How An Olympic Champion Overcame Near Death, Healed His Gut & Shoulder & Changed The Nutritional World Forever With “Seed Oils”: An Interview With Andreas Wecker.

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Andreas Wecker, my guest on today's podcast, is a former German gymnast who had a long and successful career.

A European, World, and Olympic champion, Andreas's greatest achievement was the gold medal on the high bar at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. There, he beat gymnasts of such caliber as Vitaly Scherbo and Alexei Nemov.

In 1989, Andreas was named the last East German Sportsman of the Year. He also competed for the SC Dynamo Berlin/Sportvereinigung (SV) Dynamo. Andreas qualified for the German team for the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Just days before his events, he suffered a serious shoulder injury where he tore a bicep muscle in his shoulder. Injured and processing the revelation that his career was on indefinite hold, Andreas followed a rigid six-week recovery plan before pushing ahead to tour as a professional gymnastics exhibitionist. Like many other athletes, he found himself dependent on a combination of painkillers, aspirin, and coffee to cope with the lingering pain and get him through practices and performances.

In what has become an all-too-familiar story of drug dependence, Andreas's dependence on painkillers went on for 14 years—until he finally stepped away from his athletic pursuits in 2004. When he tried to stop taking the pills, Andreas noted an immediate, rapid deterioration in his health and well-being.

Over a six-week period in 2006, Andreas lost 45 pounds and 80 percent of his blood supply. Soon admitted to the hospital, doctors diagnosed Andreas with Crohn’s Disease (CD). In the following weeks, he received eight blood transfusions and immediately began a treatment plan, with hopes of reversing his body’s decline. After nearly two months in the hospital, Andreas realized that the 33 pills he was taking every single day were not improving his condition. Defeated, he acknowledged that the pills only temporarily alleviated some of the most severe symptoms.

Despite struggling with feelings of defeat, Andreas knew this could not be the only cure. The treatment plan was causing his body to rapidly change and progressively weaken. Without some sort of miracle, the next step would be major surgery to remove large portions of his digestive tract.

As Andreas saw it, he had three options:

-Die from Crohn’s Disease
-Die from the medications
-Find another option entirely

Andreas confided in a friend whose family member was also suffering from Crohn’s, and this friend mentioned an alternative that involved using fresh-pressed flaxseed oil. Intrigued and desperate, Andreas decided to try it. He began supplementing his prescribed medications with fresh-pressed flaxseed oil. Within a short period of time, he was surprised to find the pain and inflammation notably relieved.

He decided to take a chance. At the age of 36, Andreas made the brave choice to check himself out of the hospital and do something drastic to change his life. Armed with flax seeds, coriander, and a five-seed blend, Andreas began taking this combination of supplements daily. Over the next weeks, as he reduced the number of pharmaceutical pills he took every day and continued taking the flaxseed oils, the side effects from the medications wore off. After three months of supplementing, he stopped taking the prescribed medications for Crohn’s Disease entirely. Changes to his diet, combined with the fresh-pressed flaxseed oil, changed Andreas’s approach to managing his health problems. The improvements in his condition testified to the flaxseed oil’s successful repair work on his body.

Today, Andreas is the chairman and founder of Andreas Seed Oils, headquartered in Bend, Oregon, and distributed through his office in Germany. Andreas has now been pressing the world’s purest oils for over 11 years. Through his proprietary German Cold-Press technology, these oils are pressed at ultra-low temperatures to eliminate oxidation and maintain their molecular integrity. This technology is so delicate yet powerful that each seed’s nutritional molecules remain undamaged and intact, resulting in the purest and most effective oils instantly absorbed by the body. Andreas Seed Oils are entirely free of any metals, solvents, pesticides, or preservatives.

In today's podcast, we take a deep dive into Andreas's oils, how they are different, how to use them, the difference between seed oils and vegetable oils, and much more!

