What is fish oil? A plain guide

Fish oil is the oil extracted from fatty fish, valued mainly for two long-chain omega-3 fats: EPA and DHA. A softgel concentrates what a serving of fatty fish would otherwise provide. Electric Tiger Omega-3 gives 300 mg of EPA and DHA per softgel, from 1,000 mg of fish oil concentrate — one softgel twice a day, as directed.

EPA, DHA and ALA aren't the same thing

"Omega-3" is a family of fats, not one ingredient. Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) comes from plants — flaxseed, walnuts, canola oil — and the body can convert some of it into the two long-chain omega-3s, EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), but that conversion is limited (NIH Office of Dietary Supplements). Fatty fish and fish oil supply EPA and DHA directly, which is the main reason fish oil is sold as its own category rather than lumped in with plant-based omega-3 sources.

Where EPA and DHA come from in food

Fatty fish are the richest food source. Per USDA FoodData Central, a 3-ounce cooked serving of salmon, sardines, mackerel or anchovies typically provides somewhere in the 800 mg to 2,000+ mg range of combined EPA and DHA, depending on species and preparation. Leaner options provide meaningfully less: canned light tuna runs roughly 150–300 mg per 3-ounce serving, and cooked shrimp is similar, around 250–300 mg per 3-ounce serving. A fish oil softgel is a way to get a set, known amount without eating fish at all.

Omega-3, omega-6 and omega-9 aren't interchangeable

These numbers refer to where a double bond sits in the fat's chemical structure, not to how "good" each one is. Omega-6 fats (linoleic acid, common in vegetable oils) and omega-9 fats (oleic acid, common in olive oil) are structurally different from omega-3s and serve different roles in the diet. Some supplement blends combine omega-3, -6 and -9 sources in one softgel; that's a different product from a fish oil concentrate isolated for EPA and DHA. Our label is fish oil only — 180 mg EPA and 120 mg DHA per softgel, with no added omega-6 or omega-9 oils.

What's in a fish oil softgel, and what our label provides

Each Electric Tiger Omega-3 softgel contains 1,000 mg of fish oil concentrate, providing 180 mg of EPA and 120 mg of DHA — 300 mg combined. The label directs one softgel twice daily, which is 600 mg of EPA and DHA combined a day (360 mg EPA + 240 mg DHA). At two softgels a day, a 100-softgel bottle is a 50-day supply, not 100 days — worth knowing before you compare price per bottle across brands. The other ingredients are the softgel itself (gelatin, glycerin and water) and vitamin E. The Contains line lists fish (sardines and anchovies): this is the one product in our range that isn't vegan, because of the gelatin softgel. It's as low as $16.78 a bottle on subscription ($0.17 a softgel, or about $0.34 a day at the labeled two-a-day amount).

What raising your intake actually measures

A five-month dose-response trial gave 115 healthy adults one of five daily doses of EPA and DHA — 0, 300, 600, 900 or 1,800 mg — and measured the omega-3 index, a lab test of how much EPA and DHA sits in red blood cell membranes. Two of those arms, 300 mg and 600 mg, are exactly our one- and two-softgel amounts. The index rose in a dose-dependent way, with dose alone explaining 68% of the difference in people's response. That's a blood measurement, not a health outcome, and we're not claiming this product treats or prevents anything — see fish oil benefits: what the research does and doesn't show for what the outcome trials found, and where they used doses well above a two-softgel serving.

Questions people ask

Does tuna have omega-3?

Yes, but generally less than fattier fish. Canned light tuna runs around 150–300 mg of combined EPA and DHA per 3-ounce serving, compared with 800 mg or more for salmon or sardines (USDA FoodData Central).

Do shrimp have omega-3?

Yes — cooked shrimp provides roughly 250–300 mg of combined EPA and DHA per 3-ounce serving (USDA FoodData Central), a similar amount to canned tuna and well below fattier fish.

What is omega-3 good for?

That's a bigger question than this page can answer honestly in a line. See fish oil benefits: what the research does and doesn't show for the outcome research, including the doses those trials used and where a 600 mg/day serving does and doesn't fit into that picture.

Is fish oil vegan?

Ours isn't. The softgel is gelatin, an animal-derived ingredient, and the oil itself comes from sardines and anchovies. If a vegan omega-3 source matters to you, algae-based DHA is the plant-derived alternative; we don't currently carry one.

When should I take fish oil?

Our label says one softgel twice daily, and taking it with a meal is the more relevant timing question than time of day — see when is the best time to take fish oil for what the absorption research says about food.

What's the difference between fish oil and omega-3?

Fish oil is one source of omega-3 fatty acids — specifically EPA and DHA. "Omega-3" is the broader chemical family, which also includes plant-based ALA from flax, walnuts and canola oil. A fish oil supplement is a marine EPA/DHA source, not omega-3 in general.

Related reading: how much fish oil should you take a day, how to choose a good fish oil, and who should not take fish oil.