Current:Home > ScamsAre seed oils bad for you? Breaking down what experts want you to know -StockPrime
Are seed oils bad for you? Breaking down what experts want you to know
View
Date:2025-04-14 06:16:40
A quick search for seed oils online might make you totally panic about the kinds of oils you're consuming at home and when dining out.
TikTokers rack up hundreds of thousands of views with videos dubbing seed oils as "poison." Major fast food chains are vowing to switch to only cook with olive oil. Podcasters say the oils are "toxic" and lead with questions like "Is your canola oil killing you?" Top Google searches related to seed oils are all about how to avoid them. (Unless we're talking about the buzzed-about black seed oil, that is.)
But nutrition experts will tell you a different, more nuanced story. Here's the truth about seed oils, based on expert research.
Are seed oils bad for you?
Seed oils include canola, corn, cottonseed, grapeseed, soybean, sunflower, rice bran and peanut oils. This group is sometimes referred to as the "hateful eight" and blamed for a whole host of health problems.
But nutrition experts have pushed back on these claims, arguing that there isn't enough research to put the blame on seed oils. They're mostly used to cook fried foods higher in other ingredients that can have negative health impacts if consumed at high quantities over time.
"Seed oils are typically high in omega-6, which on their own are not inherently inflammatory," registered dietitian Caroline Thomason tells USA TODAY. But, she adds, "most Americans already consume enough omega-6s and do not get enough of omega-3 fatty acids. This imbalance of too many omega-6 fatty acids and too few omega-3 fatty acids is the bigger problem at play here."
When it comes to consuming seed oils, Thomason recommends high-oleic sunflower oil for a higher-quality option. "And make sure that you also get plenty of omega-3 in your diet by choosing fatty fish like salmon — Alaskan salmon has the highest omega-3 content — walnuts or chia seeds," she adds.
Is seed oil worse than olive oil?
If Thomason had to pick, she'd say olive oil is the best, based on the fact that it has "the most positive research and the least negative research behind it for our health." Myriad studies have found olive oil to help prevent cardiovascular diseases and decrease inflammation.
Which oil is the healthiest?
"Healthy" is a loaded word in nutrition. There isn't a one-size-fits-all answer for a single best food, because everyone is different, nutrition experts stress.
"If you think of your nutrition choices as a bank account, where you make daily deposits and withdrawals, choosing nutrient dense options the majority of the time will ultimately compound on itself for your health," Thomason says. "A healthy diet is made up of our collective choices over time. Thus, one single diet choice cannot worsen your health, and similarly, one nutrition choice cannot improve your health. Using language like 'the healthiest' doesn’t help us understand the complexities of nutrition and choosing balanced choices the majority of the time."
Is whole wheat bread actually healthier?Here’s what experts say.
veryGood! (321)
Related
- Taylor Swift makes surprise visit to Kansas City children’s hospital
- Mega Millions winning numbers for January 19 drawing; jackpot reaches $236 million
- Gaza doctor describes conditions inside his overwhelmed hospital as Israeli forces advance
- 5 centenarians at Ohio nursing home celebrate 500+ years at epic birthday party
- Newly elected West Virginia lawmaker arrested and accused of making terroristic threats
- Texas man pleads guilty to kidnapping girl who was found in California with a Help Me! sign
- Police officer in Wilbraham, Mass., seriously injured in shooting; suspect in custody
- The art of Trump's trials: Courtroom artist turns legal battles into works of art
- Justice Department, Louisville reach deal after probe prompted by Breonna Taylor killing
- Jon Scheyer apologizes to Duke basketball fans after ‘unacceptable’ loss to Pitt
Ranking
- Tarte Shape Tape Concealer Sells Once Every 4 Seconds: Get 50% Off Before It's Gone
- Texas coach Rodney Terry apologizes for rant over 'Horns Down' gestures
- Schiaparelli’s surreal fusion of kink and history kicks off Paris Couture Week
- Much of US still gripped by Arctic weather as Memphis deals with numerous broken water pipes
- The company planning a successor to Concorde makes its first supersonic test
- A pet cat thrown off a train died in cold weather. Now thousands want the conductor to lose her job
- 4 Las Vegas high school students indicted on murder charges in deadly beating of schoolmate
- Marlena Shaw, 'California Soul' singer, dead at 81: 'Beloved icon and artist'
Recommendation
Rolling Loud 2024: Lineup, how to stream the world's largest hip hop music festival
Storm Isha batters UK and Ireland and leaves tens of thousands without power
Ron DeSantis drops out of 2024 Republican presidential race, endorses Trump ahead of New Hampshire primary
Kelce scores twice and Chiefs beat Bills 27-24 to advance to face Ravens in AFC championship
Trump wants to turn the clock on daylight saving time
Iranian soldier kills 5 comrades in southeastern city where IS attack killed dozens, state TV says
Man arrested near Taylor Swift’s NYC townhouse after reported break-in attempt
Sarah, the Duchess of York, diagnosed with malignant melanoma found during breast cancer treatment