Seed oils are a key to the harms caused by the corrupt food system. These manufactured "vegetable oils" cause diabetes, fatty liver, brain issues, allergies, increased fat, depression, heart disease
Why are "experts exasperated" that we favor natural fats? 95% of the committee setting dietary guidelines for the $100 billion per year “nutritional” programs have conflicts of interest
95% of the committee setting dietary guidelines for the $100 billion/year American “nutritional” programs have conflicts of interest with industry. Thus, health-degrading propaganda is the standard.
Our analysis found that 95% of the U.S. dietary guidelines advisory committee members had conflicts of interest with the food and/or pharmaceutical industries… Our analysis has shown that the significant and widespread conflicts of interest on the committee prevent [them] from achieving the recommended standard for transparency… In the USA, the US Dietary Guidelines for Americans are required by statute to form the foundation for all national nutrition programmes (which are amounting to nearly $100 billion/year) and guide states and local governments, healthcare professional training, hospitals and community groups, amongst others, as overarching dietary recommendations.
In a recent editorial, independent journalist Nina Teicholz rightly asks: “What kind of dystopian world has nutrition ‘science’ whereby a university, a peer-reviewed journal, and one of the field’s most influential leaders legitimize advice telling the public to eat more Lucky Charms and fewer eggs?” Perhaps the fact that Tufts Friedman School of Nutrition receives funding from 60 companies has something to do with it?
Contents
Getting Real about the Corrupt Food System
Terminology
Seed Oils: Industrially Processed Concoctions Called “Vegetable Oils”
Replacing Natural Fats with Industrial “Vegetable Oils” Was Never Proven Effective
The Shift of the American Diet from Natural Fats to Industrially Processed Oils
The Effects from Consuming Seed Oils, and from the Resulting Imbalance in Fats in the Body
What Say the "Experts" in March 2025?
Video: An MD/MPH Critiques Seed Oil vs. Butter Research
For Wellness Providers & Educators: Boost Your Impact — Premium Resources Just a Click Away from $19
Getting Real about the Corrupt Food System
Corrupt System Protects Industry, Harms People — The organizations entrusted to serve humanity have served industry instead, allowing it to dominate the food system with unnatural food products that cause serious health issues, chronic disease, anxiety and depression, suicidal thoughts in children, and death.
Ultra-processed “Food”: A Toxic, Addictive Cash Cow — Processed foods, junk food, fake food, fast food, energy drinks, and diet drinks have led to devastating outcomes in physical and mental health.
Seed Oils, Vegetable Oils, LA, PUFAs (you’re here) — Seed oils are industrially processed concoctions, often referred to as “vegetable oils.” Replacing natural fats with manufactured “vegetable oils” was never proven to lower the risk of heart disease or death. In fact, it showed the opposite. And now we know seed oils cause chronic disease.
Pesticides, Dyes, Forever Chemicals, etc. — The industrialized food system is characterized by toxic contamination, including phthalates, microplastics, heavy metals, glyphosate and other pesticides, synthetic dyes, and hundreds of additional chemicals including “forever chemicals” and other endocrine-disruptors.
Apeel — Apeel is a chemical formulation that may be put on organics and cannot be washed off. It has mono- and diglycerides, which cause inflammation, heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and hardening of arteries.
Industrial Agriculture, “Big Ag”, Factory Farming — Mechanization of agriculture has increased the use of poisons, and devastated the health of food and communities. Industrial agriculture is at the root of many of humanity’s crises. Factory farms are continuing to get bigger and bigger.
Genetically Engineered / GMO “Foods” — Genetic modification is the alteration of an organism’s genome. GMOs (genetically modified organisms) are often used by industrial agriculture to create “frankenfoods” that will survive the use of toxic pesticides that devastate human health, soils, and biodiversity.
Solutions — Solutions to the problems created by a corrupted food system include: 1) Reclaiming food sovereignty, de-centralizing systems, 2) Developing localized food networks, 3) Healing soil, 4) Supporting regenerative farming, and 5) Rewilding dead, dying, and imbalanced spaces.
Terminology
Saturated Fats
Animal fats, Butter, Coconut oil, Ghee, Lard
Fats that are solid at room temperature and have no double bonds in their chemical structure.
“Saturated fats are stable and less prone to oxidation, making them safer for cooking. They have been wrongly associated with health problems in the past, but recent research suggests they are not as harmful as previously believed.” [source]
Monounsaturated Fats
Avocado oil, Olive oil
Fats that are liquid at room temperature and have one double bond in their chemical structure.
