What is the best form of omega-3 (triglyceride vs ethyl ester)?

If you remember one thing when you buy fish oil, prefer the triglyceride form. Patrick is the anchor here. She explains that the triglyceride (rTG) form is more bioavailable than the cheaper ethyl ester form that many mass-market fish oils use. She also says to check a product's oxidation status.

There is a further layer worth knowing. 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.

Most krill oil supplements are low-dose and often rancid, so they do not deliver enough to matter.

Plant-based ALA sits at the bottom of the ranking. That means flax, chia and walnuts. Patrick points out that ALA converts poorly to the EPA and DHA your body uses. Vegetarians do better with an algal (microalgae) oil than with flax. Johnson takes this plant and food ALA route, and tops up EPA/DHA for specific needs. He is the one real break from the others.

Attia and Huberman reframe the question. Instead of triglyceride versus ethyl ester, they push getting enough EPA and tracking your omega-3 index. Attia targets roughly a 12% red-blood-cell omega-3 concentration.

He points to REDUCE-IT, which used 4g of pure EPA. Huberman relays Patrick's form and oxidation guidance on his own channel, and puts the daily EPA target at roughly 1-3g.