The science behind your omega-3 status.
Our tests don't just give you a wellness score. They measure validated fatty-acid markers with a deep, peer-reviewed evidence base — and tell you what each one means for your health. Here's the science, in plain English.
What we measure
Every kit uses the same finger-prick dried blood spot, analysed by GC-FID (gas chromatography with flame ionisation detection) — the reference method for fatty-acid analysis, in our TGA-registered, Australian-analysed test. The difference between our tests is how many of these markers you get back.
The Omega-3 Index (EPA + DHA)
The percentage of the two key marine omega-3s — EPA and DHA — in your red blood cell membranes. Defined by Harris & von Schacky in 2004, it reflects your status over the previous 3–4 months, so it's a stable picture rather than a snapshot of yesterday's meal. The research-backed optimal range is 8–12%; most Australian adults sit below it.
Reported by: all four tests. Learn more: What is the Omega-3 Index? · How to read your result
The Omega-6 : Omega-3 ratio
Modern diets are heavy in omega-6 (from vegetable and seed oils) and light in omega-3. The ratio captures that balance. Estimates put the typical Western ratio near 15:1 or higher, against the roughly 4:1 or lower seen in traditional diets and discussed in the research as more favourable for inflammatory balance. It's one of the most useful numbers for understanding your overall dietary pattern.
Reported by: Plus Ratios, Complete. Learn more: The omega-6 to omega-3 ratio, explained
The AA : EPA ratio
Arachidonic acid (AA) is an omega-6 your body uses to make pro-inflammatory signalling molecules; EPA feeds the resolving, anti-inflammatory side. The AA:EPA ratio is therefore a practical readout of your inflammatory tone — and one of the markers most directly moved by changing your EPA intake.
Reported by: Plus Ratios, Complete. Related: EPA vs DHA: what's the difference?
The Trans Fat Index
Industrial trans fats are the fats most consistently linked in research to poorer cardiovascular markers. The Trans Fat Index shows how much is showing up in your blood — a useful flag that isn't on a standard GP-ordered panel.
Reported by: Plus Ratios, Complete. The Complete test adds the full 24-fatty-acid profile.
Omega-3 DHA, on a pregnancy-tuned scale
During pregnancy, DHA is the omega-3 the developing baby draws on most. The Prenatal test focuses on DHA and reports it against reference ranges tuned for pregnancy rather than the general-population scale.
Reported by: Prenatal Omega-3. Learn more: Omega-3 in pregnancy: the SAHMRI Test-and-Treat program
Why your omega-3 status matters
Omega-3s are structural and functional fats — they're built into cell membranes throughout the body. That's why status is linked to so many different systems. Below is a fair summary of the evidence, with links to deeper reads.
Heart & circulation
This is the most studied area. EPA and DHA are associated in research with healthier triglyceride levels and other cardiovascular markers, which is why the Heart Foundation recommends including oily fish in your diet and the NHMRC sets intake targets for EPA + DHA. The original 8% Omega-3 Index target was itself proposed as a marker associated with lower cardiovascular risk.
Read more: Omega-3 and heart health: what the evidence says.
Brain, mood & memory
DHA is one of the most abundant structural fats in the brain, and both DHA and EPA are studied in relation to mood and cognitive ageing. The evidence here is more mixed than for the heart, but the biological rationale — that the brain is built partly from these fats — is well established, and low status is common.
Read more: Omega-3 and the brain: mood, memory and ageing.
Eyes & vision
DHA is concentrated in the retina, where it's a major structural component of the light-sensing cells. Its role in normal vision is part of why DHA intake is emphasised in early life, when the visual system is developing rapidly.
Pregnancy & early life
This is where Australian research leads the world. DHA supports the normal development of the baby's brain and eyes, and a mother's level varies widely. The ORIP trial and the SAHMRI Test-and-Treat program showed that identifying women with low omega-3 status and topping them up is associated with a lower risk of early preterm birth — the basis of a real-world, measure-first approach now described in the Medical Journal of Australia.
Read more: The SAHMRI Test-and-Treat program explained · what the MJA paper found · explore the Prenatal Omega-3 test.
Inflammation & immune balance
EPA and DHA are converted into specialised molecules that help resolve inflammation, balancing the more pro-inflammatory products made from omega-6 arachidonic acid. This is the biology behind the AA:EPA ratio, and why the omega-6:omega-3 balance is of so much research interest.
Healthy ageing
Across large observational datasets, a higher Omega-3 Index has been associated with healthier markers of ageing — from cardiovascular to cognitive. It's one reason the Index is increasingly used as a modifiable status marker to track over time, the same way you'd track other routine numbers.
See where you stand
One finger-prick. The markers above, analysed by GC-FID in Australia, with results in 3–5 days of your sample reaching the lab.
See our tests →Selected references
- Harris WS, von Schacky C. The Omega-3 Index: a new risk factor for death from coronary heart disease? Preventive Medicine. 2004;39(1):212-220.
- Stark KD et al. Global survey of the omega-3 fatty acids in healthy adults. Progress in Lipid Research. 2016;63:132-152.
- Simopoulos AP. The importance of the ratio of omega-6/omega-3 essential fatty acids. Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy. 2002;56(8):365-379.
- Makrides M et al. (ORIP Trial). Omega-3 fatty acid supplementation and the incidence of early preterm birth. New England Journal of Medicine / SAHMRI, 2019.
- Walker RE et al. Predicting the effects of supplemental EPA and DHA on the omega-3 index. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2019;110(4):1034-1040.
- National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Nutrient Reference Values; Heart Foundation (Australia) advice on fish and omega-3.
This page is for general information and education. It is not medical advice and does not diagnose, treat or prevent any condition. Always discuss significant results or health decisions with your GP, midwife or a qualified healthcare professional.