“Monounsaturated fats are relatively stable and are associated with various health benefits, such as improved heart health and reduced inflammation.” [source]
Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids (PUFAs)
Canola oil, Corn oil, Soybean oil, Sunflower oil
Fats that are liquid at room temperature and have two or more double bonds in their chemical structure.
“PUFAs are the most unstable type of fat and are prone to oxidation, which can lead to the formation of harmful compounds when exposed to heat, light, or air.” [source]
Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Chia seeds, Fatty fish, Flax seeds, Flaxseed oil, Walnuts
A type of PUFA that is essential for human health, with anti-inflammatory properties.
“Among 11 types of omega-3s, the 3 most important are ALA, EPA, and DHA. [source]
“Omega-3 fatty acids play a critical role in the development and function of the central nervous system… A number of studies have found decreased omega-3 content in the blood of depressed patients.” [source] “Omega-3 fatty acids are important for brain function, heart health, and reducing inflammation in the body.” [source]
Omega-6 Fatty Acids
“Seed oils” / “Vegetable oils”
A type of PUFA that is essential in small amounts but can be harmful when consumed in excess. “Excessive consumption of omega-6 fatty acids, particularly from seed oils, can lead to chronic inflammation and various health problems.” [source]
“Both types of PUFAs are unstable and tend to oxidize or go rancid quickly. Rancid omega-3 fats are what you smell when a fish goes bad and are the reason omega-3 fats are not generally used in processed foods, as the rotten fish smell is unappealing as well as toxic.” [source]
Linoleic Acid (LA)
“Seed oils” / “Vegetable oils”
An omega-6 PUFA that is the most abundant in modern diets, primarily due to the widespread use of seed oils. “Linoleic acid is… a precursor for inflammatory molecules. This is an important reason why, in excess, linoleic acid can contribute to pathological inflammation and tissue damage. Conversely, the omega-3 fats alpha-linolenic acid and DHA are precursors for anti-inflammatory molecules.” [source] “Excessive intake of linoleic acid is associated with chronic inflammation, oxidative stress, and an increased risk of chronic diseases.” [source]
Trans Fats / Trans Fatty Acids (TFAs)
Margarine, Partially hydrogenated oils
Fats that have been chemically altered through a process called hydrogenation, making them solid at room temperature.
“Found mainly in processed foods… trans fats have been linked to numerous health risks, including increased risk of heart disease.” [source] “Trans fats are known to increase the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and other health problems. They have been banned or restricted in many countries.” [source]
Seed Oils: Industrially Processed Concoctions Called “Vegetable Oils”
“Seed oils” is a blanket term used to describe omega-6 [dominant] vegetable oils that are made from seeds. Soy and canola oils are also referred to as seed oils, even though they don’t come from seeds.
Seed oils are industrially processed oils, often referred to as “vegetable oils.”
Seed oils are produced using a high degree of industrial processing which may include bleaching, deodorizing, chemical solvents, high heat processing, and/or “roller mill technology” (replacing stone mill technology, and removing the nutrients). [source and source and source] The oils may also be referred to as "RBD” oils referring to the fact that "these oils are refined, bleached, and deodorized." [source]
“Most crops used to make seed oils are genetically modified.” [source]
Liquid at room temperature, seed oils belong to a category of fats called polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs). “PUFAs are the most unstable type of fat and are prone to oxidation, which can lead to the formation of harmful compounds when exposed to heat, light, or air.” [source]
Another category that seed oils belong to is a type of PUFA called omega-6 fatty acids. These are essential but only in small amounts and when consumed in large amounts in comparison to omega-3s, causes harm. “Excessive consumption of omega-6 fatty acids, particularly from seed oils, can lead to chronic inflammation and various health problems.” [source]
Examples of seed oils include:
Canola (rapeseed) oil
Corn oil
Cottonseed oil
Grapeseed oil
Peanut oil
Rice bran oil
Safflower oil
Soybean oil
Sunflower oil
Many industrial seed oils were never intended for human consumption. Canola oil began as rapeseed oil, primarily used as a machine lubricant until Canadian scientists modified it in the 1970s... The name itself—a blend of “Canada” and “oil”—was a marketing invention. “Vegetable oil” is another misleading term—it’s often a blend of industrial seed oils marketed to sound healthier than it is.
