June 18, 2025 • 23 mins
In this episode of The Health Pulse Podcast, we take a deep dive into the hidden history and health consequences of industrial seed oils—like soybean, corn, and sunflower oil. Once byproducts of industrial processes, these chemically refined oils have become staples in the modern diet, marketed as “heart-healthy” alternatives to traditional fats like butter and olive oil.
But the science tells a different story. We explore how excessive omega-6 linoleic acid disrupts metabolism, drives oxidative stress, and may contribute to insulin resistance, fatty liver disease, and chronic inflammation. You'll also learn how these oils accumulate in your body over time—making their effects long-lasting.
🎧 Tap play to uncover the truth behind processed vegetable oils, and discover five simple strategies to reduce your omega-6 load and reclaim your metabolic health.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Welcome to the Health Pulse, your go-to source for
quick, actionable insights onhealth, wellness and diagnostics
.
Whether you're looking tooptimize your well-being or stay
informed about the latest inmedical testing, we've got you
covered.
Join us as we break down keyhealth topics in just minutes.
Let's dive in.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Welcome to the Deep Dive.
Today we're embarking on areally crucial exploration.
We're looking into somethingthat has just dramatically
reshaped our diets over the lastcentury Cooking oils, that's
right.
You know what was once alandscape pretty much dominated
by traditional stable fats Thinkbutter, lard, tallow no Well,
it's filled with bottles ofseemingly simple stuff vegetable
(00:47):
and seed oils everywhere.
Speaker 3 (00:50):
And for decades, these oils, you know, soybean,
corn, sunflower, safflower,canola.
They've been pushed as hearthealthy, actively endorsed by
dietary guidelines.
Speaker 2 (01:01):
Absolutely.
The message was very clear.
Speaker 3 (01:03):
And they've become completely ubiquitous.
I mean they're lurking in ourprocessed foods, bubbling away
in restaurant fryers, sittingquietly in our pantries Hard to
avoid.
But our mission today on thisdeep dive, is to really examine
this growing body of research,research that suggests maybe
their widespread excessiveconsumption might actually be
contributing to the very thingsthey were supposed to prevent.
Speaker 2 (01:23):
Like obesity, type 2 diabetes yeah, exactly, fatty
liver, chronic inflammation.
So get ready for maybe somesurprising facts, some moments
of clarity.
We're going to try and unravelthe complexities and give you
the essential insights youreally need.
It's an unexpected rise of seedoils from industrial byproduct
to dietary staple.
So, ok, how did we even gethere?
(01:45):
How did these oils become socentral, largely replacing those
traditional fats?
It seems like a story drivenless by nutritional science.
Speaker 3 (01:53):
And more by industrial ingenuity and
opportunity.
That's exactly right.
This journey really kicks offback in the late 1800s with
cottonseed oil.
Cottonseed yeah, originally itwas just well a waste product, a
byproduct of the cottonindustry, used for soap, candles
, that sort of thing.
Oh, but then came a bigbreakthrough in chemical
processing, specificallysomething called hydrogenation.
Speaker 2 (02:13):
Okay.
Speaker 3 (02:13):
And this allowed this cheap, abundant waste product
to be turned into a shelf-stablefat, one that looked and acted
a lot like lard.
Wow, and this innovation backin 1911 gave birth to Crisco,
the first widely marketedhydrogenated vegetable
shortening.
Speaker 2 (02:29):
Crisco, I remember the cans.
So from cotton waste to akitchen staple, it just took off
from there.
Speaker 3 (02:35):
It absolutely snowballed by the mid 20th
century.
You had soybean oil, corn oil,others following the same path.
Speaker 2 (02:42):
Because they were cheap.
Speaker 3 (02:43):
Inexpensive to produce?
Yes, and crucially, they couldbe refined at a massive scale,
so a very low-cost alternativeto animal fats.
Then you layer on the growingconcerns about heart disease in
the 50s and 60s.
Speaker 2 (02:56):
Right the saturated fat scare.
Speaker 3 (02:57):
Exactly, Dietary guidelines started to really
demonize saturated fats and intheir place they actively
recommended polyunsaturated fats, PUFAs, especially those
omega-6 rich seed oils, callingthem the healthier choice.
Speaker 2 (03:11):
That history alone is fascinating, but what happened
next really locked them into ourdiet, didn't it?
Tell us about the policy change.
Speaker 3 (03:18):
It did.
This wasn't just a friendlysuggestion, you know.
It became formalized first inthe 1977 US Dietary Go goals,
which then directly influencedthe official 1980 dietary
guidelines.
Speaker 2 (03:28):
And the impact.
Speaker 3 (03:29):
Oh, it was dramatic.
Seed oil consumption justskyrocketed.
We have data showing thatbetween 1909 and 1999, our
intake of the main omega-6,linoleic acid increased more
than threefold here in the US.
Speaker 2 (03:43):
Threefold, mostly from soy.
Speaker 3 (03:45):
Primarily from soybean oil.
Yes, and what's really strikinglooking back is that this huge
dietary shift happened withremarkably little long-term
understanding.
We just didn't know how thismassive increase in omega-6
might affect our health down theline.
Speaker 2 (04:01):
It was like a massive uncontrolled experiment.
Speaker 3 (04:03):
In a way, yes, a huge dietary experiment too,
Deconstructing vegetable oils.
What are they really for?
Speaker 2 (04:10):
So these vegetable oils?
You see the names everywhereSoybean, corn, sunflower,
safflower, grapeseed, canola.
They sound so well, natural,wholesome even.
But when we talk about them,what are we really talking about
?
Speaker 3 (04:28):
How do they actually get made?
Yeah, that term vegetable canbe pretty misleading, can't it?
It seems so.
Unlike something like olive oilor coconut oil, which you can
just cold press with minimalprocessing, these seed oils need
a much more intensiveindustrial process.
It usually starts with highheat, mechanical pressing, then
often chemical extraction usingsolvents like hexane to get
every last bit of oil out.
Speaker 2 (04:42):
Hexane like the chemical solvent.
Speaker 3 (04:45):
Exactly, and after that the oil goes through what's
called the RBD process.
Speaker 2 (04:49):
RBD.
Speaker 3 (04:49):
Refining, bleaching and deodorizing.
This whole process is designedto strip out any flavors, smells
, colors, make it look uniformand seem more stable than it
actually is.
Speaker 2 (05:01):
But that sounds like it would affect the oil itself.
Speaker 3 (05:03):
It does significantly .
This complex manufacturingdoesn't just remove than it
actually is, but that soundslike it would affect the oil
itself.
It does significantly.
This complex manufacturingdoesn't just remove potentially
beneficial nutrients from theoriginal seeds, it also heavily
oxidizes the oils duringprocessing.
It leaves behind unstablecompounds that are just highly
prone to going rancid, degradingfurther with light air or heat,
even before you open the bottle.
Speaker 2 (05:22):
And the main fatty acid we're talking about here is
linoleic acid, right, andomega-6 polyunsaturated fat.
