The Truth About Seed Oils: Separating Facts from Fear-Driven Nutrition Trends

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Seed oils have gained a bad reputation, but the science doesn't support the fear-mongering around these common cooking ingredients. We examine the facts behind seed oils, debunk popular myths, and explain how they fit into a balanced, healthy diet.

• Seed oils include canola, sunflower, soybean, corn, grapeseed, cottonseed, and safflower oils
• Omega-6 fatty acids in seed oils only cause inflammation when they drastically outweigh omega-3s in your diet
• Most commercial seed oils are refined using heat and solvents, but residue levels are tightly regulated and considered safe
• Cold-pressed or expeller-pressed options are available for those concerned about processing methods
• Saturated fats like butter and coconut oil may raise LDL cholesterol in some individuals
• Large long-term studies do not show a clear link between moderate seed oil consumption and chronic disease
• Major health organizations support using plant-based oils as part of a healthy diet
• Much of the controversy stems from misinterpreted animal studies, fear-based social media posts, or cherry-picked data
• Focus on using a mix of oils, getting enough omega-3s, eating more wholesome foods, and limiting ultra-processed foods
• Your overall eating pattern matters more than any single ingredient

If you found this episode helpful, subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone wondering about seed oils. For more practical nutrition tips, visit fueledbyleocom or follow me on social media at nutrition_with_Leonie.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hey, hey, welcome back to Simple Nutrition
Insights.
I'm your host, danila Campos,registered dietitian and
nutrition expert, and todaywe're diving into a hot topic
that's been stirring up a lot ofchatter seed oils.
Are they inflammatory?
Should we avoid them, or isthis just another food trend

(00:20):
fueled by fear andmisinformation?
Let's get into the facts,debunk some myths and help you
feel confident in your foodchoices.
Seed oils are vegetable oilsextracted from the seeds of
plants like canola, sunflower,soybean, corn, grapeseed,
cottonseed and safflower.
They are commonly used inpackaged foods, salad dressings

(00:44):
and for cooking because of theirneutral flavor and high smoke
point.
These oils are high inpolyunsaturated fats,
particularly omega-6 fatty acids.
And then, if you haven'tlistened to my last episode on
fats, definitely go back andtake a listen to that, because I

(01:05):
talk about the different typesof fats, and polyunsaturated
fats are one of those types offats that are considered healthy
fats.
So why is it that seed oils arein the news, are talked about
more so, are a trend, and it'sbecause just everything that is
happening recently, right, likethe bad rep, I guess that seed

(01:28):
oils are getting at this time.
But let's tackle some of thebiggest myths out there.
Myth number one seed oils causeinflammation.
The truth Omega-6 can promoteinflammation, but only if they
drastically outweigh omega-3s inyour diet, in moderation.

(01:51):
They are essential for ourbrain function, hormone
production and cell structure.
The problem is imbalance, notthe oils themselves.
And it's just like what I tellmy clients.
When we put these foods intogood and bad categories, right,
then we almost don't know whatto do anymore.
Right, like is our carrots, youknow, healthy?

(02:14):
Or is fruit healthy because ithas too much sugar and this and
that right?
It just creates more chaos andmore confusion.
But it's not a single foodright.
It is essentially chaos andmore confusion.
But it's not a single foodright.
It is essentially everythingthat we do, everything that we
eat, on a consistent basis.
So same thing with seed oils,right?
So let's keep going with themyths here.

(02:35):
Myth number two seed oils aretoxic or processed with harmful
chemicals.
Fact most commercial seed oilsare refined using heat and
solvents like hexane, butresidue levels are tightly
regulated and not consideredharmful in normal food amounts.
Cold press or expeller pressoptions are available if you're

(02:58):
concerned.
So the key point here is thatif you want to have maybe
something that they don't usethis type of solvent, then you
can choose.
You know when you look, whenyou go and buy your oils look
for cold pressed or expellerpressed and you know if that is
a concern for you.
Myth number three natural fatslike butter or coconut oil are

(03:22):
always healthier.
The truth is, saturated fatslike butter and coconut oil may
raise LDL cholesterol in someindividuals.
It's not about villainizing onefat or over another.
It's about balance, variety andoverall pattern of eating.
I've had clients and when I'vedone my community presentations

(03:46):
they ask me these questions alot.
Right, like, can I just stickto butter and coconut oil?
Now you know, if you choosethat because the flavor or
because that's why you want tochoose, that's totally up to you
, right?

