Seed Oils Will/Will Not Kill You

[Markola]

I hope this article is not behind a paywall. The same article is on the National Geographic site behind a paywall.

It says there is little or no evidence for the latest internet dietary fad (hysteria?), which claims that seed oils are harmful. This article says avocado oil and extra virgin olive oil are probably slightly healthiest for us and the planet overall, so I will continue using them at home and not worry about what restaurants use. I’m also not going to worry about using butter when I want to.

Are seed oils actually bad for you? Experts say we're missing the big picture

Are Seed Oils Really Bad for You? Experts Reveal the Truth Behind the Hype

Between Scientific Claims and Environmental Concerns: What You Need to Know About the Oils You Cook With

vocal.media

 

[OldShooter]

I do so many things that are bad for me that cutting out one or two won't make any difference and I don't have the will power to cut them all out. Besides, the list of things that are bad for me keeps changing. Are eggs in or out? I don't know.

 

[USGrant1962]

That article makes too much sense. We cook with cooking oils, not drink them - ha!

And yup, the horrors of seed oils are definitely a food fad. A meteoric rise in interest in just the last year, and unheard of before 2022.

https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=all&geo=US&q=seed%20oils&hl=en

 

[aja8888]

I do so many things that are bad for me that cutting out one or two won't make any difference and I don't have the will power to cut them all out. Besides, the list of things that are bad for me keeps changing. Are eggs in or out? I don't know.

Eggs are BACK IN! But only Pasture Raised, not Cage Free! LOL!

 

[Music Lover]

Are seed oils actually bad for you? Experts say we're missing the big picture

There are dozens of diet and food choices people make daily, seed oils are only one of them.

That being said, every healthy choice made over a less healthy choice is a good thing.

We eat almost no processed food, eat healthy portions, cook with olive oil, and exercise regularly. So, on the rare occasion when we do eat out we don't worry if the food is cooked with seed oil because we make several good diet and lifestyle choices every day.

 

[Aerides]

I think if you're using them all the time in everything (why?) then maybe rethink, but other than EVOO and the occasional sesame oil, which is added as a few drops more for seasoning, I don't think I cook with any hardly ever anyway.

 

[aja8888]

The seed oil industry is huge in the USA. It will be difficult to change attitudes regarding the long term health effects of seed oils.

I understand (I have no proof) that Extra Virgin Olive Oil, which is supposedly the best oil for human consumption, is difficult to find in an unadulterated state (cut with seed oil).

 

[MarieIG]

I read it. It did not increase my desire to imbibe seed oils, I'll stick with my EVOO and a little avocado oil.

 

[Involuntary Retiree]

That article makes too much sense. We cook with cooking oils, not drink them - ha!

Maybe you don't drink them, but I do. Call me weird, but I have a tablespoonful of cold-pressed, EVOO every morning.

 

[Sojourner]

I'll stick with my EVOO and a little avocado oil.

DW and I love a good EVOO, but the problem is that the flavor is so strong and distinctive we don't want to use it across the board for all sautéing and frying. The flavor just doesn't complement certain types of dishes, such as SE Asian foods, Mexican foods, etc. It seems like all the oils that are widely considered healthiest have strong flavors that can clash with more subtly flavored dishes. So we are still in search of a "bland", healthy cooking oil we can use for everyday sautéing.

 

[GrayHare]

Healthy eating might make a long-term difference for a teenager, but if questionable food reduces my remaining lifespan by 10%, well, that's not a long time.

 

[mickj]

Seed oils bad, unfortunately, it is more like religion and politics… No one is gonna change their mind.

 

[bjorn2bwild]

If dose makes the poison in this case, we don't consume enough to be concerned.
If we stray from good quality avocado or olive oil, it would be cold pressed canola.
I will avoid cottonseed oil as that is not a food crop and seed oil extracted with solvents like hexane.

 

[RetiredHappy]

All the negative press about seed oils is because of how the seed oils are usually extracted, with hexane. But if you buy cold pressed seed oils, like cold pressed canola oil, no hexane is used in the process. Canola oil has higher smoke point than olive oil. I much prefer cold pressed canola oil to olive oil for cooking. But in reality, I use a little clarified butter for sauteeing. I make clarified butter from unsalted butter. If I need to deep fry anything, which I don't, I would go for cold pressed canola oil.

 

[Jerry1]

Personally, I think there are two issues. One, as mentioned above is the way some oils are extracted with solvents. Just as a matter of logic, it would seem that less processing is better. The second issue is how the oils are used. As a person with kidney issues, I don't eat anything fried in oil from a restaurant. The heat and lack of frequent refreshing of the oil creates something that causes me significant issues. I'm sure it's no better for a healthy individual, it just is not as noticeable. However, I think that issue is more a factor of the environment than necessarily the oil itself.

 

[MarieIG]

Healthy eating might make a long-term difference for a teenager, but if questionable food reduces my remaining lifespan by 10%, well, that's not a long time.

Obviously, people are going to make their own choices and have their own priorities.