We hear omega-6 a lot.
What's the actual deal with it?
Is it bad?
Speaker 3 (05:32):
That's a really key question.
Linoleic acid is technicallyessential.
Our bodies need it.
We can't make it ourselves.
Speaker 2 (05:38):
Okay, so we do need some.
Speaker 3 (05:39):
We need some.
But the concern isn't itsexistence, it's the massive
excess in the modern diet.
Our sources consistently pointout that getting way too much
linoleic acid can literallychange the structure of our cell
membranes.
Speaker 2 (05:54):
Change our cells?
Speaker 3 (05:55):
Yes, and fuel inflammation throughout the body
, contributing to seriousmetabolic stress.
Speaker 2 (05:59):
So just to make sure I'm getting this and for you
listening, it's essential, buttoo much basically throws our
cell machinery out of balance,leading to this kind of silent
inflammation and long termproblems.
That's a great way to put it.
That's the crucial distinction.
Ok, and you mentionedinstability.
So these PUFAs, thesepolyunsaturated fats, they're
fragile.
Speaker 3 (06:18):
They absolutely are.
Chemically, they're inherentlyunstable, highly vulnerable to
oxidation.
Speaker 2 (06:23):
Oxidation like rust.
Speaker 3 (06:25):
Kind of like molecular rust.
Yeah, when these fats breakdown, either during that harsh
processing or from cooking heat,or even inside our bodies, they
form toxic compounds, thingslike aldehydes.
Speaker 2 (06:36):
Aldehydes sound bad.
Speaker 3 (06:37):
They can be.
They can directly damage ourDNA, proteins, the membranes
around our cells.
Speaker 2 (06:42):
You know, when I first started really looking at
food labels, it was shocking howoften vegetable oil or soybean
oil just popped up.
It's like it's in almosteverything processed.
Speaker 3 (06:54):
It really is.
Speaker 2 (06:55):
So for you listening where are these oils hiding,
Because you might be surprisedjust how pervasive they are.
Speaker 3 (07:00):
They are deeply, deeply embedded throughout the
food supply, often in places youwouldn't even think to look.
Speaker 2 (07:06):
Like what.
Speaker 3 (07:07):
Well, the obvious ones are fried foods.
Right, Restaurant fryers arealmost always filled with
soybean or canola oil.
But then look at saladdressings, mayonnaise, chips,
crackers, most commercial bakedgoods.
Speaker 2 (07:19):
Even things labeled healthy.
Speaker 3 (07:20):
Oh, absolutely Many.
Nut butters, protein bars, tonsof packaged foods, even those
marketed as heart healthy or lowcholesterol.
You see them listed clearlyVegetable oil, canola oil, soy
oil, sunflower oil, etc.
Despite that healthy image,their chemical fragility and
their biological impact that'sdrawing more and more scrutiny,
and rightly so.
Three the body's response toomega-6 overload, inflammation
(07:44):
and damage.
Speaker 2 (07:45):
Okay, so once these omega-6s, especially linoleic
acid, get into our bodies, whatactually happens then?
How do they interact with ourcomplex biology?
Speaker 3 (07:55):
Well, both omega-6 fats and omega-3 fats the ones
you get from fatty fish, flaxalgae they both have important
jobs Structural roles, signalingroles, okay, but here's the key
they compete for the sameenzymes in our body to get
converted into active compounds.
Speaker 2 (08:10):
They compete.
Speaker 3 (08:12):
Yes, and when omega-6 intake totally dominates, like
it does in most modern Westerndiets, it creates this profound
imbalance in downstreammolecules called eicosanoids.
Eicosanoids Think of them liketiny chemical messengers.
They control things likeinflammation, basically telling
your body whether to rampinflammation up or calm it down.
Speaker 2 (08:30):
So too much omega-6 biases the system towards
inflammation, the system towardsinflammation.
Speaker 3 (08:33):
Precisely this imbalance fuels chronic
low-grade inflammation, andthat's now recognized as a
foundational driver in so manyconditions heart disease,
obesity, autoimmune disorders.
What's really stark is theratio.
Modern Western diets often showomega-6 to omega-3 ratios as
high as 20 to 1, sometimes evenhigher 20 to 1 compared to what?
Compared to what's believed tobe more evolutionarily
(08:55):
appropriate, maybe somewherebetween 1 to 1 and 4 to 1.
It's a massive shift.
Speaker 2 (08:59):
You mentioned their instability, how they oxidize
during processing.
Does that molecular rusting, asyou called it, keep happening
inside our bodies?
Speaker 3 (09:07):
It absolutely does.
These polyunsaturated fats,like linoleic acid, stay
unstable when they're exposed tometabolic processes, heat
within the body, oxidativestress.
They oxidize easily.
Speaker 2 (09:19):
Forming what.
Speaker 3 (09:20):
Forming things called lipid peroxides and those
reactive aldehydes we mentioned,like 4-HNE.
Think of it as molecularshrapnel.
Speaker 2 (09:27):
Shrapnel, that sounds damaging.
Speaker 3 (09:30):
It is.
It can damage DNA cellularmembranes, mess with the
function of our mitochondria,the energy factories in our
cells, and promote inflammationinside our blood vessels.
That contributes to insulinresistance too, and recent
studies have actually confirmedthis.
They found these oxidizedlinoleic acid metabolites they
call them OXLAMs for short aresignificantly elevated in
(09:51):
patients with atherosclerosis.
They're right there in theplaques.
So these OXLAMs aren't justbystanders.
Speaker 2 (09:54):
They're right there in the plaques.
So these OXLMs aren't justbystanders, they're actively
involved in the disease process,found right in diseased
arteries.
Speaker 3 (10:00):
That seems to be the case.
They appear to be active agentsof damage.
Speaker 2 (10:04):
And you said these fats can accumulate.
That sounds worrying like along-term problem building up.
Speaker 3 (10:09):
This is a really critical point.
Linoleic acid has this uniqueand frankly concerning tendency
to accumulate in our adiposetissue, in our body fat over
time.
Speaker 2 (10:20):
It gets stored in our fat.
Speaker 3 (10:22):
Yes, which makes it a very long-term player in our
metabolic health.
Even if you change your diettoday, the linoleic acid stored
from months or years ago isstill there.
Speaker 2 (10:30):
So the effects linger .
Speaker 3 (10:32):
Exactly.
Research has found that theactual levels of linoleic acid
stored in our fat cells canpredict metabolic dysfunction.
They correlate with markers ofinsulin resistance.
Because it stays in fat storesand cell membranes for months,
maybe even years, its biologicalimpact stretches way beyond
what you just ate.
It's like a slow burn effectFor five seed oils in chronic
(10:53):
disease.
What the research says?
Speaker 2 (10:56):
It's honestly chilling to think about these
compounds just building upinside us over years.
Which brings us to the reallycrucial question what does this
hidden accumulation, the slowburn, really mean for our
long-term health?
