A Dietitian's Take on Seed Oils 🥜
- Jordan Ouellette
- Sep 16
- 2 min read
Lately, seed oils (like canola, soybean, sunflower, and corn oil) have been all over social media, being called “toxic” or “poison” by influencers and politicians alike. We wanted to clear the air to help you understand what the science actually says and help you apply it to your life.
❌ The Myth
“Seed oils are inherently harmful and cause inflammation, weight gain, and chronic disease.”
This claim usually comes with scary language, dramatic before & after photos, and warnings to “throw out every bottle in your kitchen.”
👩🏼🔬 The Science
Seed oils tend to be higher in Omega 6s than Omega 3s, which are typically recommended for heart health (fish oil, salmon, avocados, nuts, etc). The fact is, both Omegas 6s and Omega 3s are considered anti-inflammatory & heart healthy by the American Heart Association, as they're liquid in room temperature. Omega 6s, however, tend to be more commonly consumed, and in high quantities they can be inflammatory.
Omega 6s are commonly found in ultra-processed foods, such as baked goods, salty snacks, fried foods, fast food, etc. These are foods that Americans commonly eat, so we tend to eat more Omega 6s than our bodies need. Therefore, they're commonly inflammatory.
✅ The Recommendation from Dietitians
We recommend reducing these ultra-processed foods that tend to be high in Omega 6s, yes because too many can be inflammatory, but also because these foods are also high in excess added sugar, sodium (salt), saturated fat, and refined carbs. All of these factors combined can lead to or worsen chronic health conditions.
However, we don't expect you to fully cut them out because A. our bodies still need Omega 6s, and B. these foods can help with making your food mentally satisfying, which is important for sustaining your eating style and overall happiness.
Use olive oil (for room temperature or low temperature cooking) and avocado oil (for high temperature cooking) when cooking at home because they're high in beneficial monounsaturated fatty acids.
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