PlainVitamins

O-3 Essentials

by Whitaker Nutrition · softgel capsule · 60 packets

  • On the market (NIH)
  • UPC 8 10047 39058 9
  • DSLD label 288247
  • Serving 1 softgel
  • 60 servings

O-3 Essentials by Whitaker Nutrition lists 3 ingredients, 3 with an amount per serving of 1 softgel, such as 1 g of fish oil concentrate, beside 2 Nutrition Facts rows (calories, fat and the like). Its current label entered the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database on June 22, 2023.

What is in O-3 Essentials?

Each row as the label prints it, per serving of 1 softgel. The capsule beside an amount places it among every product in the NIH database that lists the same ingredient: the bar is the middle half of their amounts, the line in it the median, the whiskers the 10th and 90th percentiles; the green tick is the FDA Daily Value and the red dashed tick the adult upper limit (IOM).

O-3 Essentials: Supplement Facts rows against the market (DSLD label 288247, January 2026 release)
IngredientAmount% DVAmong products listing it
Caloriesno amount given
Total Fat1 g1%Fat (unspecified) in O-3 Essentials against 11,965 products1 g per serving; the middle half of products list 1 g to 2.5 g, the median 1.5 g.1 g

56% of 11,965 products listing fat (unspecified) give more (median 1.5 g).

Cholesterolless than 5 mg1%
Fish Oil Concentrateas Anchovy, Sardine1 gFish Oil in O-3 Essentials against 1,990 products1 g per serving; the middle half of products list 1 g to 2 g, the median 1.2 g.1 g

55% of 1,990 products listing fish oil give more (median 1.2 g).

EPA270 mgEPA (Eicosapentaenoic Acid) in O-3 Essentials against 3,134 products270 mg per serving; the middle half of products list 120 mg to 590 mg, the median 300 mg.270 mg

52% of 3,134 products listing EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) give more (median 300 mg).

DHA180 mgDHA in O-3 Essentials against 3,627 products180 mg per serving; the middle half of products list 104 mg to 400 mg, the median 232 mg.180 mg

62% of 3,627 products listing DHA give more (median 232 mg).

Source: NIH ODS Dietary Supplement Label Database, label 288247 (entered June 22, 2023), version 9.4.0. See the label on DSLD or its label image (PDF). Amounts are what the maker printed; DSLD does not test products. Daily Values: the FDA's Daily Value page.

Is that a lot?

Every amount on this label with a position sits within the middle 80% of the products that list the same ingredient.

The NIH database records one serving a day from the label's directions; its % Daily Values are for adults and children 4 or more years of age. The directions as printed are further down this page.

The Tolerable Upper Intake Level is the most of a nutrient per day, from food, water and supplements together, that is likely to pose no risk for almost all adults (Institute of Medicine, 2011). It does not apply under medical supervision. This page compares labels; it is not medical advice.

Sources: amounts from the DSLD label; Daily Values from 21 CFR 101.9(c)(8)(iv); adult upper limits from the Institute of Medicine's DRI summary tables (2011). How positions are computed.

Which products have the closest formulas?

6 products list the very same ingredients; the nearest amounts come first.

Source: ingredient lists of every product's current label in DSLD (version 9.4.0); similarity weights each shared ingredient by how rare it is.

What does the label say about taking it?

Quoted from the label as DSLD transcribed it: the maker's words, including any claim about what the product does, which the FDA has not evaluated and PlainVitamins does not endorse.

Directions
Doctor's Suggested Use: Take 2 packets daily - 1 packet with morning meal and 1 packet with midday or evening meal.
Warnings
Contains: fish (anchovy, sardine)
Precautions: Consult a health care practitioner before use if you are pregnant or nursing, have a serious medical condition, or use any medications.
Do not consume more than two packets per day.
Keep out of reach of children.
Storage
To preserve quality and freshness, keep in a cool, dry place.

Source: label statements in DSLD label 288247.

What else is on the label?

Other ingredients: Gelatin, Glycerin, Water, Purified, Lemon Oil, Mixed Tocopherols.

Seals and symbols as the label prints them (the maker's; a certifier's own list confirms a seal): Triple-Tested Quality Promise Doctor Formulated 100% Guaranteed.

How many labels does O-3 Essentials have?

6 labels are on file under this name since April 25, 2019: other sizes, label designs and reformulations. The current one leads this page.

  1. Label 288247 (current) Entered June 22, 2023 · on the market · 60 packets · UPC 8 10047 39058 9
  2. Label 241336 Entered December 26, 2020 · on the market · 60 packets · UPC 6 78829 21316 3
  3. Label 230642 Entered July 23, 2020 · on the market · 60 packets · UPC 6 78829 21253 1
  4. Label 230625 Entered July 23, 2020 · off the market October 16, 2020 · 60 packets · UPC 6 78829 21316 3
  5. Label 209028 Entered November 21, 2019 · off the market June 17, 2020 · 60 packets · UPC 6 78829 21253 1
  6. Label 201692 Entered April 25, 2019 · off the market June 17, 2020 · 60 packets · UPC 6 78829 21316 3

DSLD also links this label to: Forward Multinutrient (bundle set), PhytoNutrient Essentials (bundle set).

Source: DSLD label entry and market events, version 9.4.0 (labels entered through September 25, 2025).

Who makes it?

The label names Healthy Directions (distributor), Bethesda, MD. All Whitaker Nutrition products.

Where next?