What's the latest researchtelling us about the big chronic
diseases we see so much oftoday?
Speaker 3 (11:14):
Well, the mounting evidence, looking at the sources
we've reviewed, stronglysuggests that getting too much
linoleic acid, especially fromthese highly processed oils, is
a significant contributor.
It likely helps drive thedevelopment and progression of
many chronic diseases.
Speaker 2 (11:28):
Okay, like what?
Let's start with insulinresistance and type 2 diabetes.
Speaker 3 (11:32):
Right.
Excess linoleic acid seems topromote oxidative stress and
mitochondrial dysfunction.
Basically, it makes it harderfor our cells to efficiently
process glucose and fat.
Speaker 2 (11:42):
So gumming up the works.
Speaker 3 (11:43):
In essence, yes, this can lead directly to worsening
insulin sensitivity, higherblood sugar levels.
A recent meta-analysis actuallyfound a significant link
between high omega-6 PUFA intakeand insulin resistance,
particularly if you're alreadyoverweight or obese.
And animal studies areinteresting too.
They've shown that diets highin linoleic acid can accelerate
(12:06):
insulin resistance even withoutchanges in body weight.
That suggests a directmetabolic hit, not just related
to getting fatter.
Speaker 2 (12:13):
Wow, Okay.
What about non-alcoholic fattyliver disease, NAFLD?
That seems to be explodingglobally.
Speaker 3 (12:19):
It is.
It's a huge public healthconcern and our sources indicate
that, yes, excess linoleic acidtends to accumulate directly in
the liver.
Speaker 2 (12:26):
In the liver too.
Speaker 3 (12:27):
Yes, and there it seems to trigger inflammatory
cascades that make hepatic fatstorage fatty litter worse.
One study this was in micerevealed that high amounts of
linoleic acid actually switchedon pro-inflammatory genes right
in the liver and impaired theliver's ability to burn fat
properly.
Speaker 2 (12:43):
So it makes the liver store more fat and become
inflamed.
Speaker 3 (12:46):
It appears so, and this is where the combination
seems particularly bad.
Pairing these seed oils withhigh-carbohydrate diets that's
the standard makeup of so manyprocessed foods right, that
combo appears especiallydamaging to liver metabolism.
Speaker 2 (13:01):
OK, but what about heart health?
This is the big one, isn't it?
For decades, we were told theseoils were good for your heart,
the alternative to butter andlard.
Speaker 3 (13:09):
That's where the nuance is just so critical and
where the story has evolved.
Well, yes, some early researchsuggested that swapping
saturated fats forpolyunsaturated fats might lower
LDL cholesterol.
Speaker 2 (13:21):
The bad cholesterol.
Speaker 3 (13:22):
Right, but newer, perhaps more sophisticated
studies have raised seriousconcerns about those oxidative
byproducts of linoleic acid.
We talked about the OXLMs.
Speaker 2 (13:32):
The molecular shrapnel.
Speaker 3 (13:33):
Exactly these byproducts can directly damage
the endothelium, that delicateinner lining of your blood
vessels, and they might evendestabilize existing arterial
plaques, potentially making themmore prone to rupture, which is
what causes heart attacks andstrokes.
Speaker 2 (13:47):
So the OX lambs are found in the plaques.
Speaker 3 (13:50):
Research has clearly identified these oxidized
linoleic acid derivatives asmajor components within
atherosclerotic lesions.
Oxidized linoleic acidderivatives as major components
within atherosclerotic lesions,that strongly suggests they're
playing a pro-atherogenic role,meaning they help promote the
hardening of the arteries.
Speaker 2 (14:03):
That's a very different picture from heart
healthy.
Speaker 3 (14:05):
It is.
And furthermore, remember howlinoleic acid accumulates in fat
cells.
It doesn't just sit therepassively.
It seems to actively change howthat fat tissue signals to the
rest of the body.
Speaker 1 (14:16):
How so.
Speaker 3 (14:16):
It seems to promote systemic inflammation.
This might contribute to thatlow-grade chronic inflammatory
state we see in obesity, butalso in autoimmune disorders and
maybe even some neurologicalconditions.
Studies have shown diets richin linoleic acid can actually
increase inflammatory geneexpression in fat tissue and
mess with overall immune balance.
V the worse than sugar Debateand how to take control.
Speaker 2 (14:42):
Okay, for years sugar has definitely been public
enemy number one in healthdiscussions, and for good reason
, obviously.
But with all this informationpiling up about seed oils, we
kind of have to ask are seedoils worse than sugar, or is
that maybe even the wrong way toframe it?
Speaker 3 (14:56):
It's a really important comparison to make and
you're right, it's notnecessarily simple.
One is definitively worse inevery single way they act
differently.
How so Refined sugars,especially fructose, cause those
rapid spikes in blood glucoseand insulin Right.
That immediately pushes yourbody towards fat storage, leads
to glycation like sugar-coatingproteins and jacks up
(15:17):
triglycerides.
Speaker 2 (15:18):
Okay.
Speaker 3 (15:19):
And when you consume too much, especially in liquid
form like soda.
Sugar clearly promotes insulinresistance, fatty liver disease
and inflammation.
Big studies like the FraminghamOffspring Study have linked
high sugar diets to a muchgreater risk of metabolic
syndrome.
No question, sugar is a problem.
Speaker 2 (15:37):
Right.
So how do seed oils compare?
They don't spike blood sugardirectly, do they?
Speaker 3 (15:41):
No, they don't raise glucose directly, but they seem
to create this underlyingmetabolic environment that
primes the body for damage.
It makes it harder to handleother dietary insults like sugar
, remember.
Linoleic acid builds up in yourfat tissue, in your cell
membranes, and it's oxidizedmetabolites.
Those Ocaslams are toxic andpro-inflammatory and they stick
around.
They stick around for months,maybe years.
(16:03):
They continue to impairmitochondrial function, promote
oxidative stress.
Speaker 2 (16:12):
It's more of a slow, insidious kind of damage
compared to the immediate hitfrom sugar.
So maybe the danger isn'treally choosing between them
like one villain versus another.
Speaker 3 (16:18):
I think that's exactly right.
The real metabolic storm seemsto brew not from seed oils or
sugar in isolation, but fromtheir constant combination.
Speaker 2 (16:26):
Which is basically the definition of
ultra-processed food.
Speaker 3 (16:30):
Precisely that's the hallmark Refined sugar floods
your system with energy itstruggles to handle, while at
the same time the seed oils areimpairing your body's ability to
burn fat efficiently and cleanup cellular damage.
Speaker 2 (16:42):
A perfect storm, metabolically speaking.
Speaker 3 (16:44):
It really seems like a damaging synergy.
They fuel fat gain, chronicinflammation, widespread
metabolic dysfunction together.
Studies have even shown this inanimals Mice-fed diets high in
linoleic acid plussugar-developed obesity, fatty
liver and insulin resistancesignificantly faster than
mice-fed high sugar alone.
