The Study
The Quantitation of EPA and DHA in Fish Oil Dietary Supplements Sold in the United States
This study checked if the fish oil pills you buy actually have the amount of omega-3s they say on the label. It found some pills had more or less than claimed. But it didn't test if that changes how you feel or if you get sick—it just checked the numbers on the bottle.
Analysis score
Maximum 44 for a cross-sectional study.
Where the score came from
Scientists tested popular fish oil supplements to see if what's on the label matches what's inside.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 521 / 100
Quality score
Snapshots of a population at a single point in time, or descriptions of small groups. Can identify correlations and prevalence, but cannot determine cause and effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1This means you might be getting way less or way more omega-3 than you think — which could affect your health if you're taking them for heart or brain benefits.
- 2Out of 15 supplements, 6 had EPA levels off by more than 20%, and 10 had DHA levels off by more than 20%.
- 3One had only 206 mg EPA instead of 709 mg labeled — a 71% shortfall.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Dietetics
Year
2024
Authors
Joseph E. Hilton, W. N. Setzer, P. Satyal, Ambika Poudel, Sawyer Ashcroft, Rakesh Satyal
Related Content
Claims (5)
Many fish oil supplements sold commercially do not contain the amount of EPA and DHA claimed on their labels, show signs of degraded fats beyond safe limits, and may contain harmful contaminants like heavy metals.
Fish oil supplements on the market contain different amounts of omega-3 fatty acids, with some having as little as 31.6% and others as much as 83.4% of their oil content, and the balance between omega-6 and omega-3 fats also varies significantly between products.
Commercial fish oil supplements contain varying amounts of omega-3 fatty acids, with total doses ranging from 680 mg to 4,600 mg per day, and EPA and DHA doses that are lower than the 4,000 mg per day dose used in FDA-approved prescription omega-3 products.
Testing of 15 fish oil supplements sold in the U.S. found that some contained EPA or DHA levels that were more than 20% higher or lower than what was stated on the label, suggesting that label claims for these nutrients are often inaccurate.
Laboratory testing of two fish oil supplements revealed that one contained significantly less EPA than stated on the label, while another contained more DHA than claimed.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.