The Omega-3 Index test is the very best tool available to see if your body has incorporated sufficient EPA and DHA to protect you against cardiovascular disease, age-related cognitive decline (dementia), and many other inflammatory conditions. It gives you the percentage of EPA and DHA in your red blood cell membranes. This percentage is comparable with the composition in your organs-, nerves- and brain cell membranes. An Omega-3 Index of 8% or higher is ideal and shows that you are in the lowest health risk zone (1). Unfortunately in the US, many people have an Omega-3 Index of only 4-6% or below – this is the highest risk zone for developing cardiovascular diseases.
Measure your personal Omega-3 Index twice a year and adjust your daily omega-3 supplementation accordingly.
WHAT IS A GOOD OMEGA-3 INDEX?
Your Omega-3 Index (O3I) should be 8 or more. The higher the better. This provides best protection against cardiovascular disease, chronic inflammatory conditions and ensures best cognitive performance. An O3I of 4-7 is considered as low and you should increase your daily uptake of omega-3 EPA and DHA either by eating more fatty fish dishes per week or by increasing your daily omega-3 dose with your supplements. An O3I of below 4 is the highest risk area for developing serious cardiovascular conditions, inflammatory diseases and to develop cognitive decline. This must be corrected as soon as possible by ingesting at least 1.000 to 2.000 mg EPA+DHA per day.
HOW MUCH OMEGA-3 MUST I TAKE PER DAY?
If your O3I is below 7 you should take 2.000 mg EPA+DHA per day for about 8 weeks. This will normally push your O3I up to 7+. At this stage you are already well protected. Once you have reached an O3I of 8 and more you can reduce your daily Omega-3 (EPA + DHA) dose down to 1.000 mg.
HOW LONG DO I NEED TO TAKE MY OMEGA-3?
Just as you can reach a healthy Omega-3 Index in only 6-8 weeks you can also lose that protection in less than 2 months if you drastically reduce your omega-3 uptake. Therefore it is highly recommended to take every day at least 1.000 mg EPA+DHA. For the entire life.
(1) Jan Philipp Schuchardt, Philine Beinhorn, Xue Feng Hu, Hing Man Chan, Kaitlin Roke, Aldo Bernasconi, Andreas Hahn, Aleix Sala-Vila, Ken D. Stark, William S. Harris,
Omega-3 world map: 2024 update, Progress in Lipid Research, Volume 95, 2024, 101286, ISSN 0163-7827, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.plipres.2024.101286.
