Seed oils are a topic hotter than Megan Fox and Margot Robbie put together.

Seriously, though. There’s a war going on in the health and fitness community regarding seed oils. Some swear by them, and others swear it’s the reason for the massive increase in heart disease and cancer cases in the world.

In this article, I'm going to break down the fundamentals of what seed oils are and where they come from and answer that age-old question, “Are they problematic for you?”

What Are Seed Oils?

So, what are seed oils?

Seed oils are oils derived from….seeds! These oils are created by taking the crops of seeds and refining them, usually through some heating process or a pressurized system.

Some of the ones you may recognize are:

•Canola oil
•Rapeseed oil
•Peanut oil
•Sunflower oil
•Cottonseed oil
•Corn oil
•Safflower oil
•Soybean oil
•Rice bran oil

Something important to note:

Seed oils are different from vegetable oils.

Vegetable oils are any oils or fats derived from crops, including fruits, grains, nuts, and seeds. This is a broad category that includes all crop-based oils.

Seed oils, also called industrial seed oils, are a particular category of vegetable oils that are derived from seeds. “Vegetable oil” isn’t a very accurate description or a helpful way to think about them — these oils aren’t exactly pressed from kale or broccoli.

Instead, seed oils are refined from crop seeds, often using industrial methods, including solvents, high heat, and large amounts of mechanical pressure.

That’s one reason seed oils are a relatively recent addition to the human diet: before large-scale industrial manufacturing and processing, it simply wasn’t a viable option to produce many seed oils or add them to foods.

Are Seed Oils Harmful?

So, are seed oils harmful?

Yes. 

Seed oils are rich in omega-6 pro-inflammatory fatty acids compared to our omega-3 anti-inflammatory fatty acids. Both are essential, meaning we need to consume them from foods to get them.

Now, in saying this, though, we once had a ratio of 1:1. That means for every one omega-6, we had one omega-3.

So it balanced out within our bodies.

However, due to Modern diets (particularly in America), we see ratios of 20:1 omega-6 fatty acids to omega-3. That’s 20X the amount of omega-6 fats in our diets! Seed oils have 20X the concentration.

This ratio means we have a massive imbalance, which leads to a very chronic issue with inflammation.

One way to combat this is to reduce our omega-6 fatty acids and be more aware of the anti-inflammatory profiles we can be getting.

A number of studies indicate that chronic inflammation and anything that causes chronic inflammation lead to heart-related diseases.

We should reduce our omega-6 intake and increase our anti-inflammatory omega-3 in our diet.

Take a look at this image:

And this data, too:

Obesity is on the rise with the higher seed/vegetable oil intake.

As mentioned earlier, seed oils are highly concentrated seeds that have been through processes like heating and mechanical pressurization.

This process leads to a lot of oxidization, which creates harmful effects and has nothing to do with the original seed in the first place.

Healthier Alternatives

So, Chris, what the heck do I have or even cook with?

I’m glad you asked. Here’s your go-to list:

•Olive oil
•Avocado oil
•Coconut oil
•Butter
•Ghee (clarified butter)
•Animal fats

A warning, though:

Extra virgin olive oil is awesome. It's fantastic for you and rich in wonderful compounds we love.

But marketing teams have gotten really smart and now create olive oil “Blends.”

So, these companies will substitute canola oil for extra virgin olive oil to save money and make it look authentic. It’s not real! Stay away!

Remember, canola oil is an industrial seed oil, even though extra virgin is not. You want real olive oil.

If it says “Blend” anywhere on the bottle, do not buy it.

To put this in perspective look at the difference in color of extra virgin olive oil versus the blend.

You can see the blend is much lighter in color. The more color, the better.

The BMM Takeaway

There’s a ton of corruption in the food industry.

You must remember that big food corporations are businesses. Their job isn’t to care about you or your health. It’s to make money and increase their bottom line.

Seed oils are a cheaper alternative for corporations to produce. And for fast food joints and restaurants to buy and cook with. Money runs this game, not ethics.

This is why it’s crucial–critical, in fact–for you to always do your own research.

Read labels, study the studies, and continue to educate yourself on food practices and how food is made and brought to the marketplace.

Some people will still swear by seed oils. That’s fine. They have the right to do what they want with their bodies.

But for us, we go off of data. Words lie (marketing), but numbers scream (data).

Those charts tell us everything we need to know.