Replacing Natural Fats with Manufactured “Vegetable Oils” Was Never Proven Effective
Replacing Natural Fats with Manufactured “Vegetable Oils” Was Never Proven to Lower the Risk of Heart Disease or Death; In Fact, it Showed the Opposite
Evidence from randomized controlled trials shows that replacement of saturated fat in the diet with linoleic acid effectively lowers serum cholesterol but does not support the hypothesis that this translates to a lower risk of death from coronary heart disease or all causes. [There is]… growing evidence that incomplete publication has contributed to overestimation of the benefits of replacing saturated fat with vegetable oils rich in linoleic acid. – The BMJ Apr 12, 2016
The Backstory: As Early as 1965, Research Showed Corn Oil Increased Heart Attacks and Deaths; And in 1972 it was Even Clearer that Linoleic Acid (in Seed Oils) Was Associated with a Higher – Not Lower – Risk of Death
By 1965, results of the first human trial testing the effects of linoleic acid-rich corn oil on cholesterol levels and heart disease were published. The Rose Corn Oil trial reported: At two years, the proportion of patients remaining free of major cardiac events is greater for the control group (75%) than for the two oil groups (olive oil 57%, corn oil 52%).” Corn oil is high in linoleic acid which is why it was used in this trial, but the linoleic acid level of olive oil was not reported. But, typically, olive oil is much lower in linoleic acid than corn oil. The omega-6 content was not directly tested for any of the three groups. The corn oil group did have lower cholesterol levels, but they also suffered more heart attacks and deaths. The authors concluded, “under the circumstances of this trial corn oil cannot be recommended in the treatment of ischaemic heart disease… While the Minnesota Coronary Experiment (MCE)… trial finished in 1972, the report was not issued until 1989… The final results weren’t published until National Institute of Health researchers, attempting to conduct a meta-analysis of linoleic acid and heart disease, re-analyzed the results using previously unpublished data. They found that while increased linoleic acid did reduce serum cholesterol levels, this was associated with the ‘possibility’ of a higher rate of death and no benefit. ‘This finding that greater lowering of serum cholesterol was associated with a higher rather than a lower risk of death in the MCE does not provide support for the traditional diet-heart hypothesis.‘ In other words, the process of proving the 1961 AHA hypothesis that omega-6 fats could lower the risk of heart disease-related death that began with the ill-advised 1961 AHA advisory had been completed, and the hypothesis was disproved. In 2014, one of the leading heart disease researchers in the world (who also discovered that trans fats and oxidized cholesterol induce heart disease), summarized the evidence linking seed oils to heart disease as follows: No clinical trial has succeeded in lowering the risk of cardiovascular disease using an increased intake of [seed oils].‘ A meta-analysis of available randomized-controlled trials (RCTs) also concluded that: ‘… replacement of saturated fat with [seed oils] effectively lowers serum cholesterol, but does not support the hypothesis that this translates to lower risk of death from coronary heart disease or all-causes.” So, there was never evidence that seed oils, or increased intake of omega-6 PUFAs in place of other fats, lowered the risk of heart disease. – Zero Acre
The Shift of the American Diet from Natural Fats to Industrially Processed Oils
A century ago, the fats in our diets looked very different. People cooked with stable animal fats like butter, lard, and beef tallow. That changed in the early 1900s when industrial seed oils—like soybean, canola, and corn oil—entered the food scene. Products made from hydrogenated seed oils became popular as a cheaper alternative to animal fats. By the 1990s, economic incentives and government subsidies made seed oils even more appealing to food manufacturers. Fast food chains swapped out beef tallow for seed oils, and the American Heart Association (AHA) began recommending oils like canola and soybean as “heart-healthy” alternatives… The AHA had received significant funding from key players in the seed oil business.
