Why Omega-3 in Chicken Isn’t the Health Boost You Think It Is
posted on
March 21, 2025
One of the most common questions we get is: “Does your chicken have high levels of Omega-3s?”
The answer? No. And that’s by design.
The Omega-3 craze has gotten a little out of hand... We’ve been led to believe that more is always better, that we should celebrate any rise in Omega-3 levels. But is that really true? Or have we been sold a narrative shaped by marketing, pharmaceutical interests, and the supplement industry?
While Omega-6 PUFAs (like linoleic acid from seed oils and conventional chicken) are widely known to be pro-inflammatory, excessive Omega-3s aren’t necessarily the antidote.
As one study put it:
“In the present study, we found no difference in the levels of inflammatory biomarkers between groups despite a significant difference in omega-6 to omega-3 ratio.” (r)
That means simply adding more Omega-3s isn’t fixing the root issue.
Here’s the problem with Omega-3-enriched chicken:
- Both Omega-6 and Omega-3 are polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs).
- PUFAs (including Omega 3) are highly prone to oxidation, forming harmful lipid peroxides when exposed to heat and light. (r)
- Omega-3-enriched chicken is more susceptible to oxidation, which can degrade meat quality and introduce health concerns.(r)
Studies show that feeding chickens Omega-3-rich diets significantly decreases the oxidative stability of their meat—making it more prone to spoilage and the production of harmful breakdown products (r), which you then consume.
That’s not something we want on our plates.
For thousands of years, humans naturally consumed small amounts of Omega-3 naturally from grass-fed meat, dairy, and occasional fish—without obsessing over it.
Just because a little bit of something is good for you does not mean that more is even better.
The real solution isn’t to overload our food with Omega-3s but to focus on the quality and balance of dietary fats. Prioritizing natural fat sources with a higher saturated-to-unsaturated ratio, as our ancestors did, is a more sustainable and health-conscious approach.
That’s why we do things differently at Nourish Food Club.
Instead of manipulating nature, we focus on restoring the natural fatty acid balance in our chicken that Mother Nature intended.
Our birds are raised on a custom-made, low-PUFA diet that promotes:
✅ Higher levels of stearic acid & C15:0 (healthy, stable saturated fats)
✅ Lower polyunsaturated fat content (reducing oxidation risks)
✅ Meat that reflects what our ancestors actually ate
So no, our chicken isn’t Omega-3 enriched—because chicken meat isn’t supposed to be. Instead, our goal is to give you food you can trust, just as nature intended.
This isn't just chicken—it's a return to the way chicken was meant to be.