During our discussion, you'll discover:

-How Andreas was “slowly dying” due to a mysterious CO leak in his home…05:40

  • There was a gas leak in his home for 3.5 years
  • The flame looked funny on the stove; the landlord had the wrong gas burners installed
  • 8.6 level (usually 0-0.2)
  • Get a gas leak detector in your home

-How a gymnastics injury led Andreas onto the path of consuming seed oils…08:20

-Problems with the seed expeller at your local Whole Foods…14:30

  • An expeller press uses friction and pressure
  • Higher temperatures that result destroy enzymes in the seeds that are being pressed
  • Metal from the machine gets ground down, ends up in the pressed seeds that are consumed
  • Friction causes oxidation

-How a mechanic (not an engineer) literally changed Andreas's health for the better forever…19:45

-Healing properties of Andreas's flaxseed oil on the gut…25:05

  • “Insanely inflammatory”
  • 4x more Omega-3 than Omega-6
  • Doesn't require refrigeration when it's stored in Miron glass
  • A 4-year-old bottle tasted as fresh as when it was new
  • Produce can be labeled “fresh” for as long as 5 years after it's harvested
  • Flax seeds come from Kazakhstan
  • Soviet bloc countries never had money to spray chemicals on their crops, so their soil is cleaner than other parts of the world
  • Kion Omega
  • KavaPlex by Andreas Seed Oils

-Why Andreas's products are not labeled “certified organic”…36:05

  • No one from the USDA wants to fly to the locales where the seeds are grown to certify the soil as organic
  • Even Certified Organic crops are allowed to use certain pesticides (or be grown near crops that are sprayed)
  • Filtering oils can damage the molecular structure of the oil
  • Immense pressure from pressing tons of seeds affects the efficacy of the oils
  • Strained, but not filtered oils

-Benefits of cooking with seed oils…42:00

-The research behind Andreas's oils…46:37

-What's coming down the pike seed oil wise…50:36

-The best oils to begin with if you're unfamiliar with oils…53:10

-And much more…

Click here for the full written transcript of this podcast episode.

Resources from this episode:

– Andreas Wecker:

– Podcasts And Articles:

– Other Resources:

Upcoming Events:

Episode sponsors:

Kion Flex: The ultimate recovery formula, Kion Flex is a bioavailable blend to support joint comfort, mobility and flexibility, and bone health.

The Boundless Cookbook: Optimize your physical and mental performance with nutritious and delicious Greenfield family recipes. 

Paleo Valley Beef Sticks: 100% grass-fed AND grass-finished. Keto friendly and higher levels of Omega 3 Fatty Acids. Receive a 15% discount off your order when you go to paleovalley.com/ben

Water and Wellness: The best solution for clean and safe drinking water. Water and Wellness also offers an amazing line of essential water additives such as Quinton Marine plasma which contains over 78 trace minerals and elements from the ocean to help restore your biological-terrain. Get 15% off your order when you use discount code GREENFIELD.

Seed Daily Synbiotic: A formulation of 24 unique strains, each of which included at their clinically verified dose, to deliver systemic benefits in the body. Save 15% off your first month's subscription when you use discount code BEN15.

Do you have questions, thoughts, or feedback for Andreas or me? Leave your comments below and one of us will reply!

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36 thoughts on “How An Olympic Champion Overcame Near Death, Healed His Gut & Shoulder & Changed The Nutritional World Forever With “Seed Oils”: An Interview With Andreas Wecker.

  1. Martin says:

    Hello Ben,
    I just found this old episode and I’m intrigued by these products. But given that almost all biohackers/functional medicine practitioners I’ve read or listened to say to stay away from seed oils, will you please provide an update? Yes, I know this was addressed in the episode as far as how much better and advanced Wecker’s process is, but it seem strange that I have not run across him in other places (i.e., Dave Asprey, Mark Hyman, et al.).
    Have you been using these oils since this episode came out in 2021? If so, with what results? If not, why not?
    Thank you!

