Seed oils are killing us.
That’s according to a growing chorus of influential people warning against the staples of the average American diet — calling them toxic and blaming them for an epidemic of inflammation.
But the canola and corn contrarians, the peanut pooh-poohers, the soybean and sunflower disparagers, and even the grapeseed gloom-and-doomers — they’re missing the point, experts say.
And furthermore, according to experts quoted by EatingWell, some seed oils in your diet can actually have the opposite effect that people are claiming.
These influencers are “typically basing their declarations” on studies the outlet referred to as sometimes “poorly designed” — that’s if they’re not just busy “parroting” what other influencers said first, they said.
Will Bulsiewicz, a gastroenterologist with a social media following, recently made a splash by tackling the subject — saying that the problem wasn’t the oils themselves, but the fact that Americans are eating too much of them, in foods that nobody’s going to argue aren’t great for you. (Think fried, think ultra-processed.)
“Can seed oils be inflammatory within a certain context? Yes, if you overeat…because you are consuming way too much oil and not enough fiber, then you will get inflammation,” he said.
“And that is the result of the overconsumption of calories,” he said.
The comments come as a recent narrative review was published in the British Journal of Nutrition, taking a look at a variety of other research on the subject of seed oils and health.
“There is a lot of misinformation about oils on the internet,” lead author Kristina Petersen, Ph.D., an associate professor in nutritional sciences at Penn State, explained.
The evidence, researchers said, looking at poly- and monounsaturated fats versus saturated fats, tilted in favor of omega-6 polyunsaturated oils, or n-6 PUFAs, over trendy sat fats like beef tallow and coconut oil.
“Collectively, the available evidence does not support claims of harm, and in fact, shows oils, particularly n-6-containing oils, improve heart health.”
Linoleic acid, found in the likes of n-6-containing peanut and sunflower oils, Petersen said, have been “associated with lower risk of heart disease.”
Clinical trials also showed that linoleic acid intake “does not increase markers of inflammation or oxidative stress,” she explained.
Ultimately, the pros suggested, the main thing to do is limit saturated fats. And also, not to worry so much.
“The current U.S. intake of oils is in the range recommended for heart health,” Petersen assured.
A few eyebrows could be raised over the fact that the new review was “financially supported by the United Soybean Board, National Corn Growers Association, Corn Refiners Association, Canola Council of Canada and U.S. Canola Association,” according to EatingWell.
But the nutrition-conscious news source said that these recent findings are backed up by previous research — urging readers to eat a balanced diet and to make sure their primary intake of these oils comes from the healthiest possible sources.
In other words, cool it on the french fries.