Speaker 2 (17:03):
Wow, so the oils made the sugar worse.
Speaker 3 (17:05):
It appears that way.
Seed oils might not give youthat immediate sugar high
feeling, but they could becreating a much longer lasting,
more foundational metabolicburden, and their stealth
presence in nearly all packagedand fried foods makes them
incredibly easy to overlook,which makes them harder to avoid
unless you're actively trying.
Speaker 2 (17:25):
Okay, this information.
It can feel a bit overwhelminglike suddenly seeing hidden
ingredients everywhere you look,but I think the good news here
is that you, the listener,absolutely have the power to
shift this balance in your owndiet.
Speaker 3 (17:38):
Definitely it's empowering to know you can take
control.
Speaker 2 (17:41):
So what are the practical steps?
What can people do, startingright now, to reduce their seed
oil exposure?
Speaker 3 (17:47):
Okay, number one, and this is probably the most
crucial read food labels.
Really read them carefully.
What are we looking for?
Look specifically for soybeanoil, corn oil, canola oil,
cottonseed oil, sunflower orsafflower oil, also just generic
vegetable oil.
There's almost always a blendof these seed oils and things
like rice bran oil or grapeseedoil too.
Speaker 2 (18:09):
And where will we find them?
Speaker 3 (18:10):
You'll find them commonly in salad dressings,
granola bars, chips, crackers,mayonnaise, margarine and
plant-based spreads, baked goodsand, of course, most things
cooked in restaurants Be adetective.
Speaker 2 (18:22):
Okay, step one Label detective.
What's step two?
Speaker 3 (18:25):
Step two Cook more at home and use stable fats.
Speaker 2 (18:29):
Stable fats, like what?
Speaker 3 (18:30):
Opt for extra virgin olive oil for lower to medium
heat cooking Think sautésdressings.
Avocado oil is good for mediumhigh heat, and then for really
stable saturated fats,especially for higher heat
cooking like searing.
Reach for ghee, butter, beef,tallow or duck fat, ideally from
(18:50):
pastured animals, if you canfind them.
Speaker 2 (18:52):
Why are those better?
Speaker 3 (18:53):
Their molecular structure just makes them far
less likely to oxidize andcreate those harmful compounds.
When heated, we can handle theheat better and, really
important, never reuse oils forfrying.
Oxidation gets worse and worsewith each heating cycle.
Speaker 2 (19:06):
Got it.
Cook at home with stable fats.
Don't reuse frying oil.
Speaker 3 (19:09):
Step three Step three Take control of your condiments
.
Make your own dressings andsauces whenever possible.
Speaker 2 (19:15):
Because the store-bought ones are full of
seed oils.
Speaker 3 (19:17):
Very often.
Yes, seed oil is usually theprimary ingredient, the base,
but it's surprisingly easy tomake your own Simple
combinations work great Oliveoil, vinegar, mustard, herbs.
Or try yogurt-based sauces withdill or other spices.
Tikini blended with lemon juiceand garlic is fantastic, too
Quick, easy and you control theingredients.
Speaker 2 (19:38):
Makes sense, okay, step four this one might be
tricky Eating out.
Speaker 3 (19:43):
Yeah, eating out is a big source of exposure.
Restaurants love cheap neutraloils like soybean or canola for
their fryers griddles, often inmarinades sauces.
Speaker 2 (19:52):
So how do we navigate that?
Speaker 3 (19:53):
Be strategic.
You can significantly reduceyour exposure by choosing
grilled, steamed or roastedoptions instead of fried.
Don't be afraid to ask yourserver what kind of oil they
cook with.
You might be surprised, Caninstead of fried.
Speaker 2 (20:04):
Don't be afraid to ask your server what kind of oil
they cook with, you might besurprised.
Speaker 3 (20:06):
Can you ask for alternatives?
Sometimes you can always askfor olive oil and vinegar or
just lemon juice on the side foryour salad instead of the house
dressing.
Even small swaps when eatingout can add up and make a
difference.
Speaker 2 (20:14):
Good tips, anything else.
Speaker 3 (20:16):
Step five Finally, step five is more optional, but
if you're particularly concernedabout your long-term exposure
or if you have existing healthissues, you could discuss lab
testing with your doctor or aknowledgeable practitioner.
Speaker 2 (20:28):
What kind of tests?
Speaker 3 (20:29):
Tests can measure things like your omega-6 to
omega-3 ratio, look for markersof oxidation like lipid
peroxides or oxidized LDL that'sthe OX-LAM connection and check
general inflammatory markerslike HSCRP.
It can give you a personalizedsnapshot of where you stand
metabolically.
Outro.
Speaker 2 (20:48):
Okay, so to kind of wrap up our deep dive today,
seed oils, they are trulyeverywhere, aren't they?
In our pantries, restaurantmeals, nearly every processed
food lining the grocery shelves.
Speaker 3 (20:59):
Ubiquitous is the word.
Speaker 2 (21:00):
And while they were initially brought in as this
affordable, supposedlyheart-healthy alternative to
traditional fats like butter andlard, well, this growing body
of research we've discussedstrongly suggests their
overconsumption, especially oflinoleic acid, might be silently
fueling some major modernhealth problems.
Speaker 3 (21:16):
Things like chronic inflammation, insulin resistance
, metabolic disease.
Speaker 2 (21:20):
Yeah, that's a lot to take in.
Speaker 3 (21:22):
It is, and it's crucial to add some nuance here.
This doesn't necessarily meanthat all seed oils are instantly
toxic in any amount, or thathaving a tiny bit is dangerous
for everyone.
Speaker 2 (21:32):
Right Context matters .
Speaker 3 (21:34):
Context matters hugely, but in the setting of a
modern diet that is justsaturated with ultra processed
foods, the sheer scale and thefrequency of our exposure become
really significant.
It's that combination offactors, their inherent
oxidative instability, theirpro-inflammatory signaling
effects in the body and,crucially, that long-term
(21:55):
accumulation in our body fat Allthat makes these oils worth a
serious reconsideration,especially for you listening, if
you already have metabolic riskfactors like insulin resistance
or obesity.
Speaker 2 (22:05):
But the good news and I think this is the empowering
part is clear you absolutelyhave the ability to shift this
balance.
Speaker 1 (22:11):
You do.
Speaker 2 (22:12):
Choosing whole, nutrient-dense fats, making that
conscious effort to cook moremeals at home, becoming that
label detective, making thosesmall, consistent swaps we
talked about.
It can profoundly reduce yourseed oil burden and that
supports a healthier metabolismin the long run.
Speaker 3 (22:26):
And maybe this whole journey into seed oils.
It highlights a much broaderchallenge for all of us, doesn't
it?
Speaker 2 (22:31):
How so.
Speaker 3 (22:32):
Well, in a world where our food supply has
changed so incredibly rapidly,so dramatically, how do we as
individuals figure out whichdietary changes are genuinely
beneficial for our long-termhealth, for our biology, versus
those changes that were reallyjust driven by industrial
convenience or cost or marketing?
Speaker 1 (22:55):
And what does sorting that out really mean for your
health, beyond just countingcalories?
Thanks for tuning into theHealth Pulse.
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Stay informed, stay healthy andwe'll catch you in the next
(23:15):
episode.
Welcome to the Health Pulse, your go-to source for
quick, actionable insights onhealth, wellness and diagnostics
.
Whether you're looking tooptimize your well-being or stay
informed about the latest inmedical testing, we've got you
covered.
Join us as we break down keyhealth topics in just minutes.
Let's dive in.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Welcome to the Deep Dive.
Today we're embarking on areally crucial exploration.
We're looking into somethingthat has just dramatically
reshaped our diets over the lastcentury Cooking oils, that's
right.
You know what was once alandscape pretty much dominated
by traditional stable fats Thinkbutter, lard, tallow no Well,
it's filled with bottles ofseemingly simple stuff vegetable
(00:47):
and seed oils everywhere.
Speaker 3 (00:50):
And for decades, these oils, you know, soybean,
corn, sunflower, safflower,canola.
They've been pushed as hearthealthy, actively endorsed by
dietary guidelines.
Speaker 2 (01:01):
Absolutely.
The message was very clear.
Speaker 3 (01:03):
And they've become completely ubiquitous.
I mean they're lurking in ourprocessed foods, bubbling away
in restaurant fryers, sittingquietly in our pantries Hard to
avoid.
But our mission today on thisdeep dive, is to really examine
this growing body of research,research that suggests maybe
their widespread excessiveconsumption might actually be
contributing to the very thingsthey were supposed to prevent.
Speaker 2 (01:23):
Like obesity, type 2 diabetes yeah, exactly, fatty
liver, chronic inflammation.
So get ready for maybe somesurprising facts, some moments
of clarity.
We're going to try and unravelthe complexities and give you
the essential insights youreally need.
It's an unexpected rise of seedoils from industrial byproduct
to dietary staple.
So, ok, how did we even gethere?
(01:45):
How did these oils become socentral, largely replacing those
traditional fats?
It seems like a story drivenless by nutritional science.
Speaker 3 (01:53):
And more by industrial ingenuity and
opportunity.
That's exactly right.
This journey really kicks offback in the late 1800s with
cottonseed oil.
Cottonseed yeah, originally itwas just well a waste product, a
byproduct of the cottonindustry, used for soap, candles
, that sort of thing.
Oh, but then came a bigbreakthrough in chemical
processing, specificallysomething called hydrogenation.
Speaker 2 (02:13):
Okay.
Speaker 3 (02:13):
And this allowed this cheap, abundant waste product
to be turned into a shelf-stablefat, one that looked and acted
a lot like lard.
Wow, and this innovation backin 1911 gave birth to Crisco,
the first widely marketedhydrogenated vegetable
shortening.
Speaker 2 (02:29):
Crisco, I remember the cans.
So from cotton waste to akitchen staple, it just took off
from there.
Speaker 3 (02:35):
It absolutely snowballed by the mid 20th
century.
You had soybean oil, corn oil,others following the same path.
Speaker 2 (02:42):
Because they were cheap.
Speaker 3 (02:43):
Inexpensive to produce?
Yes, and crucially, they couldbe refined at a massive scale,
so a very low-cost alternativeto animal fats.
Then you layer on the growingconcerns about heart disease in
the 50s and 60s.
Speaker 2 (02:56):
Right the saturated fat scare.
Speaker 3 (02:57):
Exactly, Dietary guidelines started to really
demonize saturated fats and intheir place they actively
recommended polyunsaturated fats, PUFAs, especially those
omega-6 rich seed oils, callingthem the healthier choice.
Speaker 2 (03:11):
That history alone is fascinating, but what happened
next really locked them into ourdiet, didn't it?
Tell us about the policy change.
Speaker 3 (03:18):
It did.
This wasn't just a friendlysuggestion, you know.
It became formalized first inthe 1977 US Dietary Go goals,
which then directly influencedthe official 1980 dietary
guidelines.
Speaker 2 (03:28):
And the impact.
Speaker 3 (03:29):
Oh, it was dramatic.
Seed oil consumption justskyrocketed.
We have data showing thatbetween 1909 and 1999, our
intake of the main omega-6,linoleic acid increased more
than threefold here in the US.
Speaker 2 (03:43):
Threefold, mostly from soy.
Speaker 3 (03:45):
Primarily from soybean oil.
Yes, and what's really strikinglooking back is that this huge
dietary shift happened withremarkably little long-term
understanding.
We just didn't know how thismassive increase in omega-6
might affect our health down theline.
Speaker 2 (04:01):
It was like a massive uncontrolled experiment.
Speaker 3 (04:03):
In a way, yes, a huge dietary experiment too,
Deconstructing vegetable oils.
What are they really for?
Speaker 2 (04:10):
So these vegetable oils?
You see the names everywhereSoybean, corn, sunflower,
safflower, grapeseed, canola.
They sound so well, natural,wholesome even.
But when we talk about them,what are we really talking about
?
Speaker 3 (04:28):
How do they actually get made?
Yeah, that term vegetable canbe pretty misleading, can't it?
It seems so.
Unlike something like olive oilor coconut oil, which you can
just cold press with minimalprocessing, these seed oils need
a much more intensiveindustrial process.
It usually starts with highheat, mechanical pressing, then
often chemical extraction usingsolvents like hexane to get
every last bit of oil out.
Speaker 2 (04:42):
Hexane like the chemical solvent.
Speaker 3 (04:45):
Exactly, and after that the oil goes through what's
called the RBD process.
Speaker 2 (04:49):
RBD.
Speaker 3 (04:49):
Refining, bleaching and deodorizing.
This whole process is designedto strip out any flavors, smells
, colors, make it look uniformand seem more stable than it
actually is.
Speaker 2 (05:01):
But that sounds like it would affect the oil itself.
Speaker 3 (05:03):
It does significantly .
This complex manufacturingdoesn't just remove than it
actually is, but that soundslike it would affect the oil
itself.
It does significantly.
This complex manufacturingdoesn't just remove potentially
beneficial nutrients from theoriginal seeds, it also heavily
oxidizes the oils duringprocessing.
It leaves behind unstablecompounds that are just highly
prone to going rancid, degradingfurther with light air or heat,
even before you open the bottle.
Speaker 2 (05:22):
And the main fatty acid we're talking about here is
linoleic acid, right, andomega-6 polyunsaturated fat.
We hear omega-6 a lot.
What's the actual deal with it?
Is it bad?
Speaker 3 (05:32):
That's a really key question.
Linoleic acid is technicallyessential.
Our bodies need it.
We can't make it ourselves.
Speaker 2 (05:38):
Okay, so we do need some.
Speaker 3 (05:39):
We need some.
But the concern isn't itsexistence, it's the massive
excess in the modern diet.
