Seal Oil Supplements: Why You Should Avoid Them

Seal oil seems to be the Next Big Thing in the world of alternative medicine. Supplement manufacturers are touting the product as a virtual panacea, just as they have with fish oil, krill oil, shark oil, algae oil, and (yes indeed) snake oil in the past. And, like most other supplements, claims regarding seal oil's benefits are exaggerated and over-inflated.

These health-boosting oil supplements are al rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which do offer several very important health benefits. However, there is no reason to choose seal oil over any other nutritional source of omega-3 fatty acids. Here are a few reasons not to buy seal oil supplements.

No Evidence of Superiority

Seal oil does contain omega-3 fatty acids such as eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which are also found in fish oil. However, it is unique among marine fats because it contains an unusually high concentration of the omega-3 fat docosapentaenoic acid (DPA). Although its unique composition makes it compelling as a focus of future research, there is currently no evidence suggesting that DPA is nutritionally benefcial. Current evidence suggests that fish oil and krill oil can treat and prevent many common conditions; no such evidence suggests the same effects from seal oil supplements.

Contaminants

Seals are predators, and massive amounts of pollutants accumulate in their fat and flesh through a process known as biomagnification. If a seal eats a mercury-poisoned fish who ate a mercury-poisoned fish who ate some mercury-poisoned plankton, it will consume the total amount of the heavy metal found in its prey and its prey's prey. As a result, seals and other predators have large amounts of heavy metal, PCB and DDT in their flesh and fat. Without massive amounts of processing to eliminate these pollutants, seal oil supplements can be extremely toxic to human beings.

A Barbaric Industry

Seal-hunting is one of the most barbaric forms of hunting practiced in the modern world. These animals are clubbed to death to prevent damage to their pelts, and as many as 50% of the animals survive the blow for several days, and their mutilated bodies are never recovered. Seals are also intelligent and sentient; they feel emotional and physical pain on a much deeper level than simple animals such as fish. Because there is no need for this slaughter to continue, it is unfair and unreasonable to choose seal oil supplements over healthier, more humanely gathered sources of omega-3 fats.