Seed Oils under fire: Fad Fear or Legit Concern?
Seed oils have become a widely debated topic in the health and wellness space. But are they truly something you should consider eliminating from your diet? Here’s a nice short answer, absolutely. Instead of fearing seed oils, let's understand what they are and why you might want to try other options. Canola, vegetable, sunflower, soybean, grapeseed oils are considered seed oils. The process that goes behind extracting these plants are not very pretty. These plants are first pressed to get a gummy substance, which is then cleaned with hexane (a known neurotoxin). After that, it’s heated to a high temperature which is then turned rancid, then deodorized and sometimes bleached. So this process is considered “ultra processed” compared to the healthier alternative such as extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil, ghee, avocado oil, and beef tallow. That process is pretty much just extracting the oil from the whole food source. There’s no high heat or chemicals involved during that process.
So now that we have learned what a seed oil is lets talk about the negative impact it can have on your health if consumed daily. Seed oils cause inflammation in the body, and it's clear why once you know how they are made. Not only do they cause inflammation they also cause cancer, metabolic issues, cardiovascular disease, oxidative stress, belly fat, liver damage, etc. and when I say etc. I mean it. Seed oils cause so many health problems beyond what I listed. Sadly, seed oils are in almost everything—baby formula, crackers, chips, cookies, salad dressings, and nearly every restaurant uses them for cooking. I’m not into fear mongering nor am I trying to inflict that but the truth is the truth. That is why I created this space to be able to help educate little by little.
So, what can you do? Start small by just switching out the oils you cook with. Then start reading the labels on your food products, even products labeled organic! "Organic" only means no pesticides were used; it does not mean no other additives are included. You will be floored how many products contain such inflammatory oils. When it comes to eating out you can request they cook your steak or other meat in butter but you can only control so much! I still enjoy eating out and do what I can to minimize my intake of seed oils by researching what restaurants near me are considered “seed oil free” but unfortunately, it can be quite challenging to avoid them entirely. There’s a useful app I use called “Seed Oil Scout” that shows nearby restaurants that do not cook with seed oils. Thankfully it does seem like a lot of restaurants will soon be making the switch to beef tallow which is amazing! Knowledge is power, and when you know better you do better!
If you are interested in learning more on this topic please click the link below that will bring you to a podcast episode featuring Gary Brecka on the Shawn Ryan show where he breaks down everything you need to know regarding seed oils.
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/shawn-ryan-show/id1492492083?i=1000685631927
