHA 600 mg/day equivalent to cooked salmon)
Ethyl ester form had the lowest bioavailability index (73%) of the forms tested (Dyerberg 2010).
Source: Dyerberg J et al. 2010, PMID 20638827
Reference values
- RDA (adult): not established — No RDA -- IOM set only an Adequate Intake for ALA (the essential plant-derived precursor), not for EPA+DHA directly: 1.6g/day ALA (men), 1.1g/day ALA (women). No DRI exists specifically for EPA or DHA.
- Tolerable Upper Intake Level (adult): not established — Not established -- IOM found available data insufficient to set a UL. FDA has concluded that supplements providing up to 5g/day EPA+DHA are safe when used as recommended (NIH ODS); the 3g/day figure is the intake cap in the menhaden-oil GRAS regulation, 21 CFR 184.1472, a conventional-food use level rather than a supplement UL. FDA advises supplement labels not recommend >2g/day. EFSA: long-term intake up to ~5g/day combined EPA+DHA appears safe. 2-15g/day may increase bleeding time via reduced platelet aggregation.
- Studied clinical dose range: 1000–4000 mg
- Wang T et al. 2023, J Am Heart Assoc 12(11):e029512, PMID 37264945 -- dose-response meta-analysis, 90 RCTs/72,598 participants; near-linear dose-response for triglyceride and non-HDL-C reduction, most evident above 2g/day in hyperlipidemic/overweight populations. The 1000-4000mg range is a curated span, not stated in that meta-analysis (which reports effects at 2 and 3g/day and "more than 2g/day"): the 1g/day low end is the VITAL dose (Manson JE et al. 2019, NEJM 380:23-32, PMID 30415637, 1g fish-oil capsule/day), and the 4g/day high end is the prescription-dose level (e.g. REDUCE-IT, Bhatt DL et al. 2019, NEJM 380:11-22, PMID 30415628, 4g/day icosapent ethyl, which is EPA-only).
- Note: EPA and DHA are frequently declared as their own ingredient rows in DSLD alongside a parent "Total Omega-3" figure -- modeled as sub-entries in forms.yaml rather than folded silently into one number, since per-row amounts don't always sum cleanly to the declared total. The metrics phase must decide how to aggregate per product (avoid double/triple-counting parent+EPA+DHA rows on the same label).