What Do Your Omega-3 Index Results Mean?

Original Date of Publication: March 25, 2020

Original Author: Becky Wright is the Marketing Communications Director for OmegaQuant. She has more than two decades of experience in the health and wellness industry, with much of her career focused on fatty acids and health. She has authored numerous blogs for OmegaQuant. Learn more

Date of Review/Update: July 9, 2026

Reviewer: Stacy Cappadona MS, RD, CSSD, CSCS, TSAC-F

Stacy Cappadona is OmegaQuant’s science writer and reviewer. She is a registered dietitian and board-certified specialist in sports dietetics. Stacy has spent most of her career supporting the health and performance of United States military communities, applying evidence-based nutrition strategies to meet the demands of high-stress, high-performance environments. Learn more

 

 

So, you’ve ordered an Omega-3 Index test, collected your blood sample, and submitted it to the OmegaQuant lab. Now you’ve received your results, and you’re wondering what they mean and how you can take action if you need to raise your score.

In this blog, we will address several of the most common questions from people who have received their results and want a better understanding of what they mean.

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What is the Omega-3 Index?

First, let’s review what the Omega-3 Index actually is. The Omega-3 Index is a measure of EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) in your red blood cells(1). What we do is measure all the fatty acids in your red blood cell membranes, then calculate the percentage of EPA and DHA among all of the fatty acids.

You can think of an Omega-3 Index like a hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c)—both are measured in the red blood cells, reported as a percentage, and reflect long-term trends of dietary intake. So, your Omega-3 Index reflects the long-term intake of omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA, and your result could be 4%, 6%, 8%, and so on. For example, if your result is 6%, that means 6% of the fatty acids in your red blood cell membranes are EPA and DHA.

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Why Does Your Omega-3 Index matter?

The Omega-3 Index was first identified to be a risk factor for death from cardiovascular disease back in 2004 (2). It was found that higher Omega-3 Index levels were associated with greater protection— where an Index > or = 8% was associated with the greatest cardioprotection, and an Index < or = 4% was associated with the least (2). The connection between the Omega-3 Index and heart health has been re-confirmed over time (3).

However, the Omega-3 Index has been studied for its implications in other areas of health as well. For example, higher baseline Omega-3 Index levels, and higher increases in the Omega-3 Index, have been associated with an improvement in cognitive function, better memory, faster processing speed, and larger brains in elderly populations (4, 5).

Studies have also found that the Omega-3 Index may be associated with type 2 diabetes, as levels are significantly lower in those with type 2 diabetes compared to healthy controls (6).

Further, researchers found that high Omega-3 Index levels were also associated with reduced hospital stay times in those with COVID-19 (7), reductions in all-cause mortality (8), reduced risk of preterm birth (9), and regulation or normal immunity (10, 11).

So, ultimately, the Omega-3 Index can serve as a biomarker (reflection of EPA and DHA levels in the body), a risk marker (levels may be associated with health implications), and a risk factor (may cause changes to health) (12).

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What Should Your Omega-3 Index be?

Research consistently shows that an Omega-3 Index of 8-12% is linked to better health outcomes for general wellness. However, most people globally have an Omega-3 Index below 8%. Let’s discuss why.

Omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA are primarily found in fatty fish. Not surprisingly, most people eating the typical American diet don’t eat a lot of fish, and therefore, have a low Omega-3 Index. In fact, the average American has an Omega-3 Index of about 4%, according to CDC/NHANES data published in July 2026. But the United States isn’t the only country struggling with their omega-3 levels. A 2024 study found that most of the 48 countries included in the study show a low Omega-3 Index in the range of 4-6% (13).

Now, being below 8% doesn’t mean you’re unhealthy — it’s not a magic number. But having higher levels (closer to 8%) are associated with better health outcomes (as discussed above). So, having an Omega-3 Index of 6% is better than 4%. If you’re at 7%, woohoo! You’re better than 90% of people we’ve tested! But the ultimate goal would be to reach that 8% threshold.

