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Omega 3 Requirement Calculator

Work out omega 3 requirement instantly with clear inputs, formula shown and shareable results.

About Omega 3 Requirement Calculator

Converts weekly oily fish intake into an average daily EPA and DHA figure and compares it with the commonly recommended 250 to 500 mg.

Formula

Omega-3 intake

Daily EPA + DHA = servings per week x mg per serving / 7; the ALA adequate intake is 1.6 g/day for men and 1.1 g/day for women

Worked example

With the default values below, Omega 3 Requirement Calculator returns Average daily EPA plus DHA of 428.6. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.

Inputs used

Sexone of Male, Female
Male
Oily fish servings per weekaccepts 0–14
2
EPA plus DHA per servingaccepts 100–4,000 mg
1,500 mg

Results

Average daily EPA plus DHA
428.6 mg
Commonly recommended intake
500 mg/day
Alpha-linolenic acid adequate intake
1.60 g/day
Oily fish servings needed per week
2.33

Step by step

  1. 1Values used
  2. 2Omega-3 intake
  3. 3Average daily EPA plus DHA= 428.6 mg
  4. 4Commonly recommended intake= 500 mg/day
  5. 5Alpha-linolenic acid adequate intake= 1.60 g/day
  6. 6Oily fish servings needed per week= 2.33

Assumptions and limits

  • The result is derived only from the 3 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
  • In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax, fees or charges or compounding frequency into account.
  • Figures are rounded for display to 2 decimal places, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.
  • Educational estimate only. Not a substitute for professional clinical judgement, and must not be used to make treatment or dosing decisions.
  • This is an estimate for general information and not professional medical advice. See the full disclaimer for the limits that apply to this kind of calculator.

How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.

Educational estimate only. Not a substitute for professional clinical judgement, and must not be used to make treatment or dosing decisions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is ALA a substitute for EPA and DHA?

Only partly. Conversion of ALA to EPA is under 10% and to DHA under 1% in most people.

What about mercury?

Large predatory fish accumulate mercury, so guidance favours salmon, sardines and mackerel over swordfish and shark.

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