(04:13):
High cholesterol if you do havehigh history of cholesterol
issues, heart disease then we dohave to be mindful of how much
saturated fat we're consuming,right?
It doesn't mean that we don'thave to eliminate butter or
coconut oil, but we do have tobe conscious as to where are all
the saturated fat is comingfrom, right?
Because if we are having ahigher amount, where that is

(04:34):
contributing to our LDL right,then that is a concern from
heart disease standpoint.
And so if we choose, you knowwe decide to use it sparingly
right, and use these other plantoils or seed oils just to help
our cholesterol, right, thenthat's also an option.

(04:54):
Let's see what the researchsays.
Large long-term studies do notshow a clear link between
moderate seed oil intake andchronic disease.
In fact, replacing saturatedfat with polyunsaturated fat can
lower LDL cholesterol andreduce heart disease risk.
The American Heart Association,world Health Organization and

(05:16):
Dietary Guidelines for Americanssupport using plant-based oils
as part of a healthy diet.
So why the controversy?
A lot of it comes from amisinterpretation of animal
studies, fear-based social mediaposts or cherry-picked data.
It's easy to get swept up intothe fear, but context matters

(05:38):
and really understandingresearch and really
understanding studies right,that it is important to get our
information from reliableresources, research-backed
resources, right andresearch-based.
Because if we just trust, likethis random person or this

(06:03):
person that has tons offollowers, right To whatever
they say, right, but we don't doour due diligence as to really
know that, hey, whatever they'resaying is actually research
backed, right, if that is thecase, then you have to be really
worried about it, right, likeyou have to understand, okay,

(06:23):
this person maybe has an agenda,this person is trying to sell
me something, or whatever thecase may be, right.
Like you have to get yourinformation from unbiased
resources, right, and understand.
Like there is a ton of researchthat you know it goes back for
many, many years that talksabout the importance of

(06:43):
controlling saturated fatbecause of heart disease and
cardiovascular disease.
Right, so we cannot just assumethat just because somebody is
saying that, hey, you know,consume more tallow or consume
more butter or more coconut oil,right, it's so good for you
Just because they're saying it,or because they're anecdotally,

(07:05):
you know, they have a personalstory behind it, right?
Right, we are our ownindividuals and so we all have
specific needs and so we have tojust take this information and
question it, right.
Okay, is this really what itreally means?

(07:26):
Right, is this backed byresearch or is it just trying to
create more fear?
And I've had lots of clientscome to me and say you know what
?
I'm so confused, I don't knowwhere to start.
I have all this information, Ihave conflicting information,
and it's just so much for me,right, and I'm so glad that

(07:48):
they're here, I'm so glad thatthey are coming to see me, right
, because then we can reallyunderstand information that they
are, that they have in front ofthem Right, really dissect it
and understand like.
This is valid information, it'sbacked by research and this is
just like nonsense, right, andso if you have information, you
know, if you have questionsabout information like that, or

(08:09):
if you're not sure about whatyou're reading or listening, to
reach out to a race or dietitian, right, a doctor in nutrition
or someone that has thebackground right and the
unbiased about the informationthat you're looking at, to get
the truth right About what it isthat you are listening, what it

(08:31):
is that you are reading.
Okay, so what should we focuson Instead of stressing over one
ingredient?
Here's what to prioritize Use amix of oils Olive oil, avocado
oil, canola oil.
Variety helps to reduce therisk.
Get enough omega-3s right Fromflax, chia, walnuts or fatty

(08:54):
fish like salmon, sardines, tuna, mackerel.
Eat more wholesome foods fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts
and seeds, legumes.
Limit ultra-processed foods,not because of the seed oils,
but because of their overallnutrient quality.
At the end of the day, a singleoil isn't going to make or
break your health.

