Seed Oil Swaps and Inflammatory Truths about the Harmful Nature of Seed Oils

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Seed Oil Swaps and Inflammatory Truths about the Harmful Nature of Seed Oils

So, which oils are healthy and which aren’t?

We’ve started to see the non-fat diet rhetoric shift in the wellness world, and I’m here for the return of healthy fats! Fats don’t make you fat. They’re nourishing and necessary for the healthy function of every single cell in your body. They’re essential for making hormones and neurotransmitters as well as for skin health and antiaging. But I still hear the question all the time…Are all oils healthy, and if not, which ones should we avoid?

Let me walk you through:

  • Exactly which oils aren’t good for your body
  • The “why” + “how” of their harmful effects
  • Exactly which oils are good for your body
  • What to use + eat instead – easy swaps for lowering your seed oil intake

What Are Industrial Seed Oils?

Let’s talk bad fats. One of the most common harmful ingredients in processed foods is industrial seed oil. They’re extracted from mostly GMO crops and highly processed using harsh methods like chemical solvents, high heat, and excessive mechanical pressure.

They’re a relatively recent addition to the human diet. They were originally considered industrial waste and mainly used for soap making until the early 1900s. Now, we see them added to countless packaged foods. And they’re widely used for frying and cooking in most restaurants.

We’ve seen a 1600% increase in global production of vegetable oils since the early 1900s, and it has doubled in just the last 20 years. As the consumption of seed oils has massively increased throughout the world, so has the incidence of chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease, autoimmune conditions, and neurological diseases. (source, source, source, source) 

Seed Oils vs Vegetable Oils

Seed oils are a subset of vegetable oils. However, whereas seed oils are damaging to the body’s health, technically some vegetable oils may be included in a healthy diet, such as avocado oil, olive oil, and coconut oil. 

However, please note that often the terms “vegetable oils” and “seed oils” are used interchangeably. If you see “vegetable oil” on an ingredient list, you may assume the product contains a mix of inflammatory and highly processed industrial seed oils. 

Common Industrial Seed Oils Include:

  • Soybean oil
  • Cottonseed oil
  • Corn oil
  • Safflower oil
  • Sunflower oil
  • Peanut oil
  • Canola (rapeseed) oil
  • Grape seed oil
  • Rice bran oil 

What’s so bad about industrial seed oils?

The high processing and easy oxidation (damage at the molecular level) of industrial seed oils along with the imbalance in their fatty acid profile are what drive the health risks behind seed oil consumption. These components are linked with harmful health effects like:

  • Obesity
  • Heart Disease
  • Inflammation
  • Imbalanced Omega 3:6 ratio
  • And other neurological and degenerative diseases

Highly Processed Seed Oils + PUFAS

Processing: The extreme processing of these delicate seed oils makes them go rancid. Seeds are cooked to high temperatures that oxidize the fatty acids within them. Next, a chemical extraction process takes place, most commonly using hexane. After oil is extracted, it is chemically deodorized and then color-enhanced using even more additional chemicals. 

PUFAS: Seed oils are high in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). PUFAs are easily oxidized from industrial processing, exposure to heat and light, improper storage, or when used for frying, cooking, etc. (source). The more oxidized PUFAs we eat, the more they store up in our body’s adipose tissue, driving inflammation, obesity, and heart disease.

Ideally, only 2-5% of our daily calories should come from PUFAS. But today, the average American diet gets 20% or more of its calories from inflammatory vegetable oils. (source) This has had detrimental effects on our health…

Health Outcomes of Seed Oil Consumption

Global consumption of industrial seed oils has exploded. U.S. consumption of soybean oil alone has grown 1,000x since the early 1900s. And the prevalence of seed oils in our food parallels the growth in chronic lifestyle diseases and inflammatory conditions we see in our population. (source, source) Let’s look at some of the mechanisms behind why seed oils drive disease:

Weight Gain + Obesity

It is no longer believed that “calories in, calories out” is accurate when it comes to weight gain. The type of calories consumed matters. The average number of calories consumed in the U.S. has remained generally consistent the past couple of decades, but obesity rates have climbed significantly. (source, source, source, source)

A driving force behind rising obesity rates may be the overconsumption of vegetable oils, all of which contain large amounts of linoleic acid. When ingested, dietary linoleic acid gets converted into metabolites which activate biological pathways that contribute to obesity. (source)

One such byproduct of seed oil breakdown is HNE. HNE promotes fat accumulation in adipose tissues as well as degenerative diseases and cancer. Other byproducts include appetite-stimulating endocannabinoids. (source, source, source, source)

Inflammation

Upon consumption, oxidized PUFAs are absorbed through the digestive tract and trigger oxidative stress and inflammation in the upper intestines. This type of chronic inflammation and oxidative stress are now recognized as major factors in the development of many of the current degenerative diseases we see today. (source)

Linoleic acid, an omega 6-rich PUFA found abundantly in seed oils, is a precursor to pro-inflammatory eicosanoids and endocannabinoids. Studies on linoleic acid and its derivatives show both direct and indirect links with systemic inflammation and metabolic diseases. (source)

Cardiovascular Disease

An omega 6 rich-diet, such as found in seed oils, greatly increases oxidized LDL levels. And oxidative damage to fat-containing LDL particles is a primary factor in the development of heart disease. (source) 

A five year study on over 9,000 subjects spanning 5 years showed that replacing ancestral saturated fats with corn oil and corn oil-based margarine rich in linoleic acid resulted in a reduction of serum cholesterol, but at the same time increased the risk of cardiovascular-related death by 22% in spite of that cholesterol reduction. (source, source)

Imbalanced Fatty Acid Profile

Industrial seed oils are incredibly high in omega 6 fatty acids, some with an omega 6 to omega 3 ratio as high as 75:1. We want to aim for a 1:1 ratio of omega 6s to omega 3s. But most of us are currently closer to a 15:1 ratio.

