A comprehensive guide on how to select the best omega-3 supplement for you, including:
Brand | Product | Source | Form | Serves per bottle | EPA+DHA per serve |
Cost per bottle | Cost per 500mg EPA+DHA |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bio Island | Cod Liver + Fish Oil Kids | Fish | Capsules | 90 | 36 | 32.99 | 5.09 |
BioCeuticals | UltraClean 85 Liquid | Fish | Liquid | 40 | 3,440 | 59.99 | 0.22 |
Bioglan | Odourless Super Fish Oil Double Strength | Fish | Capsules | 200 | 600 | 69.99 | 0.29 |
Bioglan | Red Krill Oil 1000mg | Krill | Capsules | 60 | 175 | 91.99 | 4.38 |
Bioglan | Red Krill Oil 500mg | Krill | Capsules | 120 | 88 | 91.99 | 4.38 |
Blackmores | Vegan Omega-3 Oil | Algae | Capsules | 120 | 135 | 46.99 | 1.45 |
Blackmores | Odourless Fish Oil 1000mg Omega-3 | Fish | Capsules | 500 | 300 | 44.99 | 0.15 |
Blackmores | Omega Triple High Strength Fish Oil | Fish | Capsules | 150 | 900 | 72.99 | 0.27 |
Blackmores | Fish Oil 1000mg | Fish | Capsules | 200 | 300 | 31.99 | 0.27 |
Blackmores | Odourless Fish Oil 1000mg | Fish | Capsules | 200 | 300 | 34.99 | 0.29 |
Carlson | Elita EPA | Fish | Capsules | 120 | 1,000 | 107.86 | 0.45 |
Carlson | Cod Liver Oil Super 1000mg | Fish | Capsules | 250 | 180 | 99.95 | 1.11 |
Carlson | The Very Finest Fish Oil 1600mg 500ml | Fish | Liquid | 100 | 1,300 | 85.49 | 0.33 |
Carlson | Kid's The Very Finest Fish Oil 800mg 200ml | Fish | Liquid | 80 | 650 | 74.9 | 0.72 |
Caruso's | Triple Strength Fish Oil Odourless | Fish | Capsules | 150 | 900 | 64.00 | 0.24 |
Caruso's | King Krill 1000mg | Krill | Capsules | 60 | 150 | 74.00 | 4.11 |
Ethical Nutrients | High Strength Omega-3 | Fish | Capsules | 220 | 694 | 111.95 | 0.37 |
Ethical Nutrients | High Strength Omega-3 | Fish | Capsules | 120 | 694 | 71.95 | 0.43 |
Ethical Nutrients | High Strength Omega-3 Fruit Punch 280ml | Fish | Liquid | 56 | 2,827 | 83.95 | 0.27 |
Ethical Nutrients | High Strength Omega-3 Fruit Punch 170ml | Fish | Liquid | 34 | 2,827 | 55.95 | 0.29 |
Free Spirit | megaOmega Algae Oil | Algae | Capsules | 20 | 1,061 | 88.00 | 2.07 |
Free Spirit | megaOmega Algae Oil | Algae | Liquid | 33 | 758 | 88.00 | 1.74 |
GO Healthy | Fish Oil 1500mg Odourless | Fish | Capsules | 420 | 450 | 55.99 | 0.15 |
GO Healthy | Fish Oil 2000mg Compact Odourless | Fish | Capsules | 230 | 600 | 42.99 | 0.16 |
GO Healthy | Krill Oil 1500mg | Krill | Capsules | 60 | 263 | 84.99 | 2.70 |
Healthy Care | Fish Oil 1000mg Omega 3 | Fish | Capsules | 400 | 300 | 20.99 | 0.09 |
Healthy Care | Odourless Fish Oil 2000mg | Fish | Capsules | 400 | 600 | 49.99 | 0.10 |
Healthy Care | Triple Strength Fish Oil | Fish | Capsules | 150 | 900 | 31.99 | 0.12 |
Healthy Care | Fish Oil + Vitamin D | Fish | Capsules | 200 | 300 | 18.99 | 0.16 |
Healthy Care | Wild Krill Oil 1000mg | Krill | Capsules | 60 | 175 | 29.99 | 1.43 |
Melrose | Omega Fish Oil Health & Heart 500ml | Fish | Liquid | 100 | 1,353 | 29.95 | 0.11 |
Metagenics | MetaPure Algal Oil | Algae | Capsules | 60 | 450 | 69.95 | 1.30 |
Microgenics | Fish Oil 2000mg Odourless | Fish | Capsules | 340 | 600 | 34.99 | 0.09 |
Microgenics | Omega 3 Triple Strength Fish Oil | Fish | Capsules | 150 | 930 | 26.99 | 0.10 |
Nature's Own | Fish Oil 4 in 1 Concentrated with Omega 3 | Fish | Capsules | 90 | 503 | 35.99 | 0.40 |
Nature's Own | Odourless Fish Oil 1500mg | Fish | Capsules | 500 | 450 | 42.99 | 0.10 |
Nature's Way | Fish Oil 1000mg | Fish | Capsules | 200 | 300 | 19.00 | 0.16 |
Nature's Way | Advanced Omega Triple Strength Fish Oil | Fish | Capsules | 60 | 900 | 25.00 | 0.23 |
Nature's Way | Kids Smart Bursts High DHA Omega-3 Fish Oil | Fish | Capsules | 180 | 161 | 53.49 | 0.92 |
