This page explores omega-3 digestion and the steps your body uses to process these fats. Omega-3 fats are a class of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, including EPA and DHA, that have specialized roles in cell membranes and signaling. In the context of digestion, omega-3 digestion begins with how these fats are prepared for absorption, then broken down and taken up into the circulation. Understanding these processes helps illuminate how fats move from the gut to the rest of the body. Once contents reach the small intestine, emulsification by bile acids reduces fat droplets to smaller pieces, increasing surface area. Pancreatic lipase then hydrolyzes triglycerides into free fatty acids and monoglycerides, including EPA and DHA. These digestion products are packaged into mixed micelles with bile salts, facilitating their solubility in the watery intestinal environment and guiding them to the absorptive surface of enterocytes. In the intestinal lining (enterocytes), fatty acids and mono- and diglycerides are reassembled into triglycerides and enclosed in newly formed lipoproteins, particularly chylomicrons that contain apoB-48. The omega-3 fatty acids are then exported via the lymphatic system and eventually enter the bloodstream through the thoracic duct. Within circulation, lipoprotein lipase acts on chylomicrons, allowing fatty acids such as EPA and DHA to be taken up by tissues for storage or metabolism. The process also involves hepatic processing and potential enterohepatic cycles. Some background notes: alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) can be converted to other omega-3s, but the efficiency is variable. The fate of omega-3 fats is shaped by the balance of digestion, micelle formation, chylomicron assembly, and lipoprotein metabolism. This overview highlights the mechanical and biochemical steps involved in omega-3 digestion, without endorsing specific outcomes. Click to learn simple tips for optimizing essential fats today.