    1. Martin says:

      Hi Ben, I just heard your latest podcast, Q&A 469 on 3/16/24, and thank you so much for answering my above question! I’ve been using all of Andreas Wecker’s seed oils for several weeks. After consulting with his colleague, Katja, I’ve been using the Flaxseed Oil before bed for better sleep; and after seeing Andreas on a podcast with Brian Peskin, I’ve stopped using fish oil capsules (which they state are actually counterproductive) and now rely on the flaxseed oil the same benefits. I’ll test my levels in a few months to check the results, but it would be great if you would interview Peskin–he makes quite a compelling case for the harms of fish oil (but to continue eating good fish/seafood).
      Thanks again!

  2. Mia Malkova says:

    On one hand we say oils are awful … and here we are advancing oils… .appears to be very abnormal to me. Likewise USDA didn’t support… ..dont see the association referenced!

  3. Bestpot says:

    Thank you for telling us about this story and for recording this informative interview. In fact, I was very surprised when I read this article. I am more surprised at how little our knowledge of even plants is, and perhaps because of this, many people cannot find a suitable treatment for themselves. As in the story with cannabidiol oil, we did not even have a clue about its excellent properties. Therefore, I hope that we are still on the way to huge and beneficial plant discoveries.

  4. Matt Stahl says:

    Ben, your content is really going downhill in pursuit of padding your wallet. It’s very clear from the comments section that you are only interested in addressing issues with the discount codes (which make you money) and that you don’t intend to address any of you audience’s concerns about the safety/efficacy of the products you’re shilling for. Most of us can’t afford expensive stem cell treatments at Swedish Health clinics to undo the damage caused by toxic products like these oils.

    Your astute listeners have already come forward with a number of excellent questions and concerns:

    -Why consume processed oils instead of the whole-food seeds?

    -Why consume seed oils when these plant fats are not well converted into long chain fats like DHA?

    -Don’t these oils spontaneously oxidize when exposed to oxygen, much less heat?

    To these concerns I would add that:

    -Seed oils disrupt insulin signaling and impair mitochondrial function

    -Seeds oils produce inflammatory prostaglandins

    -Seeds oils produce toxic byproducts like 4HNE

    -Seed oils increase OxLDL a causative factor in heart disease

    Seed oils are widely condemned in the alternative health sphere. Everywhere from carnivore to high carb circles and everywhere in between, you will see the dangers of these fats exposed.

    For those interested in high quality data/research based information on seed oils:

    Tucker Goodrich – Yelling Stop (keto)

    Brad Marshall – Fire in a Bottle (mix diet)

    Paul Saladino – Carnivore MD (carnivore)

    Peter Dobromolskyj – Hyperlipid (keto)

    Ray Peat – Raypeat.com (high carb)

    Ben, you’ve interviewed many of these people, so I know you’re not ignorant to these concerns. It’s baffling that you’d be more interested in a quick buck off discount codes than maintaining the quality of your brand… truly short sighted and disappointing.

    1. Matt Stahl says:

      Replying to myself to add:

      Ben clearly knows the dangers of the products he’s shilling for, a simple search of his own website reveals many episodes discussing this. HIGHLY DISHONEST!!!!

      Interview with Dr. Cate Shanahan (a DOCTOR who actually looks healthy enough to be giving advice)

      https://bengreenfieldfitness.com/podcast/nutritio…

    2. Darren Marsh says:

      I have been doing a lot of research on Seed Oils recently and would love to hear Ben’s reply to your comments. Thank you Matt for the list of other sources of information and alternative points of view.

  5. Scott says:

    Correct me if I’m wrong, but omega 3 from plants (ALA) is pretty much worthless to humans. Not saying there is not some benefit from the whole matrix of flax seed, but I really think this selling point is misleading.

  6. John says:

    Hi Ben, and Andreas,

    Great podcast! Do have any thoughts, and/or are there any studies/research as to which of these oils are effective for lowing high blood pressure?

    Thanks!

    John R.

  7. John says:

    Why don’t you address the concerns that everyone expressing about the seed oil debate, instead of being concerned about the discount code?