For me, it is not only my lifespan which is a consideration vis-a-vis my food choices. It is my healthspan and over all enjoyment of life. I'd rather be mobile as long as possible and decrease my risk of debilitating and/or painful sequelia. Also, if I eat a food which causes tingling in my feet, joint pain, or an autoimmune flare - out it goes.

 

[Turbo29]

I hope this article is not behind a paywall. The same article is on the National Geographic site behind a paywall.

It says there is little or no evidence for the latest internet dietary fad (hysteria?), which claims that seed oils are harmful. This article says avocado oil and extra virgin olive oil are probably slightly healthiest for us and the planet overall, so I will continue using them at home and not worry about what restaurants use. I’m also not going to worry about using butter when I want to.

Are seed oils actually bad for you? Experts say we're missing the big picture

Are Seed Oils Really Bad for You? Experts Reveal the Truth Behind the Hype

Between Scientific Claims and Environmental Concerns: What You Need to Know About the Oils You Cook With

vocal.media

I started reading the article and came across this statement: "Simon says that when asked what the best oil to use is, she generally replies that if you can afford it, opt for avocado and extra-virgin olive oil, "because they are the highest in omega-3s and have been shown to have great health benefits."

A look at the Oil, Olive, extra virgin - USDA information shows that 100g of extra virgin olive oil has 0.651g of omega-3, definitely not "the highest in omega-3s." For comparison, 100g of canola oil has 7.45g of omega-3, 11.4 times as much. A glaring error such as this calls the whole article into question. Perhaps she meant that the olive oil is highest in omega-9 monounsaturated fat.

My theory is that if there is a problem with seed oils it is because they are used so much by restaurants to fry food and sit in the fryers all day long (or many days) at high heat and become oxidized and end up looking like something you might drain out of you car's engine at an oil change. Eating that cannot be good. That type of use is far different than using seed oils to prepare food at home.

 

[aja8888]

I started reading the article and came across this statement: "Simon says that when asked what the best oil to use is, she generally replies that if you can afford it, opt for avocado and extra-virgin olive oil, "because they are the highest in omega-3s and have been shown to have great health benefits."

A look at the Oil, Olive, extra virgin - USDA information shows that 100g of extra virgin olive oil has 0.651g of omega-3, definitely not "the highest in omega-3s." For comparison, 100g of canola oil has 7.45g of omega-3, 11.4 times as much. A glaring error such as this calls the whole article into question. Perhaps she meant that the olive oil is highest in omega-9 monounsaturated fat.

My theory is that if there is a problem with seed oils it is because they are used so much by restaurants to fry food and sit in the fryers all day long (or many days) at high heat and become oxidized and end up looking like something you might drain out of you car's engine at an oil change. Eating that cannot be good. That type of use is far different than using seed oils to prepare food at home.

Besides fried foods, seed oils are everywhere in the food chain these days. Just look at the label on a Silk brand Almond milk carton and you will see soybean (or other) oil listed. Seed oils are in most butters, margarines, yogurts, salad dressing, etc.

 

[Jerry1]

Besides fried foods, seed oils are everywhere in the food chain these days. Just look at the label on a Silk brand Almond milk carton and you will see soybean (or other) oil listed. Seed oils are in most butters, margarines, yogurts, salad dressing, etc.

We stay away from Soy and have not found it in Silk Almond milk. There are indeed oils in it but not soy.

 

[Walt34]

Hey, as long as they're not using 10W-30 motor oil, I'm not that fussy.

 

[aja8888]

We stay away from Soy and have not found it in Silk Almond milk. There are indeed oils in it but not soy.

I kind of guessed at that it was soy since I threw the carton out already. But, nevertheless, it's seed oil.

Actually, here's the label:

Almondmilk (Filtered Water, Almonds), Contains 2% or Less of: Vitamin and Mineral Blend (Calcium Carbonate, Vitamin E Acetate, Vitamin A Palmitate, Vitamin D2), Sunflower and/or Almond and/or Canola Oil, Sea Salt, Gellan Gum, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C To Protect Freshness), Natural Flavor.

CONTAINS ALMOND.

 

[aja8888]

Hey, as long as they're not using 10W-30 motor oil, I'm not that fussy.

+!

 

[Jerry1]

But, nevertheless, it's seed oil.

Yeah, I didn’t intend to claim it was healthy. But, DW cannot eat dairy. She’s allergic to the protein (vs lactose intolerant) and pays a price if she ingests it.

 

[aja8888]

Yeah, I didn’t intend to claim it was healthy. But, DW cannot eat dairy. She’s allergic to the protein (vs lactose intolerant) and pays a price if she ingests it.

I'm OK with dairy and I use almond milk (30 calories) for smoothies. Actually, I am thinking of making my own almond milk going forward.

 

[Jerry1]

I'm OK with dairy and I use almond milk (30 calories) for smoothies. Actually, I am thinking of making my own almond milk going forward.

Same. DW uses it in her smoothie. I actually use Kefir in my smoothie.