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How Can You Increase Your Omega-3 Index?

The answer is simple, although not always easy—eat more EPA and DHA! The good news is you can meet your needs through diet alone. There is evidence in Japanese communities that shows fish consumption ~3 x per week resulted in an Omega-3 Index range from 6.8 to 9.0% (14). But, Japan, and their normal dietary patterns, are fairly unique. Not many other people around the world eat fish that frequently.

But, if you want to rely on fish to improve or maintain your Omega-3 Index, use the fish table provided in your omega-3 results report to choose fish with higher levels of EPA and DHA—because not all fish are created equal when it comes to their levels of DHA and EPA. It’s possible to eat fish frequently but if you choose fish varieties low in EPA and DHA, you will like have a low Omega-3 Index.

For those who don’t eat enough fish to raise their Omega-3 Index to optimal levels, adding supplements can help. In a 2019 publication by OmegaQuant researchers William S. Harris, PhD, and Kristina Harris Jackson, PhD, RD, they found that those who ate three fatty fish meals per week and took an omega-3 supplement were the most likely to reach a target Omega-3 Index of 8% or higher (15). This approach might be more reasonable for most people, especially if fish isn’t isn’t on their list of food favorites.

If taking a supplement, be sure to buy a high-quality one. Supplements vary based on source, amounts, form, and quality. To learn more, you can read How to Choose the Best Omega-3 Supplement.

Omega-3 recommendations for the general public are often lower than what it will likely take for you to reach an Omega-3 Index in the desirable zone of 8% or above. Also keep in mind that these are generalizations for populations and are not based on YOUR body.

To provide a more personalized, research-based dosing recommendation, we made an omega-3 calculator on our website that allows you to enter your current Omega-3 Index and your target goal. After following these steps, the calculator will estimate how much EPA+DHA you’ll need, in addition to your current intake to meet your Omega-3 Index goal.

As always, it is important to establish what your baseline Omega-3 Index is, so you can estimate how much EPA and DHA you might need to reach the green zone. It will take between 1,000-2,000 mg of omega-3 EPA and DHA daily over a period of three to four months for most people reach the optimal range. In the US, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends consuming no more than 5 grams per day of EPA and DHA. Negative side effects typically include stomach discomfort, diarrhea, heart burn, fishy burps, or bad breath.

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Can Your Omega-3 Index Be Too High?

As with any nutrient, it’s likely that you can get too much omega-3. However, we don’t know what that level  is when it comes to EPA and DHA.

A good example is the Japanese, who have an average Omega-3 Index of 9% due to their high fish intake. They live longer and have less heart disease despite having higher blood pressure and smoking more.

At OmegaQuant, we recommend an Omega-3 Index range of 8-12%. Right now, there is no evidence that going higher provides any more benefit.

If you ordered your Omega-3 Index test online, it’s wise to talk to your healthcare provider before changing your diet or adding supplements to your routine. In general, fish and fish oil supplements are very low-risk interventions.

Also, if you are changing your diet, we recommend retesting every 3-4 months until your Omega-3 Index levels and your diet are stable. Then you can test every 6 months to a year to make sure you are staying on track. It’s also helpful to note improvements in your health, such as dry eye or aching joints, as your Omega-3 Index increases.

OmegaQuant continues to collaborate with premier research teams around the world to determine what the optimal Omega-3 Index is for different conditions and to confirm our 8% target. So far, the Omega-3 Index has been used in more than 200 studies worldwide, including thousands of subjects. To date, we have worked with more than 150 research institutions. We are proud of the progress we’ve made with the Omega-3 Index test as the premier tool for establishing omega-3 status.

Most recently, the first-ever CDC/NHANES data featured the Omega-3 Index, revealing that the vast majority of Americans have suboptimal omega-3 status, with more than half falling into the “undesirable” range (<4%) and only a very small percentage reaching optimal levels. These nationally representative findings highlight a widespread omega-3 gap and reinforce the importance of increasing EPA and DHA intake through fatty fish, supplements, and omega-3 testing to better understand individual status.

