Nordic Naturals Algae Omega Review

It contains real EPA. The Supplement Facts panel on the box prints, per serving of 2 soft gels, 715 mg total omega-3s, of which 195 mg is EPA and 390 mg is DHA — a 2:1 DHA:EPA split. The microalgae most brands culture make abundant DHA but little EPA, so many competitors leave EPA near zero while advertising a big omega-3 number. Here the EPA is printed. If you want the EPA side of omega-3 from a vegan source, this is one of the algae oils that prints it in meaningful amounts; Sports Research prints more (280 mg per serving).

The panel prints a serving size of 2 soft gels and 60 servings per container, so the 120-softgel bottle is a two-month supply at one serving a day. Do this math before you compare prices: at $43.34 (Amazon buy box, 2026-10-18) that is roughly $0.72 a serving, or about $1.23 per gram of DHA+EPA. The trade-off is that you swallow two softgels instead of one.

On absorption, yes. Marine omega-3 comes in a few molecular forms, and re-esterified triglyceride (rTG) and natural triglyceride forms are absorbed better than the cheaper ethyl ester form — Dyerberg 2010 (PMID 20638827) measured triglyceride/rTG as substantially more bioavailable than ethyl ester. The panel footnote says the total omega-3s (EPA, DHA and other omega-3s) are in triglyceride form (TG), and the box says triglyceride-form omega-3s are better absorbed than ethyl ester. It's not a magic multiplier, but between two otherwise similar oils the triglyceride one is the better-absorbed choice on paper.

The box text says every batch of Nordic Naturals algae oil is tested by a third-party certified lab for environmental toxins, including heavy metals, and the box carries 3rd Party Purity Tested, igen Non-GMO Tested and Certified Vegan badges. No lab or certifier is named in the images, and we did not check any of them at the certifier. The softgel shell is vegan (modified cornstarch, glycerin, carrageenan, sorbitol, water, carob color) but it is not carrageenan-free: the ingredient list prints both carrageenan and sorbitol. If a carrageenan-free shell is a hard requirement, Sports Research's and Calgee's panels list none.

Because it prints a complete, balanced dose from a well-known brand: 390 mg DHA and 195 mg EPA per serving in triglyceride form, with batch testing stated on the box. You're paying a premium per serving versus Testa (about $0.50 a serving), and the shell lists carrageenan and sorbitol. If you want a lower sticker, Testa prints 300/150 in one softgel for about $0.50 a serving; if you want the highest dose, Sports Research prints 700 mg DHA and 280 mg EPA per serving at a lower cost per gram.

1. [1] Arterburn 2008 PMID 18589030 — Algal-oil capsules and cooked salmon: nutritionally equivalent sources of docosahexaenoic acid. In 32 healthy adults, 600 mg/day DHA from algal-oil capsules raised plasma phospholipid and erythrocyte DHA to the same extent as DHA from cooked salmon. The foundation for treating algae oil as a genuine fish-oil alternative for DHA.
2. [2] Bailey 2025 PMID 41096614 — Comparative Bioavailability of DHA and EPA from Microalgal and Fish Oil in Adults. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 74 adults found microalgal-oil DHA and EPA bioavailability in plasma phospholipids was non-inferior to fish oil at 6 and 14 weeks — confirming algae oil delivers both omega-3s, not just DHA.
3. [3] Dyerberg 2010 PMID 20638827 — Bioavailability of marine n-3 fatty acid formulations. In 72 volunteers, re-esterified triglyceride form gave the highest omega-3 bioavailability (124% vs fish-oil triglyceride) while ethyl ester was lowest (~73%). The basis for ranking triglyceride algae oils above ethyl-ester forms.