Nature's Way | Kids Smart Bursts High DHA Omega-3 Fish Oil | Fish | Capsules | 50 | 161 | 17.49 | 1.09 |
Naturopathica | Vegan Omega 3 | Algae | Capsules | 60 | 53 | 30.99 | 4.92 |
Nordic Naturals | Algae Omega | Algae | Capsules | 30 | 585 | 47.80 | 1.36 |
Nordic Naturals | Ultimate Omega | Fish | Capsules | 180 | 1,100 | 141.25 | 0.36 |
Nordic Naturals | Ultimate Omega | Fish | Capsules | 60 | 1,100 | 56.50 | 0.43 |
Nordic Naturals | Ultimate Omega 119ml | Fish | Liquid | 24 | 2,470 | 84.75 | 0.72 |
Nordic Naturals | Children's DHA Liquid 119ml | Fish | Liquid | 48 | 425 | 34.25 | 0.85 |
Swisse | Odourless Wild Fish Oil 1000mg | Fish | Capsules | 500 | 300 | 31.99 | 0.11 |
Swisse | Odourless High Strength Wild Fish Oil 1500mg | Fish | Capsules | 200 | 450 | 34.99 | 0.19 |
Swisse | Odourless Super Strength Wild Fish Oil 2000mg | Fish | Capsules | 200 | 600 | 46.99 | 0.20 |
Swisse | Odourless 4 x Strength Wild Fish Oil Concentrate | Fish | Capsules | 60 | 1,206 | 51.99 | 0.36 |
Swisse | Kids Fish Oil | Fish | Capsules | 60 | 200 | 25.99 | 1.08 |
Swisse | Deep Sea Krill Oil 1000mg | Krill | Capsules | 60 | 310 | 36.99 | 0.99 |
Therapeia | Vegan Omega 3 Marine Algae Oil | Algae | Capsules | 60 | 400 | 53.55 | 1.12 |
Thompson's | Omega 3 Fish Oil | Fish | Capsules | 400 | 300 | 64.99 | 0.27 |
Wagner | Fish Oil 1000 | Fish | Capsules | 400 | 300 | 19.99 | 0.08 |
Wagner | Triple Strength Omega-3 Fish Oil | Fish | Capsules | 150 | 900 | 34.99 | 0.13 |
Wanderlust | Plant Omega 3 | Algae | Capsules | 60 | 450 | 71.99 | 1.33 |
When comparing supplements, you want to focus on comparing the active ingredients as that's what delivers the health benefit. In fish oil, the key active ingredients are:
Many fish oil supplements simply put the total fish oil content on the front of the bottle (e.g., 1000mg fish oil), but that's NOT the figure you want to use when comparing supplements. You can have very different amounts of EPA and DHA in the 1000mg, especially if you're comparing across sources (e.g., fish oil vs krill oil).
For example, fish oil contains nearly twice as much valuable omega-3 as the krill oil. Standard grade fish oil tends to contain roughly 180mg of EPA and 120mg of DHA per 1000mg of fish oil. In comparison, standard grade krill oil only contains roughly 120mg EPA and 55mg DHA per 1000mg of krill oil.
Health guidelines tend to recommend 500mg (0.5 grams) per day of EPA and DHA combined, which adds up to roughly 180 grams per year per person.
If you chose to get your annual 180g of EPA+DHA from eating Australian salmon, then it'd likely cost you over $2,500 per person per year (i.e., assuming 500mg DHA+EPA per 180g serving of Australian salmon at $40/kg). For a family of 4, that's almost $10k per year!
If you instead chose to get your 180g of EPA+DHA from supplements, then it could cost you as little as $30 per person per year, or as much $1,850 per person per year, depending on which supplement you choose!
With the large range of omega-3 supplements on the market in Australia it can get confusing to work out what's the best value option. We've compared over 50 readily available products, but there's still even more out there.
In order to work out the best value option for you, focus on the cost per 500mg dose of EPA+DHA.
While each product will have its own amazing health claims on their label, you can cut through the bullsh!t by focusing on the active ingredients (i.e., EPA and DHA) when comparing omega-3 supplements. You should be able to find the EPA and DHA content (in milligrams) listed on the back label under "Active Ingredients" or "Supplement Facts".
