Answer
Verdict
Not enough evidence
The triglyceride form of omega-3 is more bioavailable than the ethyl ester form.
1 source: 1 positive
By Arun AgrahriLast reviewed
Short answer
The triglyceride (rTG) form, which is more bioavailable than the cheaper ethyl ester form. Check oxidation too. Plant ALA (flax, chia) is the weakest form because it converts poorly to EPA/DHA. Getting enough EPA and a high omega-3 index matters as much as the form itself.
Omega-3 supplements are worth taking.
The verdict on Omega-3 overall. 17 sources: 7 positive, 10 partly
positive partly neutral negative Each researcher and each study counts once per claim, however often they come up.
The triglyceride form of omega-3 is more bioavailable than the ethyl ester form.
1 source: 1 positive. Fewer than 3 sources so far.
Researchers say
1 positive
Dr. Rhonda Patrick, on Huberman Lab, at 39:20
Positive Video · Opinion
Open the tape at 39:20 →“So you can get it in ethyl ester form, which isn't as bioavailable.”
Studies show
No study counted yet.
Dr. Rhonda Patrick, on Huberman Lab, at 39:20 Video · positive · Opinion
“So you can get it in ethyl ester form, which isn't as bioavailable.”
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The triglyceride form of omega-3 is more bioavailable than the ethyl ester form. If you remember one thing when you buy fish oil, prefer triglyceride. Rhonda Patrick, on her own show, explains that the triglyceride (rTG) form absorbs better than the cheaper ethyl ester form many mass-market fish oils use. She also says to check a product's oxidation status.
Omega-3s bound to phospholipids absorb better, and krill oil is one source; salmon roe is the richest. The brain prefers DHA in that phospholipid form and pulls it in through a transporter called MFSD2A. Salmon roe carries 40-70% of its omega-3s as phospholipids, against 1-3% in standard fish.
Patrick's practical answer is still triglyceride fish oil, because most krill oil supplements are low-dose and often rancid, so they don't deliver enough to matter.
Plant ALA, from flax, chia and walnuts, sits at the bottom. ALA converts poorly to the EPA and DHA your body uses, so vegetarians do better with an algal (microalgae) oil than with flax. Bryan Johnson takes the plant and food ALA route and tops up EPA/DHA for specific needs.
Peter Attia and Andrew Huberman reframe the question around getting enough EPA and tracking your omega-3 index. Attia targets roughly a 12% red-blood-cell omega-3 level. Bill Harris, a guest on Patrick's show, calls REDUCE-IT, a trial of 4g of pure EPA, the most successful omega-3 trial in years. Huberman puts the daily EPA target at roughly 1-3g.
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Full Omega-3 evidence report
The verdict on every claim, and where the sources disagree