How much omega-3 with EPA and DHA do you need per day?

How much EPA+DHA you need per day depends on your goal. For basic heart protection, 840 mg of EPA+DHA per day is already sufficient. At that level, the so-called omega-3 index (the amount of EPA+DHA in your blood fraction) rises to around 6%, which is the threshold value associated with protection against sudden cardiac death.

If you also want an anti-inflammatory effect, more is required. Only at 2 to 4 grams of EPA+DHA per day do the levels of pro-inflammatory substances in the blood decrease noticeably. That is two to five times as much as the cardiac dose.

If you are pregnant, the recommendation is specific: 200 to 300 mg of DHA per day from safe sources such as purified fish oil, algae oil, or DHA-enriched eggs. This appears to extend the duration of pregnancy and to support the cognitive and visual development of the child. The amount needed for this is therefore much lower than the cardiac or anti-inflammatory dose.

In children and young adults (ages 4 to 25), studies only occasionally show an effect on cognition at a minimum of 450 mg DHA+EPA per day, and only in half of the studies examined. The evidence for this is still too limited to draw firm conclusions.

If you want to lose weight, most studies suggest that approximately 1000 mg of EPA+DHA per day on top of a calorie-restricted diet produces an additional reduction in abdominal fat. That finding comes from a small study with 20 participants per group, so it is a preliminary indication, not established advice. Athletes looking to improve their fatty acid profile are sometimes given doses of more than 3000 mg per day in research settings, but the practical benefits of this have not yet been sufficiently studied.