Seed Oils: Why We Should Ditch Them
Happi Healthi Yogi here! Today we are talking about all things seed oils. Seed oils are the talk of the town in the wellness world and for a good reason. Recently, these commonly used cooking oils, such as soybean, corn, sunflower, grapeseed, canola (aka rapeseed), peanut, and safflower have come under scrutiny for their adverse effects on health. In this blog, we’ll dive into why seed oils are bad for your body, where you can expect to find them most, and most importantly, what healthier alternatives you can use in the kitchen.
Why Are Seed Oils Bad for Your Body?
Seed oils have flown under the radar for years because of their healthy-seeming names. These misleading names contain ingredients that pass for natural products, like grape, corn, seed, and sunflower. So how could those be bad? They are made from seeds of various plants and replaced the previously most common kitchen oil, partially hydrogenated oil, in the late 1900’s.
I will give you a hint. It’s the production process. These oils are made ‘through a chemical process where they are bleached, refined, and heated in order to be usable’. They are highly refined, hardly natural, and are most commonly used in processed, packaged, and fast food.
Here’s where they get you. Because these oils are commonly used to make fried or processed food, you are experiencing a double inflammatory effect when you consume them. Why?
1). These oils are so processed that they contain high levels of omega-6 fatty acids. These are polyunsaturated fats, that while the body requires some for proper health, are so common in the American diet that going out of your way to incorporate these is unnecessary. Over-consumption of omega-6 fatty acids throws off the body’s ratio to the omega-3 fatty acid. A normal ratio is 2:1, but an average American consumes an average ratio of 10:1 or 20:1.This leads to one thing and one thing only, inflammation in the cells.
2). Eating fast food, packaged and processed foods are inflammatory to the body by themselves. These refined oils allow the shelf life of these goods to extend thus creating a double whammy of inflammation in our bodies. Helloooooo bloating!
Bloating and overall puffiness is not the only thing we have to be worried about. We all can experience inflammation from time to time, which is normal and even healthy because it is a variation of our body's flight or fight response. Chronic inflammation is where the trouble sets in because it is associated with a range of health issues including heart disease, obesity, diabetes, and more.
Where Can You Expect to Find Seed Oils?
We have touched on a couple of common places we can expect to find seed oils, but let's break it down:
1). Snack Foods: Chips, crackers, and fried snacks often are cooked in seed oils due to their affordability and neutral taste.
2). Salad Dressing: Read the labels on your store-bought salad dressings and you will be shocked at how often seed oils are top of the list.
3). Fast Food: Restaurants often use seed oils in the fryers, making fast food an unsuspecting source of inflammatory oils.
4). Bakery Products: Some kinds of baked pastries, muffins, and even some sliced bread can contain these oils.
5). Processed meats: Some types of processed meats such as hot dogs and sausages use seed oils as binding agents.
6). Plant-based milk: Don’t shoot the messenger. But odds are if you are ordering an oat, almond, or cashew milk latte it contains seed oils. Fan favorite brands like Oatly, Planet Oat, Silk, and more all contain the dreaded oils. This was devastating news to me, and I’m sorry if I’m the one to share it with you too.
What to Use Instead of Seed Oils
Fortunately, there are healthier alternatives to seed oils that you can use in your cooking, snacks, and meal preparation. Here are some great options:
1). Olive Oils: Extra virgin olive oil is rich in monosaturated fats, which are associated with numerous health benefits, including heart health. EVOO is best used for low-heat cooking to maintain its omega-3 fatty acid quality.
2). Avocado Oil: Avocado oil is a versatile and stable cooking oil with a high smoke point, making it ideal for high-heat cooking.
3). Coconut Oil: While high in saturated fats, coconut oil has gained popularity for its potential health benefits and suitability for baking and stir-frying.
4). Ghee: Clarified butter, or ghee, is a dairy product that is heat-stable and adds a rich, nutty flavor to your dishes. Cooking eggs in ghee is a chef’s kiss.
5). Flaxseed Oil: Rich in omega-3 fatty acids, flaxseed oil can be a healthy addition to salads, smoothies, and dressings, but is not suitable for high-heat cooking.
As a snack girl myself, I would be remiss to not include some great brands that make snacks, chips, and sweets without the added inflammation.
1). Siete: Makes great grain-free and seed oil-free chips and sweet treats. Their salt and vinegar serrano kettle chips made in avocado oil are my personal favorite chips on the planet.
2). Simple Mills: This brand is great for crackers, baking products, and sweet treats.
3). Lesser Evil: Makes great popcorn in coconut oil
4). The Good Crisp Company: The healthy pringle as I like to call it. A fan favorite for sure.
5). Malk: If you are someone who can’t hop on the cow train for your morning coffee, this brand uses minimal ingredients to make their plant-based milk.
There are so many brands out there that prioritize good quality ingredients in their products, but those are just some that I personally love. Now that you know what to look out for in the ingredient labels, you will know which brands are the good, the bad, and the ugly.
With so much talk about avoiding ingredients, we want to make sure we are being reasonable with our health efforts. Perfection is never something we should strive for, but striving to be a better version of ourselves is, especially since we have learned how prevalent seed oils are. Avoiding an ‘elimination’ or ‘strict dieting’ mentality is vital for a sustainable and healthy view of cooking and eating.
A great place to start in the effort to minimize seed oils is focusing on moving away from overall oil use. The first step is trying to prioritize whole foods and minimize processed food consumption. When we shift our focus to including new ingredients, like produce, rather than focusing on the ingredients we can’t have, it leads to an inclusion mentality. We are less likely to snack or feel unsatisfied after meals with this mindset. It’s kind of as simple as what my mom always said to us as kids ‘Focus on what you do have, and not on what you don’t’.
In this blog, we have learned the ins and outs of seed oils and that opting for a healthier alternative can contribute to better health and overall well-being. Make the switch towards consuming more whole foods & less processed foods and you’ll be taking a step towards a more balanced, nutritious, and anti-inflammatory way of living.
Namaste friends.