OmegaWell: Read the EPA and DHA, Not the "1,000 mg Fish Oil"

OmegaWell — $24.90, 100 softgels. The most commonly misread label in the whole supplement category, so let us start there.

"1,000 mg fish oil" is not 1,000 mg of omega-3

This is the single most important thing to understand when buying any fish oil, here or anywhere.

Each softgel contains 1,000 mg of fish oil concentrate. Within that:

• EPA: 180 mg
• DHA: 120 mg

So 300 mg of the 1,000 mg is actual omega-3. The other 700 mg is other fats. That ratio is completely normal for a standard (non-concentrated) fish oil — it is not a flaw in this product. But the big number on the front of any fish oil bottle is the oil, and the number that matters is EPA + DHA.

When you compare fish oils, compare EPA and DHA. That is the apples-to-apples figure, and plenty of products make it hard to find for exactly this reason.

At the labelled serving

Directions are one softgel twice daily with meals — so a day's worth is:

• 360 mg EPA + 240 mg DHA = 600 mg combined omega-3 per day
• 2,000 mg total fish oil
• 20 calories, 2 g fat, 20 mg cholesterol

At two a day, 100 softgels is a 50-day supply, not 100 days.

It contains fish — sardines and anchovies

Stated plainly on the label. Anyone with a fish allergy must avoid this.

Sardines and anchovies are a good sign, incidentally: small, short-lived fish low in the food chain accumulate less mercury than large predatory fish. The softgel is gelatin, so this is not vegetarian or vegan. There is no plant-based omega-3 alternative in our range at the moment — if you need one, algae-based DHA is the category to look for elsewhere.

Vitamin E is included in the other ingredients. In a fish oil that is an antioxidant to slow the oil going rancid, not an added nutrient claim.

Take it with meals, and here is the practical reason

The label says with meals. Two reasons:

1. Absorption. Omega-3s are fats and absorb better alongside dietary fat.
2. Fish burps. The genuine reason people quit fish oil. Taking it with a proper meal rather than on an empty stomach reduces it considerably. Keeping the bottle in the fridge helps too — the oil going slightly off is usually what causes the worst of it.

If your softgels smell strongly fishy when you open the bottle, that is rancidity, and they should not.

Who should check with a doctor first

• Anyone on blood thinners — warfarin, clopidogrel, or regular aspirin. Omega-3s can affect clotting, and this is the interaction worth asking about.
• Anyone with surgery scheduled. Surgeons often ask patients to stop fish oil beforehand.
• Anyone pregnant or nursing, under 18, or with a known medical condition

Do not exceed the recommended dose. Store cool, dry and away from direct light.

What it claims

Our label is restrained: it describes a daily omega-3 fish oil supplement without attaching heart, brain, joint or eye claims to it.* We are keeping to that. Omega-3s are among the better-studied supplements, but the specific claims people associate with them are not ones this label supports, and we are not going to borrow them.

*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. All amounts quoted are taken from the approved NutraWell label.