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Hmm seed oils are not inherently bad for you. But their overuse, especially as processed ingredients in processed food, isn’t great. Rather than avoiding them like the plague, trying to eat less processed food and choosing to use even better oils, (extra-virgin olive, avocado) when possible is the way to go. But don’t throw out your seed oils for a bit of home cooking, especially if they’re unrefined.
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/are-vegetable-and-seed-oils-bad
https://health.clevelandclinic.org/seed-oils-are-they-actually-toxic
https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/hsph-in-the-news/scientists-debunk-seed-oil-health-risks/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6179509/
solomonki if you read the article it talks about the importance of maintaining a higher ratio of Omega 3 fatty acids in the diet to Omega 6 fatty acids. I wouldn’t say to avoid them entirely and if I eat them once in a blue moon I’m not going to go into hysterics about it, but i would recommend choosing alternatives wherever possible because they add nothing of substance nutritionally, they’re contained within nearly all processed foods so people eat more of them than they think they do, and they’re especially harmful with repeated heating because they break down chemically and create trans fats and free radicals
May 12, 2024
taterhole right, the omega 3 / omega 6 balance is the issue. So processed foods that when over-consumed throw that balance off are the problem, and they use the most over-processed garbage oils they can find. But the idea that no seed oils have any nutrional value isn’t true – rice bran oil has lots of vitamin E, sesame has a good chunk of vitamin K, plus the actual fat is good fat and therefore nutritionally valuable. Flaxseed oil even has a 3-1 omega 3 to omega 6 ratio. And the omega 6 from other seed oils isn’t bad if you’re better enough omega 3 elsewhere
May 12, 2024
solomonki I'm not going to get into my thoughts on polyunsaturated fats vs saturated fats because i don't want to fly into a rage thinking about Ancel Keys right now so l'll just have to agree to disagree re: good fats…
Flaxseed oil, sesame oil, and some forms of grapeseed oil are much more minimally processed and are fine when used in heatless (flaxseed) or low heat applications.
but yes I think some nuance is probably needed when discussing this because people make it sound like it's a literal poisonous substance as in if you consume any amount of it you will die and it's more complex than that! I see no harm in just choosing not to eat them when possible. I think it’s an easier and more sustainable lifestyle change to make than to engage in unhealthy legitimately restrictive crash dieting and I’ve seen a huge difference in my own life from reducing my consumption of them!
May 12, 2024
taterhole let me just amend my last thing to say “fats” and we can skip the good/bad fats things. Fats are part of nutritional intake was my point. I think we’re on the same page about there being complexity here. Just that these big trendy blanket statements about superfoods or foods to avoid are really bad for people developing a non-dogmatic, solid understanding of food and their health, so they always rankle me. Anyway yeah I’m not trying to hate on your vibe at all! And it’s great that you’re finding ways to feel more healthy 👌 👌
✨ 🤝 ✨
May 12, 2024
solomonki 1000% agree and it’s important to try to be a measured and reasonable voice in a sea of extremes 🫡
May 12, 2024
lachdanan coconut and avocado!!! Which are both much more affordable if you buy them in bulk at Costco. Some people use tallow but I have no experience with this…
May 12, 2024
lachdanan I should say avocado has a much higher smoke point, coconut is nice but not good for that high
i have an autoimmune disease so i have to try and limit these (as well as other weird addiditves) as much as possible to prevent a flare up and it is HARD !! having a chronic illness also means i often dont have the energy to cook for myself, but most takeout options cook with seed oils and many ready made meals are highly processed with a whole bunch of other inflammatory junk too. i generally have had to change my ways and become less of a snacker which stinks
May 12, 2024
caroline it’s hard because it’s like they’re in everything!!! Trying to eat mostly whole foods is definitely the best way imo. Eliminating seed oils from my diet has helped me a lot with the chronic migraines I’ve had since I was in middle school and recovery from a vaccine reaction I had. I’m sure you’ve tried it all but let me know if you want recommendations for some of my favorite products and convenience meals because I’m so passionate about this and I’ve done a lot of research 👀🔎
May 12, 2024
caroline I posted a response to an ask semi recently about things I buy at Trader Joe’s so I’ll try to find it and tag you + I’ll make a rec soon and tag you!!! 💖 Mary’s gone crackers are so good I’m mad they don’t sell them at Costco anymore
