The Carlson Omega-3 Difference

  • Professional strength
  • Superior purity and potency
  • Ultimate freshness
  • Sustainably sourced
  • IFOS and IGEN certified
  • Molecularly distilled
  • Nitrogen flushed
      • Professional strength
      • Superior purity and potency
      • Ultimate freshness
      • Sustainably sourced
      • IFOS and IGEN certified
      • Molecularly distilled
      • Nitrogen flushed

Our omega-3 products are closely managed from sea to store. We source the highest quality, deep, cold-water fish using traditional, sustainable methods. Carlson liquid fish oils are bottled with a touch of antioxidants and are given a nitrogen flush to remove oxygen and to help prevent oxidation. Our soft gels are encapsulated using the same high standards. All Carlson omega-3s are tested by an FDA-registered laboratory for freshness, potency, and purity.

Award-Winning Quality

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#1 Rated Omega-3 Products Award†
Carlson is honored to be a five-time winner of the #1 Rated Omega-3 Products Award. Ratings are based on the ConsumerLab.com annual Survey of Vitamin and Supplement Users.

International Fish Oil Standards (IFOS) Program
IFOS is the only third-party testing and certification program exclusively for fish oil supplements. This voluntary program tests the purity, potency, and freshness of fish oils. Carlson has received a five-star rating on more than 28 of our fish oils.
Friend of the Sea (FOS)
Friend of the Sea is a non-profit, non-governmental organization, whose mission is marine habitat conservation. Known for their strict guidelines and procedures, FOS is a leading international certification project. Carlson suppliers hold FOS certifications.
International Genetically Modified Organism (GMO) Evaluation and Notification (IGEN) Program
IGEN is a voluntary third-party certification program that tests for the presence of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). The IGEN  non-GMO icon can be found on the front of all tested Carslon omega-3 products.
International Taste and Quality Institute Superior Taste Award (iTQi)
All flavors of our high-quality liquid fish oils have been honored with Superior Taste Awards from the renowned chefs and sommeliers of iTQi.

Omega-3 Fish Oil Forms

Fish oils are commonly available in three forms: TG (Natural Triglyceride), EE (Ethyl Ester), rTG (Re-Esterified Triglyceride). Whether you choose a TG, EE, or rTG fish oil, your blood levels of EPA and DHA can be easily raised to an optimal amount using minimal daily doses.
 

Omega-3 supplements from fish oil are lifestyle supplements meant to be taken long-term for the benefits associated with an EPA and DHA red blood cell concentration above 8%. An appropriate dose of any form can achieve this goal and help maintain optimal omega-3 blood levels.

 

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TG
(Natural Triglyceride):
Fish naturally contain the omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA as triglyceride esters (TG). Natural TG fish oils provide a maximum of 300 mg of combined EPA and DHA per 1,000 mg of oil (30% potency). These are the most common fish oils on the market, and some prefer them because of their natural form of close similarity to eating fish.
EE
(Ethyl Ester):
Since EPA and DHA concentration and ratio can’t be altered in natural TG fish oils, the ethyl ester (EE) fish oil form was created. By removing the glycerol backbone of a TG fish oil, the result is three free fatty acids (FFAs) and a free glycerol molecule. An ethanol molecule can then be attached to each of the FFAs, creating EEs. The resulting EE fish oil allows for molecular distillation at reduced temperatures, creating new EPA and DHA ratios and concentrations greater than found naturally in fish.
rTG
(Re-Esterified Triglyceride):
Re-esterified triglycerides (rTGs) are created when EEs are freed from their attached ethanol groups and are once again bound to a glycerol backbone. rTGs retain the same potency and fatty acid ratios of their EE counterparts.
While there are three common forms of marine oils, Carlson fish oils currently fall into four categories:
 
  • TG: Non-concentrated 100% natural triglycerides
  • EE: Concentrated ethyl esters
  • rTG: Concentrated re-esterified triglycerides
  • TG & EE: A mixture of natural TG form and potent EE form

Why Omega-3s?

There are more than 30,000 published studies on omega-3s, making them some of the most studied nutrients in the world. Omega-3s provide many important health benefits, from brain and heart health to mood and skin health. And they’re considered “essential” because our body can’t make them, so we must obtain them through our diet. Since most of us don’t eat a lot of fish, a supplement may be a great option.

Omega-3s are abundant in:

Cod

Salmon

Mackerel

Sardines

The Most Important Omega-3s

The most beneficial omega-3s are EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid). EPA is most recognized for its cardiovascular health benefits, and DHA is best known for its role in supporting brain and vision health.
 

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The Most Important Health Benefits of EPA and DHA*

Brain and Nerve Health
DHA helps:

  • Support cognitive function
  • Enhance nerve transmission
  • Protect neuron lifespan

Vision health
DHA is:

  • Found in high amounts in the retina
  • Important for optimal vision health

Cardiovascular health
EPA and DHA help maintain:

  • A healthy, stable heart
  • Healthy blood vessels and circulation
  • Arterial wall elasticity
  • Healthy normal triglyceride levels

Joint health
EPA and DHA promote:

  • Healthy joints
  • Comfortable movement

Immune system health
EPA and DHA support:

  • Healthy, balanced immune responses

Skin health
EPA and DHA help:

  • Keep skin healthy and vibrant

*These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Carlson Fish Oil History

Carlson helped launch the omega-3 market in North America in the 1980s, importing our first high-quality, great-tasting sustainable fish oils from Norway. In 2009, we launched a new marine oil sourced from an abundant species of calamari. Today, Carlson is led by the next generation of the Carlson family, daughters Carilyn Anderson and Kirsten Carlson, and the innovations continue.
 

Carlson recently announced the opening of Carlson Healthy Oils, our new, state-of-the-art bottling facility in Søvik, Norway. Søvik is located near one of the business and most important fishing harbors in the north Atlantic, ensuring that only the finest, freshest fish oils are delivered to Carlson Healthy Oils for refining, distillation, and bottling. The bottled oils will then be transported to Carlson world headquarters in Arlington Heights, Illinois for shipment to retail locations across the globe.

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† Ratings based on results of the 2023 ConsumerLab.com Survey of Supplement Users. More information at www.consumerlab.com/survey.