Recently seed oils have been getting a lot of attention and not the good kind. And honestly, they deserve more negative attention because they are literally so bad for you. 

So let's deep dive into seed oils, what they are, why we started using them as a country, what makes them so bad, and what we can do differently. 

Seed oils are oils that are made from seeds. And you may think, what's wrong with that? Well, a lot actually and we will dive into that later on. 

Seed oils are the following:

• Canola/Rapeseed Oil
• Corn Oil
• Cottonseed Oil
• Grapeseed Oil
• Soybean Oil
• Sunflower Oil
• Safflower Oil
• Rice Bran Oil
• Peanut Oil 

A long time ago, the only fats we used to cook were animal fats, butter, and olive oil. We also used these fats to make soaps and candles, but then tallow got expensive in the late 1890s. Then manufacturers started extracting oil from cottonseed (literal waste from cotton farming). This oil was originally used as lamp fuel then the food industry ILLEGALLY mixed it in with animal fats. Then they developed hydrogenation which made it look like animal fats (Think Crisco). Then in 1911 Proctor and Gamble introduced cottonseed oil as Crisco and claimed it was 100% vegetable and healthier than animal fat. But since we have introduced these oils we have seen an increase in obesity and autoimmune diseases. So yeah that's the history of seed oils. We turned trash into cooking oil, ew. 

So it's gross that we used a toxic byproduct of cotton farming as oil, but there are actually some other bad things about seed oils. Seed oils are extremely high in omega 6s which can cause an increase in inflammation, making your symptoms worse. Now omega-6s are bad, it's just that Americans' diets consist of way too many omega-6s. Inflammation can also cause obesity, gut problems, and immune health issues. Seed oils are also ultra-processed which essentially removes any vitamins and minerals they have. They also bleach and deodorize these oils to make them taste and look better. I don't know about you but I don't think I want to eat something that needs to be bleached and deodorized to make it more appetizing.  Because seed oils are ultra-processed they have ZERO nutritional value, making them an empty calorie. 

Okay so now that you know how horrible seed oils are and want to stop eating them, what's next! Well first, get rid of all your seed oils and stock up on healthy fats. 

My go-tos are Organic EVOO, grass-fed butter, beef tallow, pork lard, avocado oil, and chicken fat. You can buy tallow, lard, and chicken fat on Thrive Market! 

Next, read Dark Calories by Dr Cate Shanahan. 

Next, buy some Masa and Vandy Chips to satisfy chip cravings. 

Download the Seed Oil Scout App 

And most importantly, be gentle with yourself! You don't have to eat perfectly all the time. Limiting is better than constantly eating these oils. Sometimes I just need a salt and vinegar chip and Vandy doesn't have those yet (PLEASE). Just be easy on yourself! 

For more information about seed oils, check out the links below. 

Q&A with Dr Shanahan

Book Recommendation: Dark Calories

App Recommendation: Seed Oil Scout

Cleveland Clinic's Post About Seed Oils