The Problem with Seed Oils
Guest blog by Ashley Kerley @ The Seed Oil Rebellion
My health journey started about 15 years ago as I was quickly pulled into the ancestral health world. I was instantly intrigued by the idea of food having such an impact on our overall health and daily lives. After years of striving to find what made my body feel best, I knew there had to be a way to feel better. I was struggling on a daily basis with nausea, fatigue, and bloating. I was hungry all the time and felt like I couldn’t control my moody hanger episodes. There were times, during elimination diets when my symptoms would subside or feel better but once I would finish the month of “clean eating” they would come right back.
The years went on and our family became very busy with two big moves as my husband attended medical school and then residency. We thought we had found a balance by changing our cooking fats at home to healthy oils (olive oil, coconut oil, and butter) and making sure to get our veggies and protein in every meal. While the toxic oils never made it back to our pan, little did we know, the bag of tortilla chips in the pantry, the fries we ordered when out to eat, and all the other little bits of seed oils here and there were actually more of a problem than we thought .
Last year, in the summer of 2021, my husband and I started to dig back into more current information as we plugged back into the health world and noticed more talk of oils and fats affecting our health. As we thought more into the information, it was instantly very clear, that seed oils are to blame and what we feel to be the common denominator in our journey and not feeling our best. For me personally, it wasn’t the corn that I thought I was allergic to all these years but the toxic oil in the corn chips that I was eating on a regular basis. Aha!
I believe that seed oils are the main culprit in the food industry and if there was one change you ever made to your diet, this should be it.
Start by eliminating seed oils then see where you may need to go from there. I have made it my mission to help spread awareness of toxic seed oils and to promote the simple six (healthy oils).
You’re probably wondering, why are they so bad?
Seed oils, also known as vegetable oils or industrial seed oils, are highly processed oils extracted from seeds such as soybeans, corn, rapeseed, cottonseed, sunflower, and safflower seeds. After the seeds are harvested, they are then heated to extremely high temperatures that oxidize the fatty acids creating byproducts that are harmful to our health. Due to the high amounts of omega-6 fatty acids found in these oils, not only do they become inflammatory compounds in the pan but in your body as well. They play a significant role in chronic inflammatory diseases and a large variety of other skin, gut, and weight issues to name a few.
While they may not be present in your home as cooking oils, the truth of the matter is they are in just about everything. Most packaged foods, from tortilla chips to coffee creamer, and just about every restaurant.
Evil Eight
The Evil Eight, as we call them, are canola, corn, cottonseed (or rapeseed), soybean, sunflower, safflower, grapeseed, and rice bran. These are the absolute worst oils and should always be avoided as best as possible.
The Simple Six
The Simple Six, which we consider the healthiest oils are ghee (clarified butter), beef tallow, butter, coconut, avocado, and olive oil. Use these to cook with and look for store-bought options including these too!
The Gray Area
Then we have the gray area which is a large spectrum of all other oils not listed above. This section can get a tad complicated so keep things simple.
We support macadamia nut oil, RSPO certified palm oil, and well-fed pasture-raised pork and duck fat. Sourcing pork and duck fat are very important since most of these animals are conventionally raised and fed a diet high in omega-6 which is a major contributing factor to our diets. Their systems are unable to process their feed in the same way a cow can resulting in their meat/fat directly reflecting what they have eaten and being passed directly to us. This goes the same for overconsumption of nuts and seeds as they can have a large inflammatory effect on the body as well.
If you have just begun learning about seed oils and you begin to look through your pantry, you may start to feel very overwhelmed! But not to worry, change must always begin with awareness and by moving one step at a time, it will be much easier to take baby steps to create long-lasting habits.
First, we suggest replacing your cooking oils, then moving on to find better alternatives for your pantry and fridge items. With a little bit of determination and practice, you will be comfortable reading labels at the grocery store and navigating your favorite restaurant menu.
Eliminating seed oils is for everyone and every type of diet, from carnivore and keto to high carb or vegan. It is a lifestyle change, simply finding better replacements to feel your best.
For more information on living a seed oil-free lifestyle, research/education, and testimonials please visit Seed Oil Rebellion.
