There’s Something Fishy About Fish Oil

Hal Cranmer
December 05, 2025

An important test we conduct on some of our assisted living residents (those who work with our partner company A Mind for All Seasons) is someone’s Omega 6 to Omega 3 ratio.

You can order this test yourself for under $80.

Omega 6 fatty acids are precursors to molecules that promote inflammation, like linoleic acid. Omega 3 or the ‘good’ fatty acids are the opposite. They are fatty acids like EPA and DHA that help resolve inflammation and bring the body back to a balanced state.

The ideal ratio of these fatty acids is 1:1. The trouble is that many people have much more Omega 6 than Omega 3. Often the ratio can be upwards of 20:1.

Omega 6 fatty acids primarily enter our bodies via seed oils. Seed oils have a ratio of upwards of 70:1. Processed foods such as potato chips are in the 60:1 range.

Not good.

However, just lowering your consumption of Omega 6 will not necessarily improve the ratio significantly. Many health professionals will also tell you to boost your Omega 3. The simplest way to boost Omega 3 is to consume fish oil or cod liver oil.

Sounds good. We use a lot of fish oil supplements in our assisted living homes. And it does seem to improve the ratio.

I just started to think, I wonder how fish oil is made? Is there something better we can do?

Then I came across this on X:

— (@)

For a more balanced view of how fish oil is made, I researched and found this video on YouTube:

Here is a summary of the process as fish oil goes through a refinery:

Degumming: This initial step removes phospholipids and other soluble and insoluble impurities from the crude oil.
Neutralization: Also known as deacidification, this process uses a base like sodium hydroxide to remove free fatty acids (FFAs).
Bleaching: The oil is treated with materials like bleaching earth or activated carbon to remove pigments and other impurities under vacuum.
Winterization: This process lowers the oil's solidification point and removes waxes and saturated fats by cooling the oil and filtering out solids.
Deodorization: This is a vacuum steam distillation process that removes volatile compounds like aldehydes, ketones, and free fatty acids, which eliminates undesirable odors and flavors.

Fish oil also comes from the ‘offal’ of the harvested fish. The heads, fins and other parts that are not packaged for consumption as regular fish.

I’m sure there is a wide variety of quality in fish oil. And I have heard overall that Nordic Naturals is a great brand that we use in our homes.

But I just am feeling like boosting your Omega 3 from natural sources is a much better way to go for your overall health. Like eating foods that contain a lot of Omega 3. Here’s a list:

Mackerel
Salmon
Cod livers
Herring
Oysters
Sardines
Anchovies
Caviar
Flaxseed
Chia seeds
Walnuts

I’ve also read that pasture-fed eggs and beef can help, but not as much as these other foods. If you are just not a fan of fish I understand why you might take the supplements. If you are open to fish, I suggest you become a seafood lover!