Seed Oils (Particularly Soybean Oil) are Pervasive in the U.S. Food System
Used for fast food frying, added to packaged foods, and fed to livestock, soybean oil is by far the most widely produced and consumed edible oil in the U.S. – University of California Riverside
In 2016 USDA Report, "Seed Oils Made Up 20% of Daily Calories
Seed oils make up about 20% of our daily calories and can be found in almost every packaged product, restaurant meal, and even soap, perfumes, and candles. – MindBodyGreen, referencing a 2016 USDA publication
"Five Tablespoons of Corn Oil Requires 98 Ears of Corn"
The average American consumes 5-10 tablespoons of vegetable oil per day. Five tablespoons of corn oil requires 98 ears of corn. Five tablespoons of sunflower oil requires 2,800 sunflower seeds. Five tablespoons of grape seed oil requires 625 grapes. Five tablespoons of rice brain oil requires 40 cups of brown rice. - Zero Acre
Soybean Oil Heavily Used in Processed Foods, Restaurants, and Fast Food; Detrimental to Health
The recommendation for decreased saturated fat consumption, as well as other factors, led to a dramatic, greater than 1000% increase in the consumption of soybean oil in the U.S. [Between 1909 and 1999], per capita consumption rose from 0.01 [one-one hundredth] to 11.6 kg per year. Approximately 40 million tons of soybean oil were produced worldwide in 2007, which is about one half of all the edible vegetable oil and one-third of all fats and seed oils produced. Soybean oil is heavily used in processed foods, margarines, salad dressings and snack foods, and is the oil of choice in many restaurants and fast food establishments… Our results indicate that in mice a diet high in soybean oil is more detrimental to metabolic health than a diet high in fructose or coconut oil. – PLOS One
Humans Evolved with a Natural Balance of Fatty Acids for Healthy Brain Development and Genetic Expression; Without that Balance, Chronic Disease Results
During the Paleolithic period when human’s genetic profile was established, there was a balance between omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids. Their balance is an important determinant for brain development and in decreasing the risk for coronary heart disease, hypertension, cancer, diabetes, arthritis, and other autoimmune and possibly neurodegenerative diseases. Both omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids influence gene expression… A target of omega-6/omega-3 fatty acid ratio of 1:1 to 2:1 appears to be consistent with studies on evolutionary aspects of diet, neurodevelopment and genetics. A balanced ratio of omega-6/omega-3 fatty acids is important for health. – OCL Journal, 2010
Professional Associations Recommended Seed Oils and Government Subsidized Them
These oils have become dietary staples, largely due to government subsidies and outdated nutritional guidelines. For many years, I have pioneered the political and cultural dimensions of America’s seed oil problem on broadcast news radio and deep-dive podcasts with the scientists investigating these harmful oils. – David Gornoski
The Fats in Seed Oils Aren’t in Their Natural State
Industrial seed oils… tend to contain fats that are oxidized or structurally damaged at the molecular level. This isn’t their natural state but rather occurs from industrial processing, during storage, or when they’re heated and used for cooking. In fact, oxidation is a critical factor that makes the biological effects of seed oils significantly more harmful than other fat sources that aren’t as easily oxidized. In other words, consuming industrially processed sunflower oil is much different than eating whole sunflower seeds. - Zero Acre
The Effects from Consuming Seed Oils, and from the Resulting Imbalance in Fats in the Body
In Summary
Replacing natural fats with manufactured “vegetable oils” was never proven to lower the risk of heart disease or death. In fact, it showed the opposite. And now we know seed oils cause chronic inflammation, diabetes, fatty liver, harm to brain and hypothalamus, dysregulated immunity, allergies, blood clots, autoimmune reactions, increased fat, obesity, depression, cardiovascular disorders, skin diseases, oxidative stress (which can lead to cellular damage, decreased energy and dysfunction). [source and source and source and source and source and source and source] Cooking seed oils at high temperatures creates toxins capable of damaging cells and DNA, thus causing mutations or cancer. [source and source]
Point by Point
Seed oils are high in linoleic acid (LA), a PUFA, and are therefore “prone to oxidation and promote inflammation in the body.” [source]
“When omega-6 intake is high—especially from… seed oils—these fats out-compete omega-3s for the available enzymes, limiting your body’s ability to convert omega-3s into their active forms. When omega-6 fats dominate your diet without enough omega-3s to counterbalance them, the inflammatory signals can overwhelm your body, leading to chronic, low-grade inflammation.” [source]
“The typical Western diet now provides an omega-6/3 ratio of approximately 20:1 in favor of omega-6. This predisposes to [abnormally high] inflammatory responses and perpetuates chronic low-grade inflammation. The over-consumption of linoleic acid, mainly from industrial omega-6 seed oils, and the lack of long-chain omega-3s in the diet creates a pro-inflammatory, pro-allergic, pro-thrombotic [blod clot] state. Reducing the omega-6/3 ratio… may be an effective strategy for reducing inflammation, allergies, and autoimmune reactions.” [source]
"When omega-6 fats dominate, it drives inflammation in our body and
