David PerlmutterPresident,, Perlmutter Health Center · Board-Certified Neurologist | Functional Medicine Pioneer | #1 New York Times Best-Selling Author | International Speaker | Host of The Empowering Neurologist Podcast

You’re Not Taking Enough Omega-3s

4 May 2026 · 1 min

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1:22

In this brief video, Dr. David Perlmutter discusses optimal omega-3 intake, arguing that the common recommendation of 1,000 mg EPA/DHA per day is insufficient for most people given today’s widespread metabolic risk. He advises a daily intake of 1,500–2,000 mg combined EPA/DHA, with a specific emphasis on obtaining at least 800–1,000 mg of DHA each day for brain health. Perlmutter explains DHA’s role in reducing inflammation and building brain tissue, noting that the body cannot synthesize DHA and it must be obtained from diet (fatty fish) or supplements. He positions higher dosage as a preventive measure against compromised metabolic health.

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How much omega-3 should you be taking? Hi, I'm Dr. David Perlmutter. We've been touting the health benefits and certainly the brain benefits of a higher dosage of omega-3 in our diets for an awful long time. So where does it come down to? What should we be recommending? What am I recommending? And your typical recommendation has been about 1,000 milligrams per day of an EPA/DHA combination, but for those at so-called higher risk, 1,500 to 2,000 milligrams a day of omega-3. Well, pretty much everybody is at higher risk these days. Sorry, but that's just the way it is. When you look around at our metabolic health, it is generally quite compromised. So I think we got to bump our recommendation to the omega-3 dosage to around 1,500 milligrams to 2,000 milligrams per day. That said, I'm very keen on people getting enough DHA. I think DHA has a really important play as it relates to brain health. So at least 800 to 1,000 milligrams of DHA in your omega-3 supplement every single day. This reduces inflammation. It actually helps build a better brain. DHA is one of the key components, types of fat that is used to build a better brain. And guess where it comes from? It comes from our diet. We don't really make DHA in our bodies. So I'm all for supplementation and eating DHA-rich foods like fatty fish.