Our method.
What we measure, how we measure it, and the published research that makes the result trustworthy enough for your GP to act on. A UK-registered medical device.
The validated Omega-3 Index, analysed in Europe.
We deliver the Omega-3 Index using the original methodology defined by Harris & von Schacky (2004) in their landmark Preventive Medicine paper. Your result sits on the same internationally-recognised reference scale used in the 450+ peer-reviewed publications that cite the Omega-3 Index.
A reference-laboratory method, delivered at home.
Fatty acid analysis has historically been confined to research and specialist clinical reference labs, because doing it well requires gas chromatography with flame ionisation detection (GC-FID) — the reference method for fatty acid analysis. It separates and quantifies individual fatty acids with a precision immunoassay-based testing cannot match.
Our laboratory uses GC-FID to quantify the fatty acids in your dried blood spot sample — the same method used in the published omega-3 trials underpinning international clinical guidelines. Combined with the dried blood spot (DBS) format — stable on the card for several weeks at room temperature — we deliver research-grade analytical quality through the post.
What we measure
Omega-3 Index Basic
EPA + DHA expressed as a percentage of total identified fatty acids — the Omega-3 Index. Dried blood spot results show strong correlation (R² > 0.96) with the gold-standard RBC-membrane Omega-3 Index, reflecting your intake over the previous 3–4 months. Optimal: 8–12%.
Omega-3 Plus Ratios
Everything in the Index, plus the omega-6 : omega-3 ratio and the arachidonic acid (AA) : EPA ratio — markers of dietary fat balance and inflammatory balance.
Omega-3 Complete
The full panel of 24 individual fatty acids across the omega-3, omega-6, saturated, monounsaturated and trans fat families — the breadth typically reported in clinical research.
Prenatal Omega-3
DHA expressed as a percentage of total identified fatty acids, with reference ranges tuned for pregnancy. Optimal in pregnancy: 4.9–8.0%.
Why the dried blood spot method works
The DBS sample type has been validated for fatty acid analysis in multiple published studies. Fatty acids in the dried sample are stable for four weeks at room temperature — which is the entire reason this can be a postal product. Compared to a venous draw you lose nothing in analytical quality, and you gain at-home collection, no fasting, and no clinic visit. For the Omega-3 Index, DBS shows R² > 0.96 correlation with the RBC-membrane reference method.
Method specifications
| Sample type | Dried blood spot (DBS) on collection card |
|---|---|
| Method | Gas chromatography with flame ionisation detection (GC-FID) |
| Sample stability | Several weeks at room temperature on the card |
| Reportable units | Percentage of total identified fatty acids |
| Turnaround time | 3–5 days from when the lab receives your sample |
| QC | Automated checks against validated ranges; out-of-range results reviewed by a qualified scientist before release |
| Regulatory status | UK-registered medical device [confirm exact UKCA/CE details] |
| Methodology | The original Omega-3 Index methodology (Harris & von Schacky, 2004) |
Quality assurance
Internal QC on every batch. Every analytical run includes blank controls, calibrators across the full dynamic range, and quality-control material at multiple concentrations. Out-of-range patient results trigger automatic technical review before report release.
Internal standards on every sample. Calibrated internal standards are added to every sample, correcting for sample-to-sample variation in extraction recovery and detection response — producing results that are quantitatively accurate, not just relatively comparable.
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.
- Middleton P, Gomersall JC, Gould JF, et al. Omega-3 fatty acid addition during pregnancy. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2018;11:CD003402.
- Walker RE, Jackson KH, Tintle NL, et al. Predicting the effects of supplemental EPA and DHA on the omega-3 index. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2019.