The EPA and DHA content will be quoted in "mg per serving", so you need to be sure to check their definition of a "serving". Most companies keep it simple with 1 capsule = 1 serving, but some companies treat 2 or 3 capsules as a 1 serving. This allows them to pump up the headline EPA and DHA "per serving" on the front label in big text and you only realise they're lower strength capsules when you dig into the fine print on the back label!
While brands may boast about the superior "quality" of their products, a study of fish and krill oil supplements in Australia found that "all products and categories adhered closely to manufacturer specifications and none exceeded chemical guideline thresholds" (Bengtson Nash, Schlabach, and Nichols; 2014), so is there really much point paying more than you have to per dose?
A different study by Heller et al (2018) did find that 33% of the Australian fish oil products tested exceeded the recommended limit for total oxidation. However, I would be cautious about assuming that these brands will consistently have higher oxidation levels than the other brands. In my opinion, the oxidation is more likely to have occurred in the supply chain between the manufacturer and the retailer and therefore the risk of oxidation applies equally to all products. The study’s author noted as much when they indicated “the products found to be exceeding oxidation markers may have been within the acceptable oxidation limits at manufacture. Oxidation may have occurred post-manufacture i.e. in transit to or storage by the retailer, as it is known that fish oxidises rapidly upon storage, particularly when exposed to light”.
You can often find supplements selling well below recommended retail price (RRP). When we completed our latest price check, over half the products were on special and the average discount was just over 30% off the RRP.
If buying products on special, just be sure to check the expiry date on the packaging. Fish oil can oxidise and become rancid over time (esp. with exposure to heat, air, or light). While it's unclear whether rancid fish oil is harmful to consume, it will smell rotten and potentially be less beneficial, so it's probably not worth the risk.
If you're buying a liquid fish oil (rather than capsules), the larger bottles are often cheaper per dose, but you need to check you can actually consume it all within the 2-3 month you typically have once the bottle. While their unopened shelf life may be 2-3 years, you need to keep the liquid product refrigerated once opened and consume it within 2-3 months to avoid it oxidising and potentially going rancid/off.
If you look at the table above, you'll notice the kid-focused products sell at a serious premium to the normal products. The lowest cost kid's fish oil was $0.72 per dose compared to $0.08 per dose for the normal versions not specifically targeting kids. You're paying almost 10x the price for the same EPA+DHA content!
For a more direct product comparison, let's compare Swisse's basic and kid's products:
Swisse is charging you almost 10x as much for what seems like effectively the same product. The normal version even has dosing instructions for children on the back, so it's not like it's unsuitable for kids. The only difference I can see in favour of the kid's version is the "delicious natural orange flavour"... does that justify a 10x mark-up? If flavouring is important to you, there are plenty of flavoured omega-3 supplements available at roughly $0.10 per dose.
While "cost per dose" is the main factor we use when comparing omega-3 supplements, a secondary factor is convenience in terms of dose size.
If you're shooting for 500mg of EPA+DHA per day, then you would have to take two of the standard grade 1000mg fish oil pills per day. If you're already in the rhythm of taking pills daily, then this might be completely fine for you.
If given the choice, I would much prefer to only have to take a supplement once per week (esp. when there's kids involved). As such, I'm willing to pay a slightly higher "cost per dose" in exchange for the convenience. That's why we tend to go for the much higher concentration liquid products that contain closer to your weekly requirement in one serving.
For example, BioCeuticals UltraClean 85 Liquid, which contains 3,440mg of EPA+DHA per 5ml serving while still only costing $0.22 per dose (500mg EPA+DHA). It's nowhere near the cheapest per dose, but it's not a crazy price either and we're significantly more likely to hit our omega-3 targets using this product (compared to trying to remember to take them daily and convince our kids to take supplements every day).
You need to weigh this one up for yourself - what's convenience worth to you? If you decide you want a more concentrated product, you can simply sort the product table by "EPA+DHA grams per dose".
You can get omega-3 in the form of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) from non-marine sources, such as flaxseed oil and chia seed oil. Unfortunately, we humans aren't great at converting ALA into EPA+DHA with research indicating a conversion rate of less than 10-15% (and it differs greatly by person). You'd have to consume very large amounts of these non-marine omega-3s to get the recommended daily intake of EPA+DHA. Research suggests that "flaxseed oil supplementation did NOT offer improvements to baseline/endpoint Omega-3 index (O3I) for the majority of the identified studies and DHA levels were not significantly different to the controls at endpoint".
The good news is that you can jump straight to the source of fish's EPA+DHA with "algal oil". Research indicates that "algal-oil DHA capsules and cooked salmon appear to be bioequivalent". We considered 8 different algae-based oils listed in our review, so you can easily compare dose strength and cost per dose.
Algal oils tend to be considerably more expensive than fish oil at around $1.00-1.50 per 500mg of EPA+DHA, but they still seem to be the best option currently available for vegans and vegetarians looking to increase their EPA+DHA levels.
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