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Your free- source of information, news, and deep dive into the latest science in the world or fitness and health. We dive deep into the literature and debunk a lot of fake claims. Also, providing helpful tips and workouts to improve your health and quality of life. 

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Seed Oils

Toxic or healthy? 

Are seed oils toxic?

Facts Or Myth

Social media influencers are out to demonize something new in order to get views and attention. After all, their online platform survives on getting attention.  Are seed oils really toxic, or is social media influencers promoting fear mongering around something most people don’t understand?  Similar to people fearing carbohydrates because of the claim around carbohydrates makes people fat, the same is true for seed oils. Are seed oils really bad, or is the food they’re packaged with? 

Seed oils are used in fried and packaged foods, so are the seed oils really bad, or is the higher consumption of high-calorie processed foods? 

What are seed oils?

Seed oils are extracted from the seeds of different plants, and are known as vegetable oils. Many social media influencers refer to them as the “Hateful Eight.” These include the following:

  • Canola Oil
  • Corn Oil
  • Soybean Oil
  • Cottonseed Oil
  • Sunflower Oil
  • Safflower Oil
  • Grapeseed Oil
  • Rice Bran Oils

The Truth

Dietary fat sources are saturated, monounsaturated (MUFAs), and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). Although, we’re not discussing trans fat in-depth as they should be extremely limited, and there’s no value.  Seed oils fall into the polyunsaturated fat category, (omega -3 and omega 6)  and a lot of data promotes higher consumption of polyunsaturated fatty acids results in healthier outcomes. Replacing saturated fat with polyunsaturated fat has been shown to reduce cardiovascular risk and improve health outcomes.  However, polyunsaturated fats can improve health outcomes and can reduce inflammation, but a major problem with seed oils is the over consumption. Most fried foods are fried using vegetable oils, so the association between weight gain, inflammation, and cardiovascular disease comes from the over consumption of fried foods. The oils used in fried foods are often heated to high temperatures too frequently, and this may contribute to a negative health outcome. Also, foods that are fried are typically fatty meats or refined carbohydrates. 

Positive health outcomes from polyunsaturated fat is when daily intake of 2-3 tablespoons, and cooking temperatures is lower. However, it’s easy to overconsume oils especially when fried. Fats are more calorie dense than carbohydrates and protein, and contains 9 calories per-gram whereas protein and carbohydrates contain 4 calories per-gram. It’s also important to note the difference between frying seed oils in higher temperatures instead of cooking with seed oils in your home. 

Some data suggests a possible risk of oil-oxidation from high-temperature cooking and the process of  reheat/ reuse of oils. Removing seed oils from your diet can be beneficial since the elimination of many fried and package foods results in greater health outcomes when replaced with whole foods such as lean proteins, fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds. 

Saturated Fat

Founds in meat and dairy products.

Saturated fat raise levels of bad cholesterol in the blood known as Low-density Lipoprotein. (LDL) Higher elevation of LDL have been shown to increase risk of heart disease. 

Monounsaturated Fat

Found in meat, dairy and plants

Monounsaturated fats may lower LDL cholesterol and raise High-density Lipoprotein. (HDL) HDL is known to protect the heart and prevent cardiovascular disease. Replacing saturated fats with monounsaturated fats in the diet may lower the level of bad cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood. Triglycerides are fat cells that circulate in the bloodstream and are stored in the body’s fat cells. A high level of triglycerides in the blood increases the risk of diseases of the heart and blood vessels.

Polyunsaturated Fat

Polyunsaturated fats are made up of omega-6 and emega-3 fatty acids.

For optimal health, a balance of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids is important. Seed oils fall into the omega-6 classification whereas foods like fish, chia seeds, avocados, soybeans, flaxseed, walnuts, and oils from those sources  are high in omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids oxidize quickly and will discolor when exposed to oxygen. These fats can help lower LDL cholesterol, which can reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke

Trans Fat

Trans fat raises bad cholesterol and lowers good cholesterol.

Also known as Partially Hydrogenated Oils, trans fats are plant fats that have been chemically changed to be solid fat. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration conclude trans fats are no longer safe for U.S. production. 

Why Hate Seed Oils

Many wellness or nutritional influencers claim seed oils are inflammatory, but mostly because it’s a trending topic of discussion. Trending topics are important for social media algorithms if you want your content viewed by the public. Seed oils are a perfect example of classifying them as harmful when the data suggest a positive outcome. Seed oils contain linoleic acid, which some data suggest an increase risk of heart disease. However, majority data shows a neutral or positive outcome when consumed in moderation. Additionally,  replacing saturated fat with polyunsaturated fats shows an improvement in lowering LDL (Bad cholesterol)  and raising HDL. (Good cholesterol) The “Seed oils cause inflammation” notion started around the possibility that linoleic acid contributes to inflammation is based off the concern that large amounts of linoleic acid will increase arachidonic acid (AA) and other subsequent pro-inflammatory eicosanoids.   In other words, the higher consumption of linoleic acid may disrupt absorption and compete with omega-3 fatty acids, and thus, reduce the formation of anti-inflammatory eicosanoids. 

This theory is often tested in randomize control trials, which shown consumption of polyunsaturated fats had either a positive or neutral effect on biomarkers for inflammation. Based on the current data, we can conclude there’s no evidence to show seed oils increase inflammation, and the consumption of both polyunsaturated and monounsaturated is strongly encouraged. Data suggests a reduction in inflammatory biomarkers when a balance of omega-3 and omega-6 is consumed through diet. However, due to the caloric density of fat intake, it’s strongly recommended to consume between 5-10% of daily calories from fat. 

Replacing seed oils with Beef Tallow

High-fat diet is associated with an increased risk of many metabolic syndromes such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.  Due to the risk of increasing LDL cholesterol in the blood from consuming too much saturated fat, people look for other forms of fat to consume.  There’s some benefits to consuming beef tallow such as some vitamins and minerals. However, Beef tallow is an omega-6 polyunsaturated fat, and contains conjugated linoleic acid that may help prevent against cardiovascular disease. Beef tallow and seed oils are both polyunsaturated fatty acids. The primary difference is linoleic acid found in seed oils and conjugated linolenic acid found in beef tallow. The current data shown greater fat accumulation in mice when fed beef tallow than safflower oil. More studies must be done to show any greater benefit. However, they’re both similar by structure. 

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References

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