Are seed oils good for our health?
For my family, I try to avoid seed oils as much as possible. You may be asking yourself “why”? Well, we already get an unhealthy amount in processed foods. Foods like bread, tortilla, chips, crackers, occasional fried food in restaurants, etc. I don’t need to add seed oils to the foods I cook at home.
Seed Oils are Problematic
Lets take a look at the problems with seed oils..
Seed Oils have an Imbalanced Omega-6 to Omega-3 Fatty Acid Ratio
One of the issues with the foods we are consuming is that they are greatly imbalanced in their essential fatty acid content.
Essential fatty acids are a type of fat that the human body cannot naturally produce. We must consume them in foods we eat. Essential fatty acids consist in two varieties: omega-6 fatty acids and omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-6 fatty acids give rise to inflammation in the body. While mega-3 fatty acids provide an anti-inflammatory response. Our ancestors consumed omega-6 to omega-3’s in a 1 to 1 ratio. Where as today many are consuming omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids in a ratio similar to 20 to 1. This has contributed to chronic inflammation as well as chronic diseases.
Seed Oils are Unstable
Seed oils are very unstable. By the time most seed oils are placed on grocery store shelves, they are already rancid. Exposure to heat, light, chemicals, repeated heating, oxidation, etc produce byproducts and toxins. These byproducts and toxins lead to damage throughout the body which leads to chronic diseases.
History of Seed Oils
Seed oils were recently introduced into the human diet. Before the use of seed oils, people used natural fats. These common fats consisted of: olive oil, coconut oil, butter and ghee (cows), lard (pigs), and suet (beef or mutton).
Why did the shift to seed oils occur? Sketchy donations to the medical organizations, sketchy research (follow the money), and unscientific marketing claims – much like we recently witnessed during the c o v i d push.
In 1961, the American Heart Association (AHA) recommended polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) to replace saturated fats. Saturated fats were condemned as a cause of heart disease. The decline in the health of President Eisenhower was also attributed to saturated fats, furthering public opinion.
Just like the mockingbird media, medical organizations began repeating the AHA’s advice that animal fats were bad and the switch to seed oil was better.
My biggest words of advice would be to research for yourself. Don’t just take my word for it. Below are a few links you can start at. Don’t stop there. Keep researching. With knowledge comes power and health.
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/are-vegetable-and-seed-oils-bad#consumption
Okay, so you’ve done the research and now you want to make changes. Where to start? My go-to’s are rendered animal fats and butter. I render most animal fats myself to make tallow or lard. Check out our step by step on how to render your own fat in our Animal Based Foods blog section.
- Butter, preferably organic, homemade, or from a local farm
- Tallow or Lard, preferably rendered yourself or from a local homesteader with like-minded beliefs
- ghee
- unrefined coconut oil (slightly changes flavor)
Additional Resources: