Omega-3: overview and do you need it?

Omega-3s are a family of fats. Your body needs them. It cannot make ALA, the plant omega-3, so ALA must come from food.

They are polyunsaturated fats. Fish, nuts, seeds and some oils contain them. Most research is about 3 omega-3s:

• ALA, the plant omega-3. You get it from:
  • Mustard oil
  • Soybean oil
  • Flaxseed oil
  • Walnuts
  • Fenugreek seeds
  • Pulses
  • Green leafy vegetables
• EPA and DHA, the fish omega-3s. Algae in the sea make them. Fish get them from the food they eat. You get them from:
  • Oily sea fish
  • Fish oil
  • Algal oil (oil made from algae)

Your body changes only a small part of ALA into EPA and DHA. The NIH reports less than 15%. To get more EPA and DHA, eat foods or supplements that contain them.

Omega-3s are part of every cell in your body, and your body cannot make enough of them. So your food must supply them.

• Brain and eyes

  The brain and the eyes contain large amounts of DHA, one of the omega-3s from fish and algae.

• Fish and your heart

  The US National Institutes of Health (NIH) says fish in a balanced diet helps keep the heart healthy, especially in place of less healthy food. It also gives vitamin D and iodine.

• Blood fats

  In trials, omega-3 lowered triglycerides, a fat in your blood. Prescription omega-3 at 4 g (4,000 mg) a day lowers high levels, far more than a shop capsule holds. If yours are high, your doctor decides the treatment.

• Pregnancy

  In trials, fewer babies were born early (before 37 weeks) when their mothers took omega-3. Slightly more pregnancies probably went past 42 weeks. If you are pregnant, ask your doctor.

For heart and blood vessel problems, memory, eyes and mood, trials of supplements found little or no effect. At high doses, they were linked to an irregular heartbeat in people at high heart risk. An omega-3 supplement is not a treatment for any condition. If you have a health condition, ask your doctor.

Only if your food leaves a gap.

India's National Institute of Nutrition (ICMR-NIN) says fish and a balanced diet can meet its daily amounts. It also says city diets need more omega-3. Studies it reviewed found low levels in many better-off city dwellers.

You might add a supplement if:

• You eat little or no fish or other seafood.
• You are vegetarian. ICMR-NIN's first advice is more plant omega-3. Algal oil gives DHA without fish.

Only with your doctor if:

• Note: You are pregnant or breastfeeding. ICMR-NIN advises at least 200 mg of DHA a day. Ask your doctor how to meet it.
• Note: You have high triglycerides. Your doctor decides the treatment.

Ask your doctor first if you take any medicine regularly, have a fish or shellfish allergy, or are buying for a child.

• Note: You take a blood thinner or any medicine regularly. At high doses, fish oil can affect how your blood clots. Do not stop or cut down a medicine your doctor prescribed and take a supplement instead.
• Note: You have a fish or shellfish allergy and want an oil from fish or krill (tiny sea animals).
• Note: You want cod liver oil and are pregnant. Cod liver oil also gives vitamin A and vitamin D.
• Note: You want to give an omega-3 or cod liver oil supplement to a child.
• Note: You have heart disease or a high risk of it. High doses have been linked to an irregular heartbeat.
• Note: You take more than one omega-3 supplement. Never take more than the pack says.

Side effects are usually mild. They include an unpleasant taste, bad breath, heartburn, nausea, stomach upset, diarrhoea, headache and smelly sweat.

Start with food. A supplement adds to a varied diet; it does not replace one.

• If you eat fish: about 200 g of sea fish a week (ICMR-NIN, 2024). Oily fish such as mackerel, sardines and seer carry more omega-3 than lean fish.
• If you don't eat fish: flaxseed, walnuts, fenugreek seeds and green leafy vegetables.
• Cooking oil: mustard or soybean oil.

Pick the kind that fits your diet, then compare packs by the mg of EPA plus DHA in one serving.

The bigger number can mean less omega-3. Take two real labels. Capsule A says 1,000 mg of oil, and Capsule B says 834 mg. Yet B gives more EPA plus DHA: 375 mg against 300 mg.

Before you buy

• Check the serving size. If one serving is two capsules, the amounts on the label are for both.
• Check for the FSSAI licence number (FSSAI is India's food safety regulator), the batch number, the expiry date and the seal.
• Keep the lid closed and the pack away from heat and sunlight.

We stock two: a fish oil, and a DHA supplement made from algae for people who do not eat fish.

Our choice to stock them is not a personal medical recommendation. If you choose another pack, the checks above still apply.

The fish oil: what its label shows

• It is fish oil in a soft gelatin capsule (a softgel), so it is not vegetarian.
• Its daily serving is two softgels, with 1,078 mg of EPA plus DHA (647 mg EPA, 431 mg DHA).
• It also contains curcumin (from turmeric) and peppermint oil.
• The pack says it is for adults only, and not for pregnancy, breastfeeding or anyone having medical treatment.

The algal pack: what its listing shows

• It is a powder made from sea algae, in a plant (cellulose) shell, not gelatin.
• One capsule gives about 75 mg of DHA. Two, the most its directions allow, give about 150 mg.
• One capsule, about 75 mg of DHA, is below the 100 to 300 mg that algal oil capsules usually give. It is also below Capsules A and B (300 mg and 375 mg of EPA plus DHA).
• Its listing gives no figure for EPA.

EPA plus DHA in one capsule

Capsule A, fish oil

300 mg

Capsule B, algal oil

375 mg

Our fish oil, 1 softgel

539 mg

Our algal pack, 1 capsule

75 mg of DHA (no EPA figure)

Ask your doctor first if you take a blood thinner or any medicine regularly. Ask too if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, or are buying it for a child. If you have a fish or shellfish allergy, ask your doctor before you take fish or krill oil. If you take one, follow the directions on the pack.

Medical disclaimer: This guide is general information. Results may vary. An omega-3 supplement does not replace advice from your doctor.