(09:15):
Your overall eating pattern iswhat truly matters.
So it's so important tounderstand these right, because
the other thing too and this iswhat I talked about in my last
episode is that oils are part ofa macronutrient, right, part of
your fats, and they are higherin calories over twice as much

(09:38):
of what protein and carbs aregoing to give you.
And so that means that we don'tneed as much, right, we just
need a smaller amount.
And so when you really put itin perspective, you know, if you
have two tablespoons right ofwhatever oil, that is over about
200 calories right Now, if wethink about eating consistently

(10:00):
fried foods, right, that meansthat you're using a massive
amounts, massive amounts of oil.
Right, it's unnecessary.
We don't need to do that.
We can still, you know, behealthy and reduce our risk, if
that is what we're concernedabout, but just using a smaller
amount if we need to, right, youcan use the spray to coat your
pan and, like, just cook yourmeals.

(10:20):
You can use olive oil right Fordressings and drizzle your
vegetables.
Don't use it for cooking, right, it has a lower smoke point, so
it is going to burn faster andthat could be a risk.
And so it's again, not so muchfearing the seed oils, right, is

(10:41):
understanding.
Okay, how much do I use really,right, and do I eat fried foods
or fast foods that do use thoseoils, right, because they are
more affordable, and thatcombination of that and just
whatever in the food it makes itmore palatable, right, more
desirable.
Okay, then let's change oureating habits, right?

(11:05):
Let's add more of thesewholesome foods, let's reduce
that intake.
So don't fall onto this trend,right, and fear everything.
Fear the oils.
Meanwhile, you know our otheraspects of our nutrition are
like, not where they need to be.
Focus on simpler changes.

(11:26):
Focus on adding, again, morewholesome foods, more of the
omega-3s If you have foundyourself having a lot of these
seed oils, okay, let me add moreof these omega-3s, which, to be
honest with you, every time Ihave a patient this is something
that I want to say probably 90to 95% of the time, my patients

(11:49):
don't get enough omega threes,and that's probably a reflection
of most of the population,right?
We just don't get enough omegathrees.
Again, your omega threes aregoing to come from your walnuts,
your flaxseed, your chia seeds,your fatty fish.
If you don't do any of that,right, which honestly I think,
if you don't do fish, that'sfine, but you have your plant

(12:11):
sources, right?
You can add more flaxseed, morechia seeds, more walnuts, and
if we've noticed that.
Okay, we're not getting any ofthat.
Okay, let's add an omega-3supplement.
Make sure that you talk to yourdoctor, make sure that you talk
to your registered dietitian tofigure out what is the best
option, but you do want to makesure that you get one that has

(12:34):
DHA and EPA, because those areyour essential fatty acids.
And so think about those thingsright.
Don't just fear the seed oils,don't just fall into these
trends.
Right, really understand whereyour nutrition is at right and
start making smaller changes.

(12:55):
Okay, maybe I am using a lot ofoil.
Okay, let's decrease the amount.
Or maybe I am using a lot ofbutter and tallow and coconut
oil and now I'm noticing that myLDL is going up.
Okay, now let's reduce that,because, again, we don't need a
ton of them.
Right, it is a macronutrientthat is high in calories, so we

(13:16):
just need a small amount tocreate satiety, to manage more
sugars right, it's stillsomething that we need, but we
can get it from other sourcesavocados, not seeds, and so if
we eat them right, then we canget them from there.
Essentially, the oilsthemselves.
We just need a very smallamount If we need them for

(13:38):
cooking.
Olive oil is great fordrizzling in your salad
dressings or other types offoods that we are not cooking at
a higher heat because it isgoing to burn faster.
So consider all those thingsright.
The bottom line is that seedoils are not the enemy.
They're just one part of abigger picture.
Don't fall for fear-based fats.

(13:59):
Stick to balanced,science-backed nutrition.
And if you found this episodehelpful, be sure to subscribe,
leave a review and share it withsomeone who's been been
wondering about seed oils.
And if you want to dive deeperinto practical nutrition tips,
check out my website,fueledbyleocom, or follow me on

(14:19):
social media at nutritionunderscore with underscore
Leonie Lab.
All right, thank you so mucheveryone.
I will talk to you and see youvery soon.
Remember, food should fuel, notstress.
You Take care.
Bye-bye for now.