IO Genix Super Omega 3 Luxury - Omega 3 Premium Ratio EPA/DHA

What is IO Genix Super Omega 3 Luxury?

IO Genix Super Omega 3 Luxury is a concentrated fish oil in softgel capsules. One 1.42 g softgel provides 1,000 mg of fish oil, of which 500 mg is EPA and 250 mg is DHA. The oil comes from wild anchovies from the South Pacific and the bottle contains 120 softgels.

The figure that matters is not the oil content but that of the two fatty acids it contains. Plenty of products advertise "1,000 mg of omega 3" without stating the EPA and DHA share, which may amount to no more than 300 mg in total. Here, the concentration is stated outright: 50% EPA, 25% DHA, i.e. 750 mg of useful fatty acids per capsule. That is this product's main selling point.

EPA and DHA are the two long-chain omega 3 fatty acids, which the body is very poor at making from plant sources. They come essentially from oily fish — sardine, mackerel, herring, anchovy. The rest of the Spanish range sits in our IO Genix section, and the other products in the category in our omega 3 section.

What does one Super Omega 3 Luxury softgel contain?

A single softgel is enough to meet the thresholds for three health claims authorised in Europe, and that is rare. With 750 mg of EPA and DHA combined, the 250 mg per day condition is comfortably exceeded: EPA and DHA contribute to normal heart function. And with exactly 250 mg of DHA, the two claims specific to that fatty acid are met as well: DHA contributes to the maintenance of normal brain function and DHA contributes to the maintenance of normal vision. These are the exact wordings of the European framework, and they are enough: there is no need to invent others.

The two-to-one ratio between EPA and DHA is a common formulation choice for oils intended for general use. Some products favour DHA instead — that is the case with oils aimed at pregnant women. Here, the balance is even-handed, with EPA in the lead.

One technical point deserves an explanation, because it determines how the product should be taken: the oil is in ethyl ester form. This is the form that results from the concentration process needed to reach 75% EPA and DHA — a crude fish oil contains three to four times less. In return, this form is absorbed markedly better in the presence of dietary fat. That is the technical reason behind the instruction to take it with food, and it is no minor detail.

The manufacturer states two traceability details that we reproduce as they stand: the oil is derived from wild anchovies from the South Pacific and concentrated by molecular distillation. A tocopherol blend, i.e. natural vitamin E, acts as an antioxidant to prevent the oil going rancid.

Ingredients list

Concentrated FISH oil (ethyl esters, 50% EPA and 25% DHA, from anchovies), softgel shell (bovine GELATINE, humectant: vegetable glycerine, purified water), antioxidant (tocopherol blend).

Contains FISH. May contain traces of GLUTEN (wheat, oats), NUTS, PEANUTS, EGGS, MILK and SOYA.

How do you take Super Omega 3 Luxury?

Dose: 1 to 4 softgels a day depending on your dietary intake. Fluid: a large glass of water. Timing: with main meals, never on an empty stomach. Frequency: spread across one or two meals. Duration: continuous supplementation, with no set course or break.

Taking it with a meal is the single most important instruction on this page, for two distinct reasons. The first is technical: the ethyl ester form is absorbed far better alongside dietary fats. The second is practical: on an empty stomach, fish oil frequently causes fishy repeats, and that is the main reason people give up on this type of supplement.

The manufacturer recommends building up gradually: one softgel a day for the first week, then increasing as needed. That is sound advice, and it lets you spot any digestive intolerance before you reach four capsules.

How do you choose your dose? The criterion is simple: how much oily fish you eat. If you have it twice a week, one softgel a day tops up your intake nicely. If you never eat it, two to four softgels are more warranted. The manufacturer sets the ceiling at four a day, i.e. 3,000 mg of EPA and DHA combined — well below the 5 g per day threshold set at European level.

This is not a course-based product: omega 3 intake is built up over time, and taking it daily on an ongoing basis makes more sense than a six-week course. Expect several weeks before supplementation shows up in the body's parameters.

If the softgels are hard to swallow, the manufacturer suggests putting them in the fridge for thirty minutes: they firm up slightly and go down more easily. Do not chew them and do not open them. The product combines without overlap with a vitamin D, a multivitamin or a standardised turmeric, and it in fact supplies the fatty base that improves their absorption.

