Gothenburg – October 19, 2026 -- Taking omega-3 does not show where you stand, and a new study of 762,150 dried blood spot samples suggests that a single number may not either. People who followed Zinzino's Balance Concept for at least 120 days had higher omega-3 levels and a lower omega-6:3 ratio than both non-users and people who chose their own omega-3 supplements.
Three supplement habits produced three different blood profiles
Researchers analyzed samples collected between August 2012 and September 2023. Based on questionnaire answers, they sorted them into three groups: no long-term omega-3 use, non-specified omega-3 supplements for at least 120 days, and the Balance Concept for at least 120 days.
After adjusting for age, sex, body mass index and geographic region, the Balance Concept group showed 70% higher omega-3 levels and a 69% lower omega-6:3 balance than non-users. EPA differed the most between groups among the individual fatty acids measured. The self-supplemented group generally landed between the other two but showed a wide spread of results.
Similar omega-3 index scores hid very different ratios
The Omega-3 index WB measures EPA and DHA in whole blood, while the omega-6:3 ratio compares AA to EPA. At an omega-3 level of around 4%, the group taking non-specified omega-3 had a ratio about 17% lower than non-users. The Balance Concept group's ratio was about 47% lower.
Looking at EPA and DHA alone would therefore have missed some of the differences between the groups.
"Test, don't guess" is how Zinzino CEO Dag Bergheim Pettersen summarized the findings. The study's first author, Emmalee Gisslevik, PhD, a Senior Research and Development Specialist at Zinzino, said that considering both measures describes fatty-acid patterns more fully than EPA+DHA alone.
A lower omega-6:3 ratio does not mean lower arachidonic acid (AA) is inherently desirable, since AA is an important fatty acid in its own right. The ratio is best read alongside the individual fatty acids behind it.
The Balance Concept pairs a fatty acid test with weight-based dosing
Users take a fatty acid test to set a baseline, then follow an omega-3 routine tailored to body weight. They retest every 120 days. The program includes BalanceOil, a full-spectrum fish oil and extra-virgin olive oil formulation, plus optional nutrition and lifestyle guidance based on test results.
The Balance Concept group also showed a more concentrated range of omega-6:3 values and less variation between regions than the other two groups.
The study cannot prove what caused the differences
The analysis was observational and cross-sectional, and it relied on self-reported supplement use. Because the database was anonymous, samples could not be linked to verified individuals or used to track changes within one person over time.
The study cannot separate the effect of BalanceOil from the rest of the Balance Concept. It also cannot establish clinical health outcomes or compare individual omega-3 products. The paper names the formulation as one possible, potentially important part of the explanation. Geographic differences remained, and unmeasured factors may have contributed.