What can you say about omega-3 fish oil (EPA and DHA) in your ads and on your site?

The library supports 6 wordings for omega-3 fish oil (EPA and DHA); the strongest is “Supports normal heart function and heart health” (strong, 250-5,000 mg EPA + DHA a day). Avoid wording that names or implies a disease, a drug or a treatment, such as “Lowers high triglycerides, or treats hypertriglyceridemia”.

Also called: Fish oil, Omega-3, Omega-3 fatty acids, EPA, DHA, Eicosapentaenoic acid, Docosahexaenoic acid, EPA and DHA

Reviewed 14 October 2026

Not legal advice. This guide shows the wording that published evidence supports at a daily dose, from the sources linked below; it is not a ruling on any claim. Your own product, its form and dose, and your own evidence still need to match the wording you use.

Supported wordings

What you can say.

Strong evidenceWording 1

Claims Facts

“Supports normal heart function and heart health.”

Daily dose	250-5,000 mg EPA + DHA a day
Support	Authorized in the EU after EFSA review at 250 mg a day, and listed by Health Canada from 200 mg a day.
Dose details	EU: 250 mg EPA + DHA a day, and the consumer is told so. Health Canada: 200-5,000 mg a day. Adult maximum 5,000 mg a day.
Form	Fish oil providing EPA + DHA
Sources	Commission Regulation (EU) No 432/2012, list of permitted health claims Health Canada monograph: Fish Oil

Strong evidenceWording 2

Claims Facts

“Helps maintain normal blood triglyceride levels.”

Daily dose	1,000-5,000 mg EPA + DHA a day
Support	Health Canada lists it at 1,000-5,000 mg a day, and ODS reports a large Cochrane review showing lower triglycerides.
Dose details	Health Canada: 1,000-5,000 mg a day. ODS reports a 2020 Cochrane review in which 0.5 g to more than 5 g a day lowered triglycerides by about 15%.
Form	Fish oil providing EPA + DHA
Sources	Health Canada monograph: Fish Oil NIH ODS fact sheet: Omega-3 Fatty Acids (health professional)

Limited evidenceWording 3

Claims Facts

“Supports normal brain function.”

Daily dose	150-5,000 mg EPA + DHA a day
Support	Health Canada and the EU accept maintenance wording, but ODS reports a trial in healthy older adults in which EPA + DHA did not change cognitive function.
Dose details	Health Canada: 150-5,000 mg EPA + DHA a day including at least 100 mg DHA. EU: 250 mg DHA a day.
Form	Fish oil providing DHA
Where sources disagree	Health Canada (cognitive health and brain function) and the EU (maintenance of normal brain function) support the wording. ODS describes a 24-month trial in cognitively healthy adults aged 70-79 in which 500 mg DHA plus 200 mg EPA a day made no significant difference to cognitive function compared with placebo. Maintenance wording may hold; wording that promises better memory or thinking does not.
Sources	Health Canada monograph: Fish Oil Commission Regulation (EU) No 432/2012, list of permitted health claims NIH ODS fact sheet: Omega-3 Fatty Acids (health professional)

Moderate evidenceWording 4

Claims Facts

“DHA supports normal vision.”

Daily dose	at least 250 mg DHA a day
Support	Authorized in the EU after EFSA review; Health Canada lists eye development only for children.
Dose details	EU: 250 mg DHA a day, and the consumer is told so. Adult maximum for EPA + DHA is 5,000 mg a day (Health Canada).
Form	Fish oil providing DHA
Source	Commission Regulation (EU) No 432/2012, list of permitted health claims

Moderate evidenceWording 5

Claims Facts

“Supports a healthy mood balance.”

Daily dose	1,500-5,000 mg EPA + DHA a day
Support	Health Canada lists it at EPA-rich doses; no other listed source covers this wording.
Dose details	Health Canada: 1,500-5,000 mg EPA + DHA a day including at least 1,000 mg EPA.
Form	Fish oil providing EPA-rich EPA + DHA
Source	Health Canada monograph: Fish Oil

Moderate evidenceWording 6

Claims Facts

“Supports healthy development of the brain, eyes and nerves in children up to 12.”

Daily dose	200-2,000 mg EPA + DHA a day
Support	Health Canada lists it for children; no other listed source covers this wording.
Dose details	Health Canada: 200-2,000 mg EPA + DHA a day including at least 150 mg DHA, within the age-based maximums (1,500 mg a day at ages 1-8; 2,000 mg at ages 9-11).
Form	Fish oil providing EPA + DHA
Source	Health Canada monograph: Fish Oil

How strong the evidence is

Strong evidence: At least two listed sources support it independently at a comparable dose and form, and none disagrees.
Moderate evidence: One listed source supports it as an evidence-based use at that dose, and no listed source disagrees.
Limited evidence: The only support is traditional use, the sources disagree, or the source itself calls the evidence weak.

Wordings to avoid

What to leave out.

Claims Facts

Ingredient: Omega-3 fish oil (EPA and DHA)

Wording to avoid	Reason
“Lowers high triglycerides, or treats hypertriglyceridemia”Names a disease (raised blood fats); the supported wording is maintaining normal levels.	Disease
“Reduces the risk of heart disease or heart attack, outside FDA’s qualified wording”Names a disease. The supported route is FDA’s qualified claims, with their wording and conditions (see fda_health_claims).	Disease
“Lowers blood pressure, or helps with hypertension, outside FDA’s qualified wording”Names a disease. FDA’s 2019 qualified claims set the wording and conditions.	Disease
“Treats depression”Names a mental health disorder; the supported wording is healthy mood balance.	Disease
“Relieves rheumatoid arthritis pain”Names a disease. Health Canada lists this only alongside conventional therapy, at 2,800-5,000 mg a day.	Disease
“Protects against dementia or Alzheimer’s disease”Names diseases; ODS reports no cognitive benefit in a trial in healthy older adults.	Disease

Disease: names or implies a disease. Drug: names a drug or presents the product as one. Treatment: promises to treat, cure or prevent a condition.

Sources

Where this comes from.

All ingredient guides

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