Stop Taking Fish Oil Supplements: The Seed Oil of the Sea
Key Takeaways:
Oxidation Risks: While omega-3 fatty acids are naturally anti-inflammatory, they are highly unstable. Once extracted from fish, exposure to heat and oxygen during processing causes rapid oxidation, turning the supplement into a pro-inflammatory substance.
Supplement Limitations: Most commercial fish oil and plant-based omega-3 supplements (flax, chia, algae) are processed foods that often contain contaminants from machinery, heavy metals, or environmental toxins.
Plant-Based Drawbacks: Plant-derived oils like flax and chia contain phytoestrogens and anti-nutrients that can be difficult for the liver to process and may interfere with hormonal health.
Whole Food Superiority: Nutrient assimilation is most effective when sourced from whole animal-based foods. These sources provide necessary lipids without the high levels of omega-6 or the chemical stability issues found in processed oils.
Recommended Sources: To maintain healthy omega-3 levels safely, focus on consuming pasture-raised egg yolks, sardines, wild-caught salmon, scallops, and shrimp.
Fish oil and other omega-3 supplements have become increasingly popular in recent decades, but new research and product testing shows that most of them are extremely oxidized and actually cause inflammation. Despite this very clear research, doctors, big tech (Google, AI companies, supplement manufacturers) and other healthcare professionals continue to recommend them.
I used to use them myself years ago before I knew the truth about how harmful they can be, and that period of my life was the sickest and most inflamed I’ve ever been, despite following the dietary advice from my doctor to a ‘T’.
What are the Benefits of Omega-3’s?
Omega-3 fatty acids are generally a very healthy food to include in your diet, and (if unoxidized) can actually help lower inflammation, promote brain health, skin health and contribute to overall wellbeing. Fish oil supplements are supposed to contain a good amount of omega-3’s so that’s why they’re so frequently recommended.
Why Are Fish Oil Supplements Unhealthy?
The natural oils found in fatty fish like sardines and salmon are a great source of Omega-3’s, which are lipid molecules the body needs. While these fats are still in the fish, they are highly anti-inflammatory and can really help with dry skin and other conditions. Unfortunately, once these fats have been removed from the fish, and are exposed to oxygen and heat from processing and then storage, they oxidize very quickly. Oxidized fats flip from being anti-inflammatory to pro-inflammatory, meaning that now they can actively cause inflammation instead of reducing it.
What is the Healthiest Way to Supplement Omega-3’s?
As per usual, the best way to supplement is to get it from actual, real, whole foods. Broadly speaking, supplements are a highly processed food, and will usually have contaminants that are present from processing machinery. Fish oils and other omega-3 supplements like flax, chia and other plant-based oils will have contaminants as well, and also will degrade on the shelf really quickly. Seed-based omega-3 oils will often contain anti-nutrients and estrogenic compounds that make them less ideal. Algae-based products are more likely to contain heavy metals. Your best bet is to get this nutrition from whole-food sources like the ones listed below:
My diet regularly includes these food-based sources of omega-3s:
pasture-raised egg yolk
salmon (frozen or canned)
shrimp (frozen)
scallops (frozen)
sardines (canned)
And while we’re talking about eggs…
You may want to look into the ones you’re eating. “Pasture-raised” eggs may still be eating lots of high-PUFA corn & soy feed, which results in an egg that is high in omega-6 fatty acids. Seed Oil Scout recently tested all of the eggs available at Whole foods and posted a breakdown of the Omega-6 levels in each brand:
The Vital Farms egg scandal is not what you think.
— Seed Oil Scout📱🫡 (@SeedOilScout) January 20, 2026
Vital Farms is not a farm.
It's a massive, publicly traded corporation that bundles and brands eggs from family farms across America.
We independently analyzed eggs from 4 different Vital Farms producers head-to-head against… pic.twitter.com/K90dmG1hdh
What about Plant-Based Omega-3 Oils?
One of my previous doctors recommended I start taking high lignan flax oil. This made sense at the time from her perspective since I had really high inflammation markers, and was eating vegetarian. Like fish oils, flax unfortunately also oxidizes very quickly, but in addition to that, its oils are also high in phytoestrogens and other plant-made chemicals that are designed to keep predators like us from eating them. These compounds are very difficult for our livers to manage, and is another reason why I never recommend flax oil to clients.
Veganism / Vegetarianism
I totally get wanting to eat plant-based in order to save the animals or for environmental concerns. I had this same mindset years back. After a while eating that way, even with a bunch of supplements to try and make up for the nutrients my vegetarian diet was missing, I was in very poor health, particularly in my gut.
I think that you can eat vegetarian for a while, but it is very hard on the body. I know from personal experience that eating animal-based or animal-forward is far superior if you’re healing from any kind health issue. Animal products contain far more nutrients without the plant hormones, endotoxins and anti-thyroid chemicals found in plants, which makes them much easier for our bodies to assimilate.
Conclusion / TL;DR
There are lots of issues with the modern supplement industry and the way these products are being manufactured, and these issues are really highlighted when we take a look at Omega-3/fish oil supplements. To avoid these issues, I personally opt to get this nutrient from whole-food, animal-based sources.
Avoid These
Fish Oil Supplements
EPA/DHA
Flax Oil
Algae Oil
Chia Oil
Safe Omega-3’s
Pasture-raised eggs
Sardines
Salmon
Roe
Scallops
Shrimp
FAQ
Why are fish oil supplements considered "the seed oil of the sea"? The term refers to the highly processed nature of the oil. Much like industrial seed oils, fish oil is extracted and refined in a way that leaves the final product fragile and prone to rancidity (oxidation), which can promote rather than reduce systemic inflammation.
Can I get enough omega-3s from a vegetarian or vegan diet? Plant-based sources like flax and chia are often less ideal due to the presence of anti-thyroid chemicals and endotoxins. The author suggests that animal-forward diets are superior for nutrient density and bioavailability, particularly when healing from health issues.
What should I look for when buying eggs? Not all "pasture-raised" eggs are equal. Many chickens are still fed high-PUFA (polyunsaturated fatty acid) diets consisting of corn and soy. This results in eggs that are high in omega-6 rather than the desired omega-3. It is recommended to check specific brand testing for omega-6 levels.
Are algae-based omega-3 supplements a safe alternative? While algae-based products avoid the fish industry, they are frequently flagged for containing higher concentrations of heavy metals and are still subject to the same processing and oxidation concerns as other supplemental oils.
How does oxidation affect the body? When an oil oxidizes, its molecular structure changes. Instead of supporting brain and skin health, these degraded fats can trigger inflammatory responses in the body, potentially contributing to the very health issues the user is trying to solve.