Our sources consistently pointout that getting way too much
linoleic acid can literallychange the structure of our cell
membranes.
Speaker 2 (05:54):
Change our cells?
Speaker 3 (05:55):
Yes, and fuel inflammation throughout the body
, contributing to seriousmetabolic stress.
Speaker 2 (05:59):
So just to make sure I'm getting this and for you
listening, it's essential, buttoo much basically throws our
cell machinery out of balance,leading to this kind of silent
inflammation and long termproblems.
That's a great way to put it.
That's the crucial distinction.
Ok, and you mentionedinstability.
So these PUFAs, thesepolyunsaturated fats, they're
fragile.
Speaker 3 (06:18):
They absolutely are.
Chemically, they're inherentlyunstable, highly vulnerable to
oxidation.
Speaker 2 (06:23):
Oxidation like rust.
Speaker 3 (06:25):
Kind of like molecular rust.
Yeah, when these fats breakdown, either during that harsh
processing or from cooking heat,or even inside our bodies, they
form toxic compounds, thingslike aldehydes.
Speaker 2 (06:36):
Aldehydes sound bad.
Speaker 3 (06:37):
They can be.
They can directly damage ourDNA, proteins, the membranes
around our cells.
Speaker 2 (06:42):
You know, when I first started really looking at
food labels, it was shocking howoften vegetable oil or soybean
oil just popped up.
It's like it's in almosteverything processed.
Speaker 3 (06:54):
It really is.
Speaker 2 (06:55):
So for you listening where are these oils hiding,
Because you might be surprisedjust how pervasive they are.
Speaker 3 (07:00):
They are deeply, deeply embedded throughout the
food supply, often in places youwouldn't even think to look.
Speaker 2 (07:06):
Like what.
Speaker 3 (07:07):
Well, the obvious ones are fried foods.
Right, Restaurant fryers arealmost always filled with
soybean or canola oil.
But then look at saladdressings, mayonnaise, chips,
crackers, most commercial bakedgoods.
Speaker 2 (07:19):
Even things labeled healthy.
Speaker 3 (07:20):
Oh, absolutely Many.
Nut butters, protein bars, tonsof packaged foods, even those
marketed as heart healthy or lowcholesterol.
You see them listed clearlyVegetable oil, canola oil, soy
oil, sunflower oil, etc.
Despite that healthy image,their chemical fragility and
their biological impact that'sdrawing more and more scrutiny,
and rightly so.
Three the body's response toomega-6 overload, inflammation
(07:44):
and damage.
Speaker 2 (07:45):
Okay, so once these omega-6s, especially linoleic
acid, get into our bodies, whatactually happens then?
How do they interact with ourcomplex biology?
Speaker 3 (07:55):
Well, both omega-6 fats and omega-3 fats the ones
you get from fatty fish, flaxalgae they both have important
jobs Structural roles, signalingroles, okay, but here's the key
they compete for the sameenzymes in our body to get
converted into active compounds.
Speaker 2 (08:10):
They compete.
Speaker 3 (08:12):
Yes, and when omega-6 intake totally dominates, like
it does in most modern Westerndiets, it creates this profound
imbalance in downstreammolecules called eicosanoids.
Eicosanoids Think of them liketiny chemical messengers.
They control things likeinflammation, basically telling
your body whether to rampinflammation up or calm it down.
Speaker 2 (08:30):
So too much omega-6 biases the system towards
inflammation, the system towardsinflammation.
Speaker 3 (08:33):
Precisely this imbalance fuels chronic
low-grade inflammation, andthat's now recognized as a
foundational driver in so manyconditions heart disease,
obesity, autoimmune disorders.
What's really stark is theratio.
Modern Western diets often showomega-6 to omega-3 ratios as
high as 20 to 1, sometimes evenhigher 20 to 1 compared to what?
Compared to what's believed tobe more evolutionarily
(08:55):
appropriate, maybe somewherebetween 1 to 1 and 4 to 1.
It's a massive shift.
Speaker 2 (08:59):
You mentioned their instability, how they oxidize
during processing.
Does that molecular rusting, asyou called it, keep happening
inside our bodies?
Speaker 3 (09:07):
It absolutely does.
These polyunsaturated fats,like linoleic acid, stay
unstable when they're exposed tometabolic processes, heat
within the body, oxidativestress.
They oxidize easily.
Speaker 2 (09:19):
Forming what.
Speaker 3 (09:20):
Forming things called lipid peroxides and those
reactive aldehydes we mentioned,like 4-HNE.
Think of it as molecularshrapnel.
Speaker 2 (09:27):
Shrapnel, that sounds damaging.
Speaker 3 (09:30):
It is.
It can damage DNA cellularmembranes, mess with the
function of our mitochondria,the energy factories in our
cells, and promote inflammationinside our blood vessels.
That contributes to insulinresistance too, and recent
studies have actually confirmedthis.
They found these oxidizedlinoleic acid metabolites they
call them OXLAMs for short aresignificantly elevated in
(09:51):
patients with atherosclerosis.
They're right there in theplaques.
So these OXLAMs aren't justbystanders.
Speaker 2 (09:54):
They're right there in the plaques.
So these OXLMs aren't justbystanders, they're actively
involved in the disease process,found right in diseased
arteries.
Speaker 3 (10:00):
That seems to be the case.
They appear to be active agentsof damage.
Speaker 2 (10:04):
And you said these fats can accumulate.
That sounds worrying like along-term problem building up.
Speaker 3 (10:09):
This is a really critical point.
Linoleic acid has this uniqueand frankly concerning tendency
to accumulate in our adiposetissue, in our body fat over
time.
Speaker 2 (10:20):
It gets stored in our fat.
Speaker 3 (10:22):
Yes, which makes it a very long-term player in our
metabolic health.
Even if you change your diettoday, the linoleic acid stored
from months or years ago isstill there.
Speaker 2 (10:30):
So the effects linger .
Speaker 3 (10:32):
Exactly.
Research has found that theactual levels of linoleic acid
stored in our fat cells canpredict metabolic dysfunction.
They correlate with markers ofinsulin resistance.
Because it stays in fat storesand cell membranes for months,
maybe even years, its biologicalimpact stretches way beyond
what you just ate.
It's like a slow burn effectFor five seed oils in chronic
(10:53):
disease.
What the research says?
Speaker 2 (10:56):
It's honestly chilling to think about these
compounds just building upinside us over years.
Which brings us to the reallycrucial question what does this
hidden accumulation, the slowburn, really mean for our
long-term health?
What's the latest researchtelling us about the big chronic
diseases we see so much oftoday?
Speaker 3 (11:14):
Well, the mounting evidence, looking at the sources
we've reviewed, stronglysuggests that getting too much
linoleic acid, especially fromthese highly processed oils, is
a significant contributor.
It likely helps drive thedevelopment and progression of
many chronic diseases.
Speaker 2 (11:28):
Okay, like what?
Let's start with insulinresistance and type 2 diabetes.
