Are Seed Oils Bad For You? That seems to be one of the nutritional debates happening now. The hype is that Seed Oils are bad for us and they are in everything. They cite that since 1985, people seem to be getting heavier. That is a fact. Being overweight leads to heart health problems. And that is also a fact.
There is also hype that it is since tobacco products were discouraged, and profits fell for tobacco manufacturers that these tobacco companies have bought into the food industry and are responsible for the addition of the seed oil into so many of the pre-packaged foods. And they allow that makes these companies responsible for the poor diets of the American people since 1985.
But can this obesity issue be attributed to only one thing alone? Let’s take a look at it.
First, I have to note here that the statistics for obesity only go back to 1985. That is when records began to be kept. However, there certainly was obesity before that time. If I think of my grandparents and other relatives back before then I would say that there was an equal proportion of obese people before that time.
Additionally, weight gain has always been associated with calories consumed vs. calories burned through activity. So the question is did the substitution of seed oil for the ingredients they replaced add sufficiently to the caloric intake to account for the weight gain? I doubt it.
So what else has happened during this period of time?
Since 1989, more women have joined the workforce. With women not being at home preparing meals from fresh ingredients as our grandparents did, our diets have changed. More fast food and take-home meals have replaced the healthy home-prepared ones. Also, frozen prepared meals and pre-packaged ones have helped Mom put meals on the table quickly after returning home from a day’s work away.
So Let’s Look Additionally to Processed Foods:
Registered dietitian Julia Zumpano, RD, LD, explains that “Most seed oils are being consumed in processed packaged foods, fast foods and eating out,” Zumpano says. “That’s where most of the danger lies.”
Let’s look first at fast food – burgers and fries. True the cooking for the fries may have changed, but where are the greens in this meal? Not too well balanced. Next, we can add a bucket of fried chicken. Another fast meal for a working Mother. Again the oil for frying the chicken may have changed but how does this meal compare with a chicken dinner Mom might have prepared at home? We can keep going through these take-home meals.
Outside of your own home, you’re most likely to consume seed oils when you’re eating something that’s already pretty bad for your health — something that’s also full of fat, sugar, and sodium. It’s not a bad idea to look in your cupboard, too, as these oils are so abundant that it’s smart to avoid or seriously limit them wherever you can. So let’s take a look at these seed oils.
Seed Oils List – What Is A Seed Oil?
Seed Oil, sometimes called Industrial seed oil, is gathered from the seed pods and processed mechanically to extract the oil. In some cases, that oil was previously used as an industrial oil for lubricating machinery. Processes must be invoked to make this oil into an edible format.
The list of Seed Oil includes the following:
Sunflower. Sunflower oil is pressed from the seeds of the sunflower plant. There are four available types identified by the level of linoleic and oleic acid — high linoleic, mid-oleic, high oleic, and high stearic/high oleic.
Cottonseed. Cottonseed oil is a popular cooking ingredient pressed from the seeds of cotton plants and contains gossypol. This is a natural toxin in the seed’s oil which serves as an insecticide. This oil undergoes a refining process to make it safe and edible.
Safflower. Safflower oil is pressed from the seeds of the safflower plant. There are two types of this oil. One, the monounsaturated oil, has a high smoke point. This makes it ideal for high-temperature cooking, like frying, sautéing, and baking.
Sesame. Sesame oil is an edible oil made from sesame seeds. We have been eating sesame seeds for generations.
The Wellness Watchdog
The Wellness Watchdog is one of the entities that supports the thought that seed oils are bad for us. They are just one group that monitors health-related activities that they believe may be unhealthy. In January 2023, they listed Eight (8) Seed Oils that they feel people should avoid. These included soybean, canola, corn, and sunflower oil that they labeled as toxic. And they went on to give information on how to identify them on nutrition labels. They then also offered healthy alternatives. The eight on their list were: Canola, Corn, Cottonseed, Soy, Sunflower, Safflower, Grapeseed, and Rice bran. Their message explains how they are ‘industrial’ and contain high levels of omega-6 fatty acids that can lead to inflammation and other health issues. They suggest you should avoid these ingredients by reading labels carefully or avoiding processed foods altogether.
Collectively, people are always looking for the next big food trend. The next magic bullet that should be added or removed from our diets to make all of our health problems disappear. However, generally, nutritionists agree that well-balanced diets serve us best. So, in my opinion, the single elimination of only seed oil would have only a small overall effect on our health.
Let’s look at these Pre-Packaged Processed Foods
Research is showing that Processed Foods are not Healthy because they contain seed oil.
Keep in mind that they’re also sometimes marketed as “healthy,” including whole-grain crackers or bread products, protein bars or shakes, dressings, sauces, some frozen foods, and even chocolate.
“Seed oils themselves have high levels of omega-6 fats, which can lead to inflammation.” per nutritionist Zumpano, “and they’re mostly used to make ultra-processed foods, which causes inflammation in the body.”
If you want to stop consuming seed oils, there are no downsides. But Zumpano says you’d be just as wise to commit to avoiding processed foods instead. It’s a move that will inherently result in scaling back on seed oils, while also allowing you the leeway to use them in small amounts.
“When you cut seed oils from your diet, what you’re really doing is cutting out many processed foods,” she adds. “I think that’s why we’re hearing about them as being so bad for your health. But it’s less about the seed oils themselves and more about the fact that they’re so often found in ultra-processed foods.”
Still, she recommends mostly cooking with alternative oils that provide more omega-3s, like avocado oil or olive oil (more on that in a minute).
And keep in mind, too, that you want to try to increase your omega-3 intake and limit your omega-6s.
“Omega-3s are so important for overall health that we really need to make the effort to get them into our diets,” Zumpano says. “Omega-6s, on the other hand, are in abundance in Western diets.”
The omega-6 to omega-3 ratio should be ideally 2:1 or 1:1, but for most Americans, the ratio is actually a whopping 10:1 or even 20:1.
However, a Debate Might Not Even Matter
This article cannot determine whether or not industrial seed oils are bad for your health, in and of themselves. But one possible takeaway is that the debate doesn’t really matter. Everyone, on both sides of the debate agree on a few important points. Most of us should be eating fewer highly processed and fried foods. Most of us are eating too many calories. Vegetable oils constitute a huge percentage of those excess calories. Vegetable oils are ubiquitous in highly-processed and fried foods.
We should be adding more high-fiber foods to our diet.
High-Fiber Foods to Add to Your Diet
1. Green Peas Up Your Fiber and Provide Essential Vitamins
2. Artichokes Are Full of Fiber and Low in Calories
3. Avocados Pack Ample Fiber and Heart-Healthy Fats
4. Edamame Makes Filling Up on Fiber Easy and Fun
5. Beans Are a Versatile, Fiber-Rich Food With Protein and Iron, Too
6. Pears Make for the Perfect Fiber-Filled Dessert
7. Lentils Are a Quick Way to Fill Up on Fiber
8. Chia Seeds are Easy to Add to Any Meal
9. Wheat Bran Is a Simple Addition to Make Most Meals More Fiber-Packed
10. Oatmeal Is a Classic High-Fiber Food That Is Easy to Jazz Up
This is only a short list.
Conclusion Are Seed Oils Bad?
In conclusion, I cannot singularly say that seed oils are bad for us. However, it is the combination of the oils with the other poor nutrient food items (chips, cookies, hamburgers, french fries, etc. ) that certainly have added to our weight issues. We need to get back to trying to have healthy, well-balanced meals. We need to limit fast food and pre-packaged foods as much as possible. Crockpot meals can help Mom’s get supper on the table quickly for their hungry family after busy days. It is only one solution. Look for alternatives.
