Omega 3 index: a guide to your test result
A good omega 3 index, in the clip below, is 8–12 %, while the test report calls 4–8 % its intermediate zone.
The short answer
The test report calls under 4 % its highest-risk zone and 4–8 % its intermediate zone. Both sit under the 8 % where the target in the clip starts.
If your report puts your result in its highest-risk zone, take it to your doctor. If it sits in the intermediate zone, under the optimal range, you can bring this page and ask.
“we think and what we call the omega-3 index which is EPA plus DHA in red cell membranes our target is 8 to 12 percent just that's a range we think is the healthy range average American is around 5% maybe four or five percent”
What each range means
- under 4 % The report's highest-risk zone
- 4–8 % The report's intermediate zone. Below optimal
- 8–12 % Optimal Dr. Bill Harris · 1:23:04 →
- over 12 % Above optimal
What omega-3 index measures
The share of the fat in your red blood cell membranes made up of the two main omega-three fats.
Membranes take months to turn over. So it reflects months of eating, not one week.
Why it matters, on the record
“he looked at the Omega-3 Index, and people that had a Omega-3 Index of 4% or lower, so close to what the standard American is but a little bit lower, they had a five-year decreased life expectancy compared to people that had an 8% Omega-3 Index.”
What the studies say about omega-3 doses
This grade comes from Precis, our sister site, which checks each claim against the interviews and studies it has read. Checked October 2026.
Which omega-3 dose counts, EPA or the total?
“1 to 3 g of EPA a day is the omega-3 dose that matters, not total omega-3.” Precis rates this Mixed.
Common questions
What is a good omega 3 index?
8–12 %, from a quote on video (Dr. Bill Harris, 1:23:04).
What is a normal omega-3 index level?
There isn't one. The test report sorts results into zones instead: under 4 % is its highest-risk zone and 4–8 % its intermediate zone. The target in the quote on this page is 8–12 %.
What does your omega-3 index number mean?
Your own report prints its zones next to your number. The 8–12 % target on this page comes with the quote behind it.
What does the omega-3 index test measure?
The share of the fat in your red blood cell membranes made up of the two main omega-three fats. Membranes take months to turn over. So it reflects months of eating, not one week.