Is flax oil a good source of Omega-3?

On paper, flax seed oil is the best source of plant / parent Omega-3 available. Many flax oils are over 50% by weight of Omega-3s, and they also have one of the best Omega-3 / Omega-6 ratios of all food sources. It seems like a no-brainer to use it as a super food and take half a teaspoon every day. So what's the problem?

The problem is that flax seed oil is one of the most unstable edible oils. Most polyunsaturated food oils are unstable and should be used with caution, as I explain in Grow Youthful. But flax seed oil can turn from super food to toxic with just half an hour of exposure to hot bright sunlight, or with hours or days of exposure to air, light or heat. Of course, you should never heat it in the kitchen

I recently succumbed to temptation and bought a bottle of organic flax seed oil in the supermarket. A fresh and undamaged oil should have a delicious, nutty and slightly sweet flavour. However, this oil had a less pleasant "seed" rather than nut taste, and was more sour than sweet. When it is rancid, it becomes linseed oil, used to oil cricket bats, and in paint manufacture. Linseed oil has a characteristic oil paint smell, and if there is the slightest hint of that smell in the edible oil, it is rancid

In summary, it is very difficult to obtain fresh, undamaged flax seed oil. It is so delicate and unstable that it is usually damaged in the supply chain, even when it comes in an opaque bottle topped with an inert gas