Flourish with Food: Seed Oils

Wellness influencers and personalities claim that seed oils are harmful for your health. Their claims include “poisoning” the body, causing weight gain, promoting chronic inflammation. But are seed oils universally bad for your health?

Seed Oils: Chemistry 101

Seed oils come from the seeds of certain plants. Oils getting the most attention are soybean, canola, corn, safflower, sunflower, and peanut. They are often grouped together as “vegetable oils”. It’s also worth noting that sesame, flaxseed and walnut oils are seed oils.

All fats - whether they come from plants or animals - contain a mix of 3 types of fatty acids: saturated, polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats. The amount of each type varies. Plant-based oils are especially rich in polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs). These include omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Omega-3s are often labeled as “good” and omega-6s as “bad”. However, research doesn’t support such simple labels.

Both types of PUFAs play important roles in the body. Omega-6s can help lower the risk of heart disease, while omega-3s support brain and heart health.

Seed Oils: Processing

Criticism has also focused on how seed oils are processed, often extracted with chemical solvents and high heat. Some people are concerned about chemical residues from this process. However, testing shows that any remaining residues are well below levels considered harmful.

In comparison, olive and avocado oils are produced differently. Mechanical cold press methods are used to extract oil from the flesh of avocados and freshly picked olives. Extra virgin olive oil is extracted only once. Both avocado and olive oils are rich in heart healthy monounsaturated fats.

That said, some seed oils can be processed using cold or expeller-pressed methods. If so, it will usually be listed on the label. Terms like “unrefined” or “mechanically pressed” may be used to indicate a higher quality.

Role of Ultra-Processed Foods (UPF)

Recent research reports the top source of seed oils in the American diet is ultra-processed foods.

These foods include items such as baked goods, packaged snacks, sugary drinks, frozen meals, and ready-to-eat products. Ultra-processed foods are often higher in salt, sugar, unhealthy fats, preservatives, and/or additives that enhance taste, texture and appearance. During extensive processing, the final product may no longer resemble its original ingredients.

Ultra-processed foods account for around 55% of calories in Americans over age 1. In youth (age 1-18), 62-65% of calories came from UPF.

Because seed oils are commonly used in these foods, they are sometimes blamed for the prevalence of health problems in Americans. However, the bigger issue may be the overall quality of eating patterns than the seed oils themselves.

Bottomline

Current scientific research doesn’t show that seed oils are harmful when consumed in normal amounts. The bigger concern is the extensive use of ultra-processed foods. Interestingly, olive and avocado oils are appearing more often on food labels to address the hype around seed oils. Instead of fearing a single ingredient, aim for balance and variety in your food choices.