Speaker 3 (11:32):
Right.
Excess linoleic acid seems topromote oxidative stress and
mitochondrial dysfunction.
Basically, it makes it harderfor our cells to efficiently
process glucose and fat.
Speaker 2 (11:42):
So gumming up the works.
Speaker 3 (11:43):
In essence, yes, this can lead directly to worsening
insulin sensitivity, higherblood sugar levels.
A recent meta-analysis actuallyfound a significant link
between high omega-6 PUFA intakeand insulin resistance,
particularly if you're alreadyoverweight or obese.
And animal studies areinteresting too.
They've shown that diets highin linoleic acid can accelerate
(12:06):
insulin resistance even withoutchanges in body weight.
That suggests a directmetabolic hit, not just related
to getting fatter.
Speaker 2 (12:13):
Wow, Okay.
What about non-alcoholic fattyliver disease, NAFLD?
That seems to be explodingglobally.
Speaker 3 (12:19):
It is.
It's a huge public healthconcern and our sources indicate
that, yes, excess linoleic acidtends to accumulate directly in
the liver.
Speaker 2 (12:26):
In the liver too.
Speaker 3 (12:27):
Yes, and there it seems to trigger inflammatory
cascades that make hepatic fatstorage fatty litter worse.
One study this was in micerevealed that high amounts of
linoleic acid actually switchedon pro-inflammatory genes right
in the liver and impaired theliver's ability to burn fat
properly.
Speaker 2 (12:43):
So it makes the liver store more fat and become
inflamed.
Speaker 3 (12:46):
It appears so, and this is where the combination
seems particularly bad.
Pairing these seed oils withhigh-carbohydrate diets that's
the standard makeup of so manyprocessed foods right, that
combo appears especiallydamaging to liver metabolism.
Speaker 2 (13:01):
OK, but what about heart health?
This is the big one, isn't it?
For decades, we were told theseoils were good for your heart,
the alternative to butter andlard.
Speaker 3 (13:09):
That's where the nuance is just so critical and
where the story has evolved.
Well, yes, some early researchsuggested that swapping
saturated fats forpolyunsaturated fats might lower
LDL cholesterol.
Speaker 2 (13:21):
The bad cholesterol.
Speaker 3 (13:22):
Right, but newer, perhaps more sophisticated
studies have raised seriousconcerns about those oxidative
byproducts of linoleic acid.
We talked about the OXLMs.
Speaker 2 (13:32):
The molecular shrapnel.
Speaker 3 (13:33):
Exactly these byproducts can directly damage
the endothelium, that delicateinner lining of your blood
vessels, and they might evendestabilize existing arterial
plaques, potentially making themmore prone to rupture, which is
what causes heart attacks andstrokes.
Speaker 2 (13:47):
So the OX lambs are found in the plaques.
Speaker 3 (13:50):
Research has clearly identified these oxidized
linoleic acid derivatives asmajor components within
atherosclerotic lesions.
Oxidized linoleic acidderivatives as major components
within atherosclerotic lesions,that strongly suggests they're
playing a pro-atherogenic role,meaning they help promote the
hardening of the arteries.
Speaker 2 (14:03):
That's a very different picture from heart
healthy.
Speaker 3 (14:05):
It is.
And furthermore, remember howlinoleic acid accumulates in fat
cells.
It doesn't just sit therepassively.
It seems to actively change howthat fat tissue signals to the
rest of the body.
Speaker 1 (14:16):
How so.
Speaker 3 (14:16):
It seems to promote systemic inflammation.
This might contribute to thatlow-grade chronic inflammatory
state we see in obesity, butalso in autoimmune disorders and
maybe even some neurologicalconditions.
Studies have shown diets richin linoleic acid can actually
increase inflammatory geneexpression in fat tissue and
mess with overall immune balance.
V the worse than sugar Debateand how to take control.
Speaker 2 (14:42):
Okay, for years sugar has definitely been public
enemy number one in healthdiscussions, and for good reason
, obviously.
But with all this informationpiling up about seed oils, we
kind of have to ask are seedoils worse than sugar, or is
that maybe even the wrong way toframe it?
Speaker 3 (14:56):
It's a really important comparison to make and
you're right, it's notnecessarily simple.
One is definitively worse inevery single way they act
differently.
How so Refined sugars,especially fructose, cause those
rapid spikes in blood glucoseand insulin Right.
That immediately pushes yourbody towards fat storage, leads
to glycation like sugar-coatingproteins and jacks up
(15:17):
triglycerides.
Speaker 2 (15:18):
Okay.
Speaker 3 (15:19):
And when you consume too much, especially in liquid
form like soda.
Sugar clearly promotes insulinresistance, fatty liver disease
and inflammation.
Big studies like the FraminghamOffspring Study have linked
high sugar diets to a muchgreater risk of metabolic
syndrome.
No question, sugar is a problem.
Speaker 2 (15:37):
Right.
So how do seed oils compare?
They don't spike blood sugardirectly, do they?
Speaker 3 (15:41):
No, they don't raise glucose directly, but they seem
to create this underlyingmetabolic environment that
primes the body for damage.
It makes it harder to handleother dietary insults like sugar
, remember.
Linoleic acid builds up in yourfat tissue, in your cell
membranes, and it's oxidizedmetabolites.
Those Ocaslams are toxic andpro-inflammatory and they stick
around.
They stick around for months,maybe years.
(16:03):
They continue to impairmitochondrial function, promote
oxidative stress.
Speaker 2 (16:12):
It's more of a slow, insidious kind of damage
compared to the immediate hitfrom sugar.
So maybe the danger isn'treally choosing between them
like one villain versus another.
Speaker 3 (16:18):
I think that's exactly right.
The real metabolic storm seemsto brew not from seed oils or
sugar in isolation, but fromtheir constant combination.
Speaker 2 (16:26):
Which is basically the definition of
ultra-processed food.
Speaker 3 (16:30):
Precisely that's the hallmark Refined sugar floods
your system with energy itstruggles to handle, while at
the same time the seed oils areimpairing your body's ability to
burn fat efficiently and cleanup cellular damage.
Speaker 2 (16:42):
A perfect storm, metabolically speaking.
Speaker 3 (16:44):
It really seems like a damaging synergy.
They fuel fat gain, chronicinflammation, widespread
metabolic dysfunction together.
Studies have even shown this inanimals Mice-fed diets high in
linoleic acid plussugar-developed obesity, fatty
liver and insulin resistancesignificantly faster than
mice-fed high sugar alone.
Speaker 2 (17:03):
Wow, so the oils made the sugar worse.
Speaker 3 (17:05):
It appears that way.
Seed oils might not give youthat immediate sugar high
feeling, but they could becreating a much longer lasting,
more foundational metabolicburden, and their stealth
presence in nearly all packagedand fried foods makes them
incredibly easy to overlook,which makes them harder to avoid
unless you're actively trying.
Speaker 2 (17:25):
Okay, this information.