  8. Jack R says:

    Dont understnd, why not just consume Flax Seeds or Cumin or Coriander? why do we need oils as the medium to consume?

    1. John says:

      Good question Jack!

  9. akakka says:

    On one hand we say oils are bad …and here we are promoting oils….seems quite weird to me. Also USDA did not approve…..dont see the connection mentioned!

  10. Joseph Carpineto says:

    Can you advise the discount code for oils

    1. The discount for Andreas was auto applied since they were having a labor day sale for 30% off the whole site, so our code currently doesn't work. We´ll hopefully get this resolved ASAP!

      1. Matt Stahl says:

        You should address the criticisms of this episode ASAP instead of just the discount codes!!!

  11. Summer says:

    Can you please advise the difference from this brand to the other you also interviewed ACTIVATION oils

    thanks

  12. Mason says:

    Andreas Wecker is 51 years old and looks at least 70 years old. Probably because he takes in a lot of toxic seed oils. Eating seed and vegetable oils is about the worst thing you can do to your health and part of the main cause so many people are sick and fat. These kinds of oil oxidize and become toxic almost immediately.

    1. Mary lu says:

      Hi there,

      None of Andreas oils are oxidized and they are not heated like Traditional oils. My husband and I use his oils for over 7 years and we feel and look amazing. Thanks Mary

      1. Matt Stahl says:

        Mary,

        Unfortunately these oils are highly prone to auto-oxidation as soon as they are exposed to oxygen. The claims that these oils have a 5 year shelf life is downright pseudoscience.

        Additionally, these oils oxidize quite easily once inside the body wreaking havoc at every level: mitochondrial, insulin signaling, inflammatory cascade, toxic breakdown products.

        Unsaturated oils are found in nature in deep water fish (cold) and the seeds of plants in colder climates. Warm blooded mammals (humans) function optimally with saturated fat, which is why that is the form we naturally store our fat in.

        I’m glad you look and feel amazing, but I’d suggest doing some research and switching to grass fed butter before you end up looking like the GRIM REAPER (Andreas).

        Best wishes!!

    2. AiMy says:

      Perhaps looking old has something to do with:

      He was i retraining for the Olympics

      He got injured

      He had Crohn’s disease

      He almost died

      I don’t know whether his products are effective or not. I plan to try the milk thistle one since I have HepB that damaged my liver. But I want to make a comment that we need to be a bit more kind passing comments on the internet. Andreas is a real person who may be reading these comments.

      1. AiMy says:

        *overtraining for the Olympics

      2. Great point made when it comes to the importance of kindness Aimy!

  13. zauser says:

    i”m confused…

    mail from ben greenfield “healing with seed oils…” immediately followed by mail from paul saladino “seed oil dangers (GRAPHIC PICS)”…..

    :(

    1. drew says:

      same here, that was odd!

  14. Prakhar says:

    Isn’t sunflower seed oil’s omega 3 to 6 ratio not good?

    1. Gigi C. says:

      I am also curious and confused by this. From my understanding, the black cumin is also very high in Omega 6 with little Omega 3. Did I miss something or was this discussed?

      1. M says:

        Black Cumin Seed is very high in Omega-9

  15. Mark Orzolek says:

    dump fish oil..per brian peskin,,.com….,,,andreas seed oils been taking for 2 years

    thanks dr mark

  16. Dave says:

    is there a promo code?

    1. EMILY says:

      WONDERING THIS AS WELL!

    2. For which product specifically?

      1. Drew Campbell says:

        It doesn’t look like there is a code for the discount you discussed for the products on Andreas’ site

        1. The discount for Andreas was auto applied since they were having a labor day sale for 30% off the whole site, so our code currently doesn't work. My team is working on it and should have one for you soon!

      2. Alex Cousins says:

        It would be nice if you could address the issues that have been raised against seed oils! Not in integrity to give mixed messages

    3. Stuart Wyllie says:

      Try BEN. Worked for me

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