Omega-3 Dosage Calculator (Free): Your Daily EPA+DHA Target
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The quick answer: most people need 250 mg–1 g of combined EPA+DHA per day for general health (EFSA sets 250 mg/day as the floor), ~1,000 mg specifically for heart health, and 2,000–3,000 mg for joints or mood (EPA-dominant). The calculator below turns your goal, your diet and your preferred form into a personal target in a few seconds.
Free Tool
Omega-3 dosage calculator: your daily EPA+DHA target
Answer three quick questions and get an evidence-based EPA+DHA target, the right form for you, and how to take it.
General health
Heart health
Brain & mood
Joints & inflammation
Pregnancy / nursing
High triglycerides
2+ times a week
Occasionally
Rarely or never
Vegan / vegetarian
Fish oil
Algae oil (vegan)
Cod liver oil
Your daily EPA+DHA target
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Adjust for your diet
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Best form for you
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Why this target
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The form your answers point to
Triglyceride-form fish oilCheck the EPA + DHA number on the back, not the fish-oil weight on the front.
Nordic Naturals leads the industry in purity and potency. Triglyceride form is absorbed 70% better than ethyl ester. IFOS 5-star certified — the highest third-party purity standard.
1280mg omega-3 per 2 soft gels (650mg EPA, 450mg DHA)
Re-esterified triglyceride form — maximum absorption
Future Kind Vegan Omega-3 (algae EPA+DHA)A plant-based way to hit your EPA+DHA target without fish oil.See it on Amazon →
Affiliate links — we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.
Goal
Daily EPA+DHA target
EPA vs DHA
Notes
General health
250 mg–1 g
Balanced
EFSA floor is 250 mg/day; many aim for ~1 g. Two oily-fish meals a week can cover it
Heart health
~1,000 mg
Balanced
AHA figure for people with existing heart disease
Brain & mood
1,000–2,000 mg
EPA-dominant (≥60% EPA)
Mood studies use EPA-heavy formulas; give it 8–12 weeks
Joints & inflammation
2,000–3,000 mg
Balanced / EPA-lean
Anti-inflammatory effect needs higher intake and consistency
Pregnancy / nursing
200–300 mg DHA extra
DHA-focused
For fetal brain/eye development; use a low-mercury, purity-tested form
High triglycerides
2,000–4,000 mg
Balanced
Prescription-level — doctor-supervised only
Targets are combined EPA+DHA, not total fish-oil weight. A “1000 mg fish oil” softgel often contains only ~300 mg EPA+DHA — always read the EPA and DHA line on the label. You may need 3–5 standard capsules to reach a therapeutic dose.
Disclosure: NordVital earns a commission on Amazon purchases at no extra cost to you. Picks are based on published research, label doses and third-party certifications; we do not lab-test products.
How to take omega-3 so it actually absorbs
⭐ Our Verdict
Our Verdict on Omega-3 Fish Oil
High-quality omega-3 supplementation remains one of the best-supported interventions for cardiovascular health, brain function, and inflammation control. The key is using the triglyceride form (not ethyl ester) at a therapeutic dose of 2g+ EPA/DHA daily. Buy from brands with third-party IFOS certification and store in the fridge to prevent oxidation.
⚠️ At doses above 3g/day, omega-3 has blood-thinning effects. Consult your doctor if taking warfarin or aspirin, or before surgery.
Take it with a meal that has fat. Omega-3 is fat-soluble; a fatty meal massively improves absorption and cuts fishy burps.
Prefer the triglyceride (rTG) form. It absorbs roughly 70% better than the cheaper “ethyl ester” form. The label usually says “triglyceride” or “rTG”.
Read the EPA and DHA numbers, not the total oil. Two products at “1000 mg” can differ 3× in actual EPA+DHA.
Look for a purity seal (IFOS or equivalent third-party testing) for low oxidation and low heavy metals.
Vegan? Use algae oil. It is the only plant source that delivers EPA+DHA directly — flax and chia (ALA) convert at only ~5–10%.
Based on EPA/DHA absorption and dosing research (NIH ODS, EFSA, AHA, ISSN). General education, not medical advice — therapeutic doses should be supervised by a doctor.
For general health: 1–2g EPA+DHA combined daily. Doses of 2–4 g a day are used for high triglycerides under medical supervision. Note: a "1000mg fish oil" capsule often contains only about 300 mg of EPA+DHA, so always read the supplement facts panel.
Triglyceride (TG or rTG) form absorbs 70% better than ethyl ester (EE) form. Natural fish oil is already in TG form; most cheap concentrates are EE. Krill oil has unique phospholipid-bound omega-3s with good bioavailability and natural astaxanthin. For vegans, algae-derived DHA/EPA is identical to fish omega-3 and absorbs well.
The research is promising but mixed. A 2019 meta-analysis of 26 trials found that formulas with at least 60% EPA, at about 1 g of EPA a day, modestly improved depressive symptoms, mostly as an add-on to standard treatment. The large VITAL-DEP trial (2021) found no preventive effect. Omega-3 is not a replacement for treatment: talk to your doctor before using it for mood.
Difficult. ALA (found in flaxseed, walnuts, chia) converts to EPA/DHA at only 0.5–5% efficiency. To get 2g EPA+DHA from ALA alone would require eating 40–400g of ALA daily — completely impractical. Algae oil (the original source fish eat) is the only plant-based source that provides preformed EPA+DHA at meaningful doses.
Take fish oil with meals (particularly fatty meals). Store capsules in the freezer — frozen fish oil releases more slowly in the stomach, reducing oxidation and burps. Choose enteric-coated capsules. Use rTG-form fish oil, which is more stable. Try krill oil, which has lower burp complaints. Check the freshness date — rancid fish oil is the primary cause of fish burps.
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