The Dangers of Seed Oils

Seed oils or polyunsaturated fats have recently gained quite a name for themselves in the health world. Although seed oils have been widely accessible to the public since the 1900’s, the negative impacts and consequences of seed oils have only recently been brought to the attention of the general public.

There are two types of fatty acids found in oils: saturated and unsaturated fats. The key difference is their composition and how their carbon bonds are paired with hydrogen.

Saturated fats are mostly derived from animal products such as meat and dairy. These fats are solid at room temperature. Unsaturated fats are predominantly found in plants. This includes nuts, seed oils and fatty fish. These fats are liquid at room temperature.

Unsaturated fats are split into two categories, monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats. This is dependent on how many pairs of hydrogen atoms they are missing.

Both monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are categorised by the foods content of Omega 3, Omega 6 and Omega 9. These are all fatty acids. Whilst Omega 3 is commonly praised for its positive impact on brain and heart health, Omega 6 and Omega 9 do not carry the same reputable benefits.

Seed oils contain a high content of Omega 6 and oxidise easily. This can cause radical damage to cell membranes. This damage targets the mitochrondia which are known as the powerhouse of the cells.

These oxidised fats then get trapped in healthy cell membranes which results in poor cellular function and long term inflammation. In additional they reduce the livers production of glutathione, a major antioxidant that is involved in building and repairing tissue.

Prior to 1800’s, as a population, we would seek our fat from foods that could easily be extracted such as butter, coconut oil and olive oil. The 1800’s was a time of revolutionary industrialisation meaning the world was mass producing and therefore shifting towards new, unfamiliar and most importantly, cheap, sources of fats. This shift led to a substantial increase in processed foods which contained unusually high levels of seed oils.

Recent research suggests seed oil oxidation is linked to increased insulin resistance and poor immune system function so it is important we now limit these.

There are eight in total to watch out for:

 -     Corn oil

-     Canola (Rapeseed Oil)

-     Cotton seed

-     Soy oils

-     Sunflower oils

-     Safflower oil

-     Grapeseed

-     Rice bran

Grass fed butter, ghee butter or coconut oil can all be used as an alternative to seed oils for cooking as they do not denature at high temperatures and they have an excellent ratio of Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids. Using olive oil in salad dressings, cold, is fine but make sure to use an extra virgin olive oil, ideally that is cold pressed.

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