 

References:

1. Harris WS. Recent studies confirm the utility of the omega-3 index. Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care. 2025;28(2):91-95. doi:10.1097/MCO.0000000000001078
2. Harris WS, Von Schacky C. The Omega-3 Index: a new risk factor for death from coronary heart disease? Prev Med. 2004;39(1):212-220. doi:10.1016/j.ypmed.2004.02.030
3. Bernhard B, Heydari B, Abdullah S, et al. Effect of six month’s treatment with omega-3 acid ethyl esters on long-term outcomes after acute myocardial infarction: The OMEGA-REMODEL randomized clinical trial. Int J Cardiol. 2024;399:131698. doi:10.1016/j.ijcard.2023.131698
4. He X, Yu H, Fang J, et al. The effect of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation on cognitive function outcomes in the elderly depends on the baseline omega-3 index. Food Funct. 2023;14(21):9506-9517. Published 2023 Oct 30. doi:10.1039/d3fo02959j
5. Loong S, Barnes S, Gatto NM, Chowdhury S, Lee GJ. Omega-3 Fatty Acids, Cognition, and Brain Volume in Older Adults. Brain Sci. 2023;13(9):1278. Published 2023 Sep 2. doi:10.3390/brainsci13091278
6. Ma MY, Li KL, Zheng H, Dou YL, Han LY, Wang L. Omega-3 index and type 2 diabetes: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Prostaglandins Leukot Essent Fatty Acids. 2021;174:102361. doi:10.1016/j.plefa.2021.102361
7. Di Profio E, Risé P, Orlandi L, et al. Unsaturated fatty acids, omega-3 index and hospitalization in MISC. Prostaglandins Leukot Essent Fatty Acids. 2024;202:102627. doi:10.1016/j.plefa.2024.102627
8. Harris WS, Tintle NL, Imamura F, et al. Blood n-3 fatty acid levels and total and cause-specific mortality from 17 prospective studies. Nat Commun. 2021;12(1):2329. Published 2021 Apr 22. doi:10.1038/s41467-021-22370-2
9. Middleton P, Gomersall JC, Gould JF, Shepherd E, Olsen SF, Makrides M. Omega-3 fatty acid addition during pregnancy. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2018;11(11):CD003402. Published 2018 Nov 15. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD003402.pub3
10. McBurney MI, Tintle NL, Harris WS. The omega-3 index is inversely associated with the neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio in adults. Prostaglandins Leukot Essent Fatty Acids. 2022;177:102397. doi:10.1016/j.plefa.2022.102397
11. Gutiérrez S, Svahn SL, Johansson ME. Effects of Omega-3 Fatty Acids on Immune Cells. Int J Mol Sci. 2019;20(20):5028. Published 2019 Oct 11. doi:10.3390/ijms20205028
12. Harris WS. The omega-3 index: from biomarker to risk marker to risk factor. Curr Atheroscler Rep. 2009;11(6):411-417. doi:10.1007/s11883-009-0062-2
13. Schuchardt JP, Beinhorn P, Hu XF, et al. Omega-3 world map: 2024 update. Prog Lipid Res. 2024;95:101286. doi:10.1016/j.plipres.2024.101286
14. Iso H, Kobayashi M, Ishihara J, et al. Intake of fish and n3 fatty acids and risk of coronary heart disease among Japanese: the Japan Public Health Center-Based (JPHC) Study Cohort I. Circulation. 2006;113(2):195-202. doi:10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.105.581355
15. Jackson KH, Polreis JM, Tintle NL, Kris-Etherton PM, Harris WS. Association of reported fish intake and supplementation status with the omega-3 index. Prostaglandins Leukot Essent Fatty Acids. 2019;142:4-10. doi:10.1016/j.plefa.2019.01.002
16. National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements. Omega-3 Fatty Acids—Fact Sheet for Consumers. Updated July 18, 2022. Accessed July 14, 2026. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Omega3FattyAcids-Consumer/