Who is Super Omega 3 Luxury for, and who is it not for?

It suits anyone whose diet provides little oily fish, which is the case for a large share of the French population. It is probably the best-justified supplement in this whole catalogue: it fills a genuine dietary gap and it carries authorised health claims, two conditions few products meet at once.

It is obviously not suitable for anyone allergic to fish, since the oil is derived from anchovies. Nor is it suitable for vegetarians or vegans: the oil is of marine origin and the softgel shell is bovine gelatine. An algae oil would then be the only alternative genuinely providing EPA and DHA.

Two medical precautions are worth reading carefully. The manufacturer asks you to consult a healthcare professional if you are taking anticoagulants, and advises against the product if you have surgery scheduled, stopping two weeks beforehand. This second instruction is specific and rarely mentioned: make a note of it if an operation is planned, including a major tooth extraction.

The product is presented as suitable for adults and children over 6 years of age. Pregnant and breastfeeding women should consult a doctor before use — a European claim does indeed exist regarding maternal DHA intake, but it is subject to specific intake conditions that call for professional advice.

What not to expect from it: this is not a sports performance product, it will neither build muscle nor shed fat. You will feel nothing when you take it, and that is normal. Nor is it a treatment: any question about cholesterol, blood pressure or a blood panel is one for your doctor.

Fish oil or plant-based omega 3?

This is the question that comes up most often in this section, and the answer is more clear-cut than people assume.

Plant sources — linseed oil, walnuts, rapeseed, chia seeds — provide ALA, a short-chain omega 3. The body can convert it into EPA and then DHA, but that conversion rate is low, particularly for DHA. In other words, an ALA intake does not replace a direct intake of EPA and DHA, and the European claims do not in fact cover the same functions.

Fish oil delivers the two long-chain fatty acids directly, at the dose and in the ratio stated on the label. It is the most direct route, the best documented and the cheapest per milligram of EPA and DHA.

The only truly equivalent alternative for a vegan diet is algae oil, which provides DHA — and sometimes EPA — without going through fish. It costs more, but it is the only solution that holds up. To round out a routine, a vitamin D is taken with the same meal and benefits from the same fatty base, as does a vitamin E. And if what you are after is an antioxidant in its own right rather than a fatty acid, our coenzyme Q10 section answers a different need.

Frequently asked questions

How much EPA and DHA per capsule?

500 mg of EPA and 250 mg of DHA, i.e. 750 mg of useful fatty acids per 1,000 mg of oil. That is a 75% concentration, far above that of a crude fish oil. A single softgel is enough to meet the thresholds of the European claims on heart function, brain function and vision.

Why take them with a meal?

For two reasons. The ethyl ester form is absorbed markedly better in the presence of dietary fat. And on an empty stomach, fish oil often causes fishy repeats, unpleasant enough to make people abandon the course.

How many softgels a day?

One to four depending on your oily fish intake. One a day if you eat it twice a week; two to four if you never eat it. The manufacturer sets the ceiling at four, i.e. 3,000 mg of EPA and DHA, well below the 5 g per day threshold set at European level.

Should you stop before an operation?

The manufacturer asks for it explicitly: stop two weeks before scheduled surgery. This instruction also applies if you are on anticoagulant medication, in which case medical advice is needed before you even start.

Are these capsules suitable for vegetarians?

No, on two counts: the oil comes from anchovies and the softgel shell is bovine gelatine. For a vegan diet, only an algae oil genuinely provides EPA and DHA.

Is there a fishy taste?

That is the classic complaint about this category, and it almost always comes from taking them on an empty stomach. With a meal, the phenomenon disappears in the vast majority of cases. The tocopherol blend in the formula also limits the oil going rancid.

Do you need to take breaks?

No. Unlike most products in this section, omega 3 is taken continuously: it fills a dietary gap that does not itself take a break. The 120-softgel bottle covers thirty days at the maximum dose, and four months at one softgel a day.

Where to buy IO Genix Super Omega 3 Luxury?

The 120-softgel bottle can be ordered from this page, and we ship throughout France and Europe. At the Vendargues shop, about ten minutes from Montpellier, this is the product we recommend first when a customer asks where to start: the question "how many times a week do you eat oily fish?" almost always settles it. The rest of the range can be browsed in our sports nutrition section.