It can feel a bit overwhelminglike suddenly seeing hidden
ingredients everywhere you look,but I think the good news here
is that you, the listener,absolutely have the power to
shift this balance in your owndiet.
Speaker 3 (17:38):
Definitely it's empowering to know you can take
control.
Speaker 2 (17:41):
So what are the practical steps?
What can people do, startingright now, to reduce their seed
oil exposure?
Speaker 3 (17:47):
Okay, number one, and this is probably the most
crucial read food labels.
Really read them carefully.
What are we looking for?
Look specifically for soybeanoil, corn oil, canola oil,
cottonseed oil, sunflower orsafflower oil, also just generic
vegetable oil.
There's almost always a blendof these seed oils and things
like rice bran oil or grapeseedoil too.
Speaker 2 (18:09):
And where will we find them?
Speaker 3 (18:10):
You'll find them commonly in salad dressings,
granola bars, chips, crackers,mayonnaise, margarine and
plant-based spreads, baked goodsand, of course, most things
cooked in restaurants Be adetective.
Speaker 2 (18:22):
Okay, step one Label detective.
What's step two?
Speaker 3 (18:25):
Step two Cook more at home and use stable fats.
Speaker 2 (18:29):
Stable fats, like what?
Speaker 3 (18:30):
Opt for extra virgin olive oil for lower to medium
heat cooking Think sautésdressings.
Avocado oil is good for mediumhigh heat, and then for really
stable saturated fats,especially for higher heat
cooking like searing.
Reach for ghee, butter, beef,tallow or duck fat, ideally from
(18:50):
pastured animals, if you canfind them.
Speaker 2 (18:52):
Why are those better?
Speaker 3 (18:53):
Their molecular structure just makes them far
less likely to oxidize andcreate those harmful compounds.
When heated, we can handle theheat better and, really
important, never reuse oils forfrying.
Oxidation gets worse and worsewith each heating cycle.
Speaker 2 (19:06):
Got it.
Cook at home with stable fats.
Don't reuse frying oil.
Speaker 3 (19:09):
Step three Step three Take control of your condiments
.
Make your own dressings andsauces whenever possible.
Speaker 2 (19:15):
Because the store-bought ones are full of
seed oils.
Speaker 3 (19:17):
Very often.
Yes, seed oil is usually theprimary ingredient, the base,
but it's surprisingly easy tomake your own Simple
combinations work great Oliveoil, vinegar, mustard, herbs.
Or try yogurt-based sauces withdill or other spices.
Tikini blended with lemon juiceand garlic is fantastic, too
Quick, easy and you control theingredients.
Speaker 2 (19:38):
Makes sense, okay, step four this one might be
tricky Eating out.
Speaker 3 (19:43):
Yeah, eating out is a big source of exposure.
Restaurants love cheap neutraloils like soybean or canola for
their fryers griddles, often inmarinades sauces.
Speaker 2 (19:52):
So how do we navigate that?
Speaker 3 (19:53):
Be strategic.
You can significantly reduceyour exposure by choosing
grilled, steamed or roastedoptions instead of fried.
Don't be afraid to ask yourserver what kind of oil they
cook with.
You might be surprised, Caninstead of fried.
Speaker 2 (20:04):
Don't be afraid to ask your server what kind of oil
they cook with, you might besurprised.
Speaker 3 (20:06):
Can you ask for alternatives?
Sometimes you can always askfor olive oil and vinegar or
just lemon juice on the side foryour salad instead of the house
dressing.
Even small swaps when eatingout can add up and make a
difference.
Speaker 2 (20:14):
Good tips, anything else.
Speaker 3 (20:16):
Step five Finally, step five is more optional, but
if you're particularly concernedabout your long-term exposure
or if you have existing healthissues, you could discuss lab
testing with your doctor or aknowledgeable practitioner.
Speaker 2 (20:28):
What kind of tests?
Speaker 3 (20:29):
Tests can measure things like your omega-6 to
omega-3 ratio, look for markersof oxidation like lipid
peroxides or oxidized LDL that'sthe OX-LAM connection and check
general inflammatory markerslike HSCRP.
It can give you a personalizedsnapshot of where you stand
metabolically.
Outro.
Speaker 2 (20:48):
Okay, so to kind of wrap up our deep dive today,
seed oils, they are trulyeverywhere, aren't they?
In our pantries, restaurantmeals, nearly every processed
food lining the grocery shelves.
Speaker 3 (20:59):
Ubiquitous is the word.
Speaker 2 (21:00):
And while they were initially brought in as this
affordable, supposedlyheart-healthy alternative to
traditional fats like butter andlard, well, this growing body
of research we've discussedstrongly suggests their
overconsumption, especially oflinoleic acid, might be silently
fueling some major modernhealth problems.
Speaker 3 (21:16):
Things like chronic inflammation, insulin resistance
, metabolic disease.
Speaker 2 (21:20):
Yeah, that's a lot to take in.
Speaker 3 (21:22):
It is, and it's crucial to add some nuance here.
This doesn't necessarily meanthat all seed oils are instantly
toxic in any amount, or thathaving a tiny bit is dangerous
for everyone.
Speaker 2 (21:32):
Right Context matters .
Speaker 3 (21:34):
Context matters hugely, but in the setting of a
modern diet that is justsaturated with ultra processed
foods, the sheer scale and thefrequency of our exposure become
really significant.
It's that combination offactors, their inherent
oxidative instability, theirpro-inflammatory signaling
effects in the body and,crucially, that long-term
(21:55):
accumulation in our body fat Allthat makes these oils worth a
serious reconsideration,especially for you listening, if
you already have metabolic riskfactors like insulin resistance
or obesity.
Speaker 2 (22:05):
But the good news and I think this is the empowering
part is clear you absolutelyhave the ability to shift this
balance.
Speaker 1 (22:11):
You do.
Speaker 2 (22:12):
Choosing whole, nutrient-dense fats, making that
conscious effort to cook moremeals at home, becoming that
label detective, making thosesmall, consistent swaps we
talked about.
It can profoundly reduce yourseed oil burden and that
supports a healthier metabolismin the long run.
Speaker 3 (22:26):
And maybe this whole journey into seed oils.
It highlights a much broaderchallenge for all of us, doesn't
it?
Speaker 2 (22:31):
How so.
Speaker 3 (22:32):
Well, in a world where our food supply has
changed so incredibly rapidly,so dramatically, how do we as
individuals figure out whichdietary changes are genuinely
beneficial for our long-termhealth, for our biology, versus
those changes that were reallyjust driven by industrial
convenience or cost or marketing?
Speaker 1 (22:55):
And what does sorting that out really mean for your
health, beyond just countingcalories?
Thanks for tuning into theHealth Pulse.
If you found this episodehelpful, don't forget to
subscribe and share it withsomeone who might benefit.
For more health insights anddiagnostics, visit us online at
wwwquicklabmobilecom.
Stay informed, stay healthy andwe'll catch you in the next
(23:15):
episode.
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