What are omega 3 acid ethyl esters?
Answer
It is the chemical name for the concentrated form of fish oil, produced when fatty acids are separated from their glycerol backbone and attached to ethanol instead.
Key takeaways
- What is it?
- The form fish oil takes after concentration, with the fatty acids attached to ethanol rather than glycerol.
- Is it the same as fish oil?
- It is fish oil that has been concentrated. Natural triglyceride is the unconcentrated form.
- Does it change the claim?
- No. The 250mg threshold is measured on EPA and DHA content regardless of form.
Where the name comes from
Fish oil leaves the fish as a triglyceride, which is three fatty acids attached to a glycerol backbone. Concentrating the EPA and DHA means separating those fatty acids from the backbone and attaching them to ethanol instead.
The result is an ethyl ester, and omega 3 acid ethyl esters is simply the precise chemical description of it. It sounds more industrial than it is, in the same way that magnesium bisglycinate sounds more alarming than magnesium.
Where you will see the term
On ingredients panels of standard strength fish oils, and in the names of some prescription omega 3 medicines, which is where the term is most formally used.
Futuro Labs Omega 3 Fish Oil is an ethyl ester providing 180mg EPA and 120mg DHA per mini softgel, which is 300mg combined at one capsule for 17p a day. Stating the form is worth more than the form itself, because a product that does not say is usually an ethyl ester that would rather not mention it.
Whether it matters
Modestly. Triglyceride forms are reported slightly better absorbed in some studies, particularly when taken without fat in the meal, and the differences are smaller than the marketing around them.
The authorised claim does not distinguish between forms: EPA and DHA contribute to normal heart function at 250mg combined a day, however the molecules are carried. Taking any fish oil with a meal containing some fat narrows whatever gap exists.
The full version
- Ethyl ester or triglyceride: does the oil form matter?The three forms, the evidence, and whether a premium is worth paying.
- How to read EPA and DHA on a fish oil labelThe figures that matter more than form.
The product
Futuro Labs Omega 3 Fish Oil
Futuro Labs Omega 3 Fish Oil is the 180mg EPA and 120mg DHA one at 17p a day. One mini softgel gives 300mg combined, clearing the 250mg threshold for the authorised heart claim.
- 300mg combined EPA and DHA per softgel
- Batch tested to ISO 17025 standards
- Deodorised mini softgel, one a day
- Bovine gelatin shell, not vegetarian
Sharper Rugby is published by Futuro Labs. If you buy through this link Futuro Labs earns from the sale. Prices are set by Amazon.
Questions players ask
What are omega 3 acid ethyl esters?
The concentrated form of fish oil, with fatty acids attached to ethanol rather than glycerol.
Is that worse than triglyceride?
Reported slightly less well absorbed in some studies, by a modest margin.
Does it affect the claim?
No. The threshold is measured on EPA and DHA content regardless of form.