Is there an EPA to DHA ratio for inflammation?
Answer
No inflammation claim exists for omega 3 at any dose or ratio, so no ratio can be recommended for it. The one claim covers normal heart function at 250mg combined.
Key takeaways
- Is there an inflammation claim?
- No. None exists for omega 3 at any dose or ratio in the UK.
- Does the ratio matter at all?
- Not for the heart claim, which is measured on the combined total. DHA alone matters for the brain and vision claims.
- Why is inflammation the pitch?
- The mechanism sounds plausible and the claim has never been assessed and accepted.
The claim does not exist, so nor does the ratio
Reducing inflammation is among the most common things omega 3 is sold on and there is no authorised claim for it at any dose. There is therefore no ratio that has been established for it, because there is nothing to establish a ratio against.
It is also the wording most likely to attract regulatory attention, because reducing inflammation edges towards a medicinal claim rather than a nutritional one.
What the ratio does affect
Which claims a product can reach. The heart claim needs 250mg of combined EPA and DHA however they are split. The brain and vision claims each need 250mg of DHA on its own, which standard strength products do not reach.
Futuro Labs Omega 3 Fish Oil provides 180mg EPA and 120mg DHA per mini softgel, which is 300mg combined at one capsule for 17p a day. That clears the heart claim and does not reach the DHA ones, which is stated on every page here that touches them.
Where the ratio comes from
The species and the processing rather than a formulation decision. Different oily fish carry different natural ratios, and concentration steps shift the balance depending on the method used.
So a stated ratio is usually a fact about how the oil was made. Presenting an incidental ratio as a designed feature for an outcome with no claim behind it is two pieces of overreach stacked on each other.
The full version
- Omega 3 and inflammation in rugbyWhy the claim does not exist and what is authorised instead.
- Does the EPA to DHA ratio matter?What the ratio does and does not change.
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
Is there a ratio for inflammation?
No inflammation claim exists at any dose or ratio, so no ratio has been established for it.
What does the ratio change?
Which claims a product reaches. DHA alone matters for the brain and vision claims.
Where does the ratio come from?
The fish species and the processing, rather than a formulation decision.