Are seed oils bad for you? Scientific evidence on soybean, canola and corn oils shows that they support heart health. However, this information seems to fall on deaf ears because a few years ago, fueled perhaps by the paleo diet and carnivore trends, seed oils were considered “bad”. These myths were reinforced by the likes of Joe Rogan and other social media influencers.
Consider this your reminder to be careful where you get your nutritional information and remember to be a critical thinker.
Misinformation and disinformation on social media
Posts on social media claim that seed oils (or n-6 Polyunsaturated Fats) “promote inflammation” (oxidative stress) continue to pollute social media. Many young people especially consume these media and keep up with the persuasive posts. Let’s take a look at the facts about dietary fat, and put it into perspective as well the small amount of fat recommended for consumption. The DASH diet limits fat to about 30% of total calories.
Modern social media influencers promoting high-protein, high-fat diets seem to aim to convince you that “we” (registered dietitians or other health professionals) are telling you that “fat is bad” and you should avoid fat .
These misconceptions suggest that dietitians recommend fat-free diets. That was never true.
On the other hand, Joe Rogan’s carnivorous friends make up up to 60 percent of their calories from fat.
A quick nutrition lesson on fats
There are two main types of fats in our diet: saturated and unsaturated. Saturated fats refer to the hydrogen in the fat molecules. These types of fats are “saturated” with hydrogen. Unsaturated fats have less hydrogen and there are two types of unsaturated fats: polyunsaturated and monounsaturated.
Polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs) are a source of the two “essential fatty acids”, α-linolenic acid (ALA) and linoleic acid (LA). By essential, I mean we need them to live. Your body cannot make them, so you must get them from food. These essential fatty acids support brain development, control inflammation and are essential for blood clotting.
PUFAs are divided into two groups: omega-3 and omega-6. It is important to understand this all fats they have a combination of these types of fatty acids, with varying amounts of saturated, polyunsaturated, and monounsaturated fatty acids.
What does science say about nutrition and fat?
Epidemiological and clinical trial evidence suggests that n-Intake of 6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) is cardioprotective. This means that oils like soybean, canola and corn help to PROTECT our heart health. There is enough of evidence which shows this.
So for people with heart disease or a family history of heart disease (like me), I generally recommend replacing some of the saturated fat (butter, animal fats, coconut oil, palm oil) in the diet with PUFAs. Clinical trials show that higher intake of unsaturated fats from plant sources improves major cardiovascular risk factors. In fact, clinical trials show that even rose recruitment of n-6 PUFA (linoleic acid) does not increase markers of inflammation or oxidative stress.
Now, contrary to the opinions of my fellow carnivorous dieters who consume butter (a saturated fat) by the stick, I know that portions matter. You must not eat butter from the wood, nor drink vegetable oil. You can, however, use it in your cooking, baking or salads. This can be illustrated by adding 1-2 teaspoons of fat to each meal or generally consuming 2 tablespoons or less of added oils per day.
Seed oil confusion
So why are all these people with no social media credentials yelling at you about seed oils? Good question! My theory is that this trend came from the carnivore and high-fat, low-carbohydrate (HFLC) diet breeds.
I am all for making recommendations based on the totality of the scientific evidence and in terms of improving overall public health. These people generally recommend lard, beef fat, and butter as the main source of fat. They believe that “omega-6 oils cause inflammation, so all omega-6 fats should be avoided.”
It is wrong to translate the personal philosophy of fringe diet gurus into public health messages. Notification to X
On the contrary, evidence suggests that consumption of adequate amounts is recommended both Omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids as well as both types of fatty acids promote health.
As always, the dose makes the poison. Too much of any fat source is not a good choice for most people. Why? Because if fat contributes to a huge caloric load, they won’t have room to consume other foods rich in fiber and nutrients (such as vegetables, whole grains, fruits).
Here’s the lowdown on the science of seed oil:
- Population studies show diets higher in linoleic acid are associated with lower risk of heart disease, coronary heart disease, diabetes and total mortality.
- Clinical and observational studies show that intake of linoleic acid, the omega-6 PUFA in seed oils, does not increase inflammation or oxidative (molecular) stress. In fact, population studies often show that higher intakes of this omega-6 are associated with decreased rather than increased inflammation.
- Many seed oils have a high omega-6:omega-3 ratio, but it varies. Studies they show no effect on markers of inflammation and oxidation using soybean oil, for example. Health authorities no longer examine the omega-6:omega-3 ratio to be a useful measure of diet quality.
- Large-scale human studies isolating omega-6 fatty acids are difficult to do. However to studies in nonhuman primates, LA-rich vegetable oils reduce markers for heart disease compared with saturated or monounsaturated fatty acids. A more recent meta-analysis suggests that intake of omega-6 fatty acids, such as linoleic acid, does not increase oxidative stress.
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