We keep hearing about the dangers of seed oils in our diet, but how can anything that comes from a mere seed be so much a problem? They’re vegetable based for goodness sake. Vegetables are good. More vegetables are even better!
The problems aren’t with the seeds, the problem comes from how they are processed (there’s that word again), and how ubiquitous they are in our foods.
North America turned to seed oils as an alternative to partially hydrogenated oils, and we all figured they were plant based so they must be better, right? Best intentions and all that.
Even if you stay away from seed oils in your own kitchen, and you shy away from fried foods (a common culprit), the fact is, seed oils are everywhere in processed and ultra-processed food – just check the labels.
Common Seed Oils:
- Canola (aka rapeseed) oil
- Corn oil
- Cottonseed oil
- Grapeseed oil
- Soybean oil
- Sunflower oil
- Safflower oil
- Rice bran oil
- Peanut Oil
Seed oils contain high levels of Omega-6 fats, which we think cause inflammation. We know that inflammation causes all kinds of health issues from heart disease, arthritis, metabolic syndrome and diabetes – all things that should cause concern. An inflamed body is a body that is vulnerable.
The problem isn’t the Omega-6 fats by themselves, it’s the ratio of the Omega-6 to Omega-3 fats that are in our diets.
Most of us need to intentionally consume foods high in Omega-3s because our bodies don’t make their own, and we need to keep the ratios of Omega-3 to Omega-6 in balance. Research seems to suggest that a ratio between Omega-3 and Omega-6 of 1:1 to 1:4 is ideal. Most American diets have been shown to be in the 1:15 to 1:17.
Common Sources of Omega-3:
- Salmon
- Cod Liver Oil
- Herring
- Oysters
- Sardines
- Anchovies
- Flaxseed
- Chia Seed
- Walnuts
The problem is, most of us don’t get anywhere near as much of the foods above as we do from the seed oils that are in so many of our processed foods. Try feeding your kids a dinner of sardines with a side of walnuts and anchovies – let me know how well that goes over.
So what are we to do? Simple, avoid Omega-6 rich foods and add Omega-3 rich foods wherever you can.
On average, men should aim for 1.6 grams of Omega-3s and women should aim for 1.1 grams. Below are some easy ways to bring Omega-3s into your diet, and the amounts of Omega-3s in each.
Ways to Get Omega-3 Into Your Diet:
- Chia pudding! It’s delicious and easy to make. You can add all kinds of add-ins from fruit to honey to chocolate chips to make it a delightful way to start your day. Chia seeds have 2.53 grams/Tablespoon.
- Add walnuts to trail mix, baked goods or have a handful of walnuts as a snack. Walnuts have about 2.5 grams per 6-7 walnuts.
- Add ground flaxseeds to your baked goods – they seem to do surprisingly well during the baking process, and grinding them helps your body more readily absorb the good stuff. Flaxseed oil has 7.26 grams/Tablespoon, Flaxseeds have 2.35 grams/Tablespoon.
- If you like fish then go for it! Just don’t fry it in oil! Bake it, steam it, poach it or even microwave it and you’ll get all the goodness. Salmon has 2.15 grams per serving, Mackerel punches in at 4.58 grams per serving.
- Throw some anchovies on a salad for a bit of a salty kick.
- If all else fails, get yourself a bottle of good quality fish oil, cod liver oil or algal oil capsules
So, in conclusion, to avoid the Seed Oil Catastrophe:
- Significantly limit processed foods and fried foods
- Severely limit or eliminate ultra-processed foods
- Do everything you can to sneak a little Omega-3 high foods into your family’s diet
This isn’t a prescription, just an encouragement to eat a wide variety of whole foods to enjoy the nutrition in the way we were intended. Whole foods can give us everything we need – we just need to let them in.
P.S. In case you were wondering, because I’ve had the question, seed oils do not break the skin barrier – you can safely enjoy topical products made with seed oils. Not many people are slathering themselves in soybean oil, but some soapmakers and lotion makers experiment with these oils (me included).