Which Fish Oil Gets Into Your Cells Better?
Comparative membrane incorporation of omega-3 fish oil triglyceride preparations differing by degree of re-esterification: A sixteen-week randomized intervention trial
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
A 250 mg higher EPA+DHA dose in the high-rTG group led to disproportionately larger gains in omega-3 incorporation—suggesting bioavailability, not just dose, drives results.
Most assume more milligrams = better results, but this shows formulation quality can outweigh raw dosage.
Practical Takeaways
Choose fish oil supplements that specify >95% re-esterified triglycerides (rTG) on the label, not just 'rTG' or 'triglyceride form.'
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
A 250 mg higher EPA+DHA dose in the high-rTG group led to disproportionately larger gains in omega-3 incorporation—suggesting bioavailability, not just dose, drives results.
Most assume more milligrams = better results, but this shows formulation quality can outweigh raw dosage.
Practical Takeaways
Choose fish oil supplements that specify >95% re-esterified triglycerides (rTG) on the label, not just 'rTG' or 'triglyceride form.'
Publication
Journal
PLOS ONE
Year
2023
Authors
S. T. Minton, A. Almada, Joseph L. Evans, M. Laidlaw, Joar Opheim
Related Content
Claims (6)
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.
Taking a high-quality omega-3 pill every day for four months improves the balance between anti-inflammatory and pro-inflammatory fats in your blood cells more than a lower-quality one, even with a similar dose.
If you're a healthy young adult, taking a high-purity fish oil supplement might improve your blood fat levels faster than a lower-purity one — and you could see changes in just four weeks.
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.
If you're a healthy young adult, taking a high-purity fish oil supplement might help your body absorb more of the good omega-3s (like EPA and DHA) into your red blood cells compared to a lower-purity version—even if the difference in dose is pretty small.