Are seed oils bad for you?

What are seed oils?

Seed oils refer to vegetable oils found most commonly in fast food, snack foods and condiments such as soybean oil, safflower oil, corn oil, sunflower oil and canola oil. These are considered polyunsaturated fats and are also grouped together by their omega-6 content. 

Are They So Bad For You?

The reality is that measuring the risk of seed oils and heart health is nuanced and complicated. There are a myriad of factors that can lead to heart and health complications. From what we know, seed oils are not as health hazardous as they are accused of being online. A lot of this mis and disinformation comes from cherry-picked research data and biased sources. 

Seed oils are often demonized for it’s contribution to inflammation in the body, but it's important to acknowledge the bigger picture: seed oils are often most ubiquitous in ultra-processed packaged foods and fried/fast food.  These are foods that are ok to consume occasionally, but will never be  the healthiest choice, nor are they recommended as regular staples in your diet. Most of these foods do not just contain seed oils, but a significant amount of blood pressure-spiking sodium, cholesterol-raising saturated fat and blood sugar-spiking refined flour and sugar. Whether they contain seed oils or not, they can still contribute to inflammatory-like conditions and symptoms.

Taking seed oils out of our food products is not a horrible idea, but swapping one fat for another isn't always a good thing either - it depends on the type and quantity of fat in the product. There are many other seed oil substitutes that can be just as, if not more, problematic in large quantities for heart health such as beef tallow, lard, etc.

So what’s the best oil to cook with and consume?

Extra virgin olive oil and avocado oil will always be the most optimal fats to use for cooking because they are highest in anti-inflammatory and cholesterol-lowering monounsaturated fats. For weight management purposes, all cooking oils are similar in calories and fat grams so portions will still matter no matter which oil you opt for. 

As the saying goes, everything in moderation. There is no such thing as "good" fat or "bad" fat - the quantity and frequency of consumption matters most and what other nutrients you're getting alongside them. At NY Nutrition Group, we take the "nutrition by addition" approach with our clients. Focus more on what you can add that's nutritious and health-promoting as opposed to what you may need to cut out or limit.

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