Your body absorbs omega-3s from fish oil better depending on the form they're in — free fatty acids are easiest to absorb, triglycerides are okay, and ethyl esters are the hardest.

How fish oil is made and packaged can change how well your body absorbs it, whether you like taking it, and how much it might help your health.

Fish oil supplements with over 95% re-esterified triglycerides (a type of fat form) seem to get more omega-3s into your blood cells after 16 weeks than those with less than 70%, so this might be a good sign of a better-quality supplement.

Some fish oil pills that mix with water in your gut might help your body absorb omega-3s better, but we’re not totally sure yet and need more human studies to find out.

Fish oil in triglyceride form gets absorbed better by your body than the kind in ethyl ester form.

Taking high-quality fish oil pills with more of a certain form (called re-esterified triglycerides) leads to higher levels of a healthy fat called DPA in your blood cells after four months, compared to lower-quality ones.