Too much omega 6 compared to omega 3 is linked to a variety of chronic conditions and diseases, including cardiovascular disease, cancer, and inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. This may be because omega 6 produces more pro-inflammatory eicosanoids, while omega 3s produce more anti-inflammatory end products. (source, source)

What are healthier alternatives to industrial seed oils?

If not seed oils, then what? Don’t ditch the fats altogether! There are easy alternatives that humans have been using for hundreds of years instead of seed oils – fats that actually drive health and not disease!

Now is the time to switch to stabler oils that do not oxidize easily when cooking or being stored. I like nourishing oils with a higher smoke point that are richer in healthy omega 3s and contain less inflammatory omega 6s. Some of my favorite fats include:

How to Lower Your Industrial Seed Oil Intake

I eat out and/or buy pre-made food regularly, but my seed oil intake is still incredibly low. My strategies below will help you do the same!

Tips and Tricks:

  1. Check dips, dressings, sauces, marinades, desserts, crackers, nut milks, bars – basically anything that comes in a package! – to ensure they are free of seed oils. Always read your labels! 

Don’t buy it if it contains seed oils because the easiest way to avoid them is to not even have them on hand. I make it super easy on myself and order almost all of my condiments from Primal Kitchen (use code KELLYSFAVORITES) because everything they make has top notch ingredients and no seed oils. 

  1. Identify restaurants that cook seed oil free. You can find these via apps/websites like Seed Oil Scout or Local Fats. Some restaurants with seed oil free options in the area include: Petit Trois, True Food Kitchen, and Sage Regenerative Kitchen. I even grabbed tallow-fried fries on a date with Taschen at Tanner’s Prime Burgers.  
  2. Start by swapping out the things you use on a daily basis for industrial seed oil free alternatives. This will have the most immediate and massive impact on lowering your seed oil intake. It also allows you to enjoy your favorite foods without the health repercussions of industrial seed oils. For example, if you make a Fab Four Smoothie every morning with a nut milk that contains seed oils, simply swap out for a cleaner alternative! MALK and Three Trees are good options found commonly in stores. Or go with an unsweetened coconut water, coconut milk, or even just water. 
  3. Make food at home! Aim to make at least half of your meals at home with real, whole food ingredients. Prioritize The Fab Four – protein, fat, fiber, and greens! For Fab 4 meal inspiration, check out my blog or Instagram. Shop my courses to learn how to create a balanced plate like a pro. 
  4. Swap out your cooking and baking oils. Say goodbye to PAM, Crisco, and vegetable oil. Stock up on avocado oil, coconut oil, extra virgin olive oil, and ghee instead. 
  5. Swap out your cooking spray. Cooking sprays are particularly convenient, so have a healthy option like Primal Kitchen’s avocado oil spray (use code KELLYSFAVORITES) on hand. Or buy an oil sprayer to DIY with the healthy oil of your choice. 

Eat This, Not That: Easy swaps for industrial seed oil-free eats

The easiest way to enjoy what you love but make it healthy is to find your go-to brands that make those familiar products, but with better ingredients. While the list below isn’t comprehensive, I hope it gets you going!

  • Dressings, Dressings, Sauces, and Marinades: Primal Kitchen (use code KELLYSFAVORITES) 
  • Tortillas and Tortilla Chips: Siete tortillas and tortilla chips
  • Nut Milks: Malk, Three Trees, or other clean nut milk without oils
  • Breads: Base Culture, Unbun, Pacha, or a traditionally fermented GF sourdough with only two ingredients (flour of some sort + sea salt)
  • Crackers: Mary’s Gone Crackers, Flackers, Sunnie grain free crackers, Lundberg Thin Stackers rice cakes
  • Popcorn: Lesser Evil
  • Granola: Purely Elizabeth Granola, Thrive Market Brand, Alter Eco, Seven Sundays
  • Bars: Bulletproof, Epic, Skout Organic, Cerebelly, Bearded Brothers
  • Dips: Hope Foods Hummus, Primal Kitchen Queso Dips (use code KELLYSFAVORITES)
  • Nuts and Seeds: - NOW Foods dry roasted or raw nuts (use code KELLY) or any other brand raw and/or dry roasted nuts and seeds
  • Nut Butters - Thrive Market Brand, Artisana
  • Mayos and Spreads: Primal Kitchen Mayo (use code KELLYSFAVORITES), Seggiano or Calvi Pesto
  • Oils (for cooking, baking, etc.) → avocado oil, coconut oil, olive oil, ghee
  • Cooking Spray → Primal Kitchen avocado oil spray (use code KELLYSFAVORITES)
  • Chocolate → Hu Kitchen (use code BEWELL), Eating Evolved

Note that many of the products listed above can be purchased straight to your door at a discount through Thrive Market!

Final Note + Resources

It’s a small change with a massive impact, and I can’t wait for you to experience the health benefits as you pull the seed oils out of your diet. Cutting out these inflammatory oils and lowering your body’s overall inflammation leads to results that can often be seen, but more importantly, felt.

I want to leave you with a few more resources to boost your motivation and ensure you have all the tools you need to live an industrial seed oil-free life!

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