Omega-3 supplements in the form of ethyl esters must be taken with a meal containing fat to be properly assimilated by the body.

noli's read

The creator's advice is based on solid physiological foundations and clinical trial data. The ECLIPSE II clinical study (a randomized clinical trial by Offman et al., 2013) confirms that the bioavailability of omega-3s in ethyl ester form drops drastically by approximately 80% when consumed without fat intake. Indeed, this form requires the action of pancreatic lipase to be digested, an enzyme primarily stimulated by the ingestion of fats. Conversely, the study shows that formulations in free fatty acid form do not depend on this enzymatic activity and are assimilated very well even on an empty stomach. Although the qualifier 'must' is slightly exaggerated—since minimal residual absorption always exists—it proves to be quite accurate in practice to avoid wasting these nutrients. Combining the intake of ethyl esters with a meal containing healthy fats therefore remains the golden rule for optimizing their efficacy.

the sources

1. 1NIH Office of Dietary Supplements 2026
2. 2Manson JE et al. 2019
3. 3foundmyfitness.com/topics