Why seed oils have become a target for RFK Jr. and health influencers
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Seed oils are being targeted by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and influencers claiming they are linked to chronic illness and other health concerns, but many health experts say the oils are simply caught up in the real problem: Americans' diet and overconsumption.
Why it matters: The debate over seed oils ultimately ties back to Americans' over-reliance on processed foods and other, broader dietary habits that many people want the government to help address.
Driving the news: Online influencers and the RFK-led health movement alike share a skepticism of seed oils and their impact on people's health.
- Oils made from seeds including canola, soy and sunflower have been dubbed the "Hateful Eight."
- RFK has said Americans are being "unknowingly poisoned" by them and claimed beef tallow is a healthier option.
- "To turn the page on our chronic disease crisis, the new administration should initiate a thorough, science-based review of seed oil," author Nina Teicholz recently wrote in the Washington Examiner.
But many nutritionists say seed oil concerns are overblown, lack context or just aren't based in science. Studies have repeatedly found they are safe to consume and may even be associated with lower risks of cardiovascular disease, cancer and Type 2 diabetes, per the NYT.
- Nutritionists say they're also much healthier than other sources of fat, like butter and lard, the NYT reported last month.
- Seed oils are mainly made up of unsaturated fats, and are high in heart-healthy omega-6 fatty acids and low in omega-3 fatty acids.
- "Many ultra-processed foods are lower in nutrient density, but the oil itself has really been demonized," Judy Simon, a registered dietitian nutritionist at the University of Washington Medical Center, told Verywell Health.
The latest: A recent study found ultra-processed foods high in seed oils may increase the risk of developing colon cancer, which is rising among younger people.
- An excess amount of omega-6 fatty acids found in ultra-processed foods may be to blame, Scientific American reports. Seed oils are used in a lot of packaged and processed food.
- It's not that omega-6 is