Are Seed Oils a Scam?

Introduction

Seed oils also known as vegetable oil, marketed as “heart-healthy” are used in more food products than you are aware of.  Found in sneaky places like ice cream, crackers, chips, and baked goods just to name a few.   Of course, these foods aren’t marketed as “heart-healthy” but the seed oils found in them are.

Pro tip: Vegetable oil is not from vegetables, but rather from seeds, legumes, and grains.

Could there be a connection between seed oils found in over 600,000 processed foods in the United States and the increase in chronic diseases?   This is a hot topic in the news and on social media claiming seed oils are worse than sugar!  Let’s find out…

In this blog post, I review what seed oils are, where they come from and how they affect your health.  After reading this post, you can decide how healthy they are and how to make optimal options to improve your health or at least preserve it.  

What are seed oils?

Simply stated, seed oil comes from seeds such as canola, cottonseed, corn, grapeseed, safflower, and soybean.  Also known as vegetable oils.  They are purified, refined, or chemically altered to be edible.

Refined (edible) oils are either physically or physically or chemically processed.  These oils undergo a process that removes the ingredients that influence the healthy properties of oils while generating unwanted compounds.  It’s the unwanted compounds leftover from the process and how it impacts your health over time that is the concerning piece.

More on processing edible oils.

Heart-healthy and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs)

These seed oils are considered heart-healthy as they’re polyunsaturated fatty acids. Studies indicate they help to reduce the risk of heart issues, compared to saturated fat.  In other words, it’s better to eat margarine than butter because margarine contains polyunsaturated fats vs saturated fat found in butter.  But is it better?

Polyunsaturated fat is a type of unsaturated fat found in both plant-based foods and animal sources.  There are two main types: omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids.  Both are essential to obtain in your diet because the body doesn’t produce them.  The balance or ratio of these fats is important when it comes to your health.  The optimal ratio between omega-6 and omega-3 is 1:1.

According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025, the recommended ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 is 4 to 1.  Suggesting, for every 4 grams of omega-6 you eat, you should eat 1 gram of omega-3. This is still a reasonable ratio given the average American consumes a ratio of 20:1.

It’s the omega-6 intake found in food products that contain these oils that raises concern for heart health and other health issues due to excess consumption.

Plant oils high in omega-6

soybean oil (largest source due to low cost and abundance)

corn oil (mainly used as salad and cooking oil – found in salad dressings, margarine, cereal, chips, cookies, bread, and other processed foods)

cottonseed oil (derived from the seeds of cotton plants)

peanut oil (commonly used as cooking oil and to make medicine)

sunflower oil (one of the top four used around the world – commonly used in salad dressing)

sesame oil (mainly used as a cooking oil)

rice bran oil (chemically derived from the hard outer layer of brown rice – commonly used as a cooking oil)

Pro tip: Olive oil is not seed oil.

Omega-6

Omega-6 is found in many processed foods because of the seed oils used such as salad dressing, chips, pizza, and processed meats like sausage to name a few. Most people consume more of these foods than the foods that contain omega-3 such as salmon, seeds (chia and flaxseed) and walnuts.

Pro tip: Avocado, coconut, and olive oil are better alternatives to use for cooking and baking, as is butter.

Omega-6 contributes to inflammation. Inflammation is the body’s way of fighting against harmful actions such as infections, injuries, and toxins to heal itself.  Chronic inflammation is when the body is not healing properly affecting the healthy cells to become weakened and not do their job to repair the body.

Long-term damage can occur in the body when chronic inflammation is not addressed and can increase your risk of many serious diseases such as heart disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, cognitive decline, and dementia.

Nutrition and lifestyle changes can greatly impact your inflammation for better or worse.  I prefer better and I’m sure you do too!

Inflammation, seed oils, and your health

Seed oils are pro-inflammatory (increase inflammation) especially when they’re fried. A clinical study showed using dietary polyunsaturated fatty acid, (omega 6 linolenic acid) over saturated fats such as butter showed no benefit when using vegetable/seed oils for a heart-healthy diet.  The study revealed using these types of oils increased heart disease!

Food sources containing omega-3 fatty acids are anti-inflammatory (decrease inflammation) in the body.  

To keep your ratio more in balance, choose foods that contain omega-3 fatty acids and fewer foods with omega-6.

Options for optimal health

To help decrease omega 6 in your diet and increase omega 3:

Bring the ratio in balance.  Increase your intake of omega-3 fatty acids with wild-caught fish (salmon, cod, and Atlantic mackerel); walnuts in your salad, or consider taking fish or cod liver oil.  Do your research before buying either of these supplements.  There are many junk supplements sold that aren’t worth your money or the benefit of taking them.

Pro tip: Take fish or cod liver oil with meals for better absorption and to prevent nausea.

Eggs are another excellent source of omega-3, but only if they’re pastured eggs.  Pastured is where the chickens roam free, allowing them to eat plants, insects, and some commercial feed.  The commercial feed may contain soy and corn, which you want to avoid. 

The next best is omega-3-enriched eggs found in grocery stores.  Most eggs sold in the grocery store have a ratio of 29:1! (29 omega-6 to 1 omega-3 fatty acids) not a very good ratio.  Check the brand’s website for the type of feed used.  

Other options:

Move daily!  Just 20 minutes of moderate exercise can help lower inflammation.

Less stress, less inflammation.  Studies show those who practice self-care have lower levels of inflammation.  More on stress and inflammation.  

Conclusion

Too much omega-6 compared to omega-3 can contribute to chronic inflammation.  Chronic inflammation is a primary factor in diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.

Processed foods like chips, baked goods, and crackers contain seed oils.

Pro tip: For optimal health, avoid foods that contain hydrogenated oil or partially hydrogenated as these are high in trans-fat and contribute to inflammation.

Decrease fast food and restaurant dining.

Replace your vegetable oils with coconut oil, olive oil, and butter.

It’s highly unlikely any banning of these seed oils will happen sometime soon.  Cut back on your consumption of foods that contain seed oils.  Read your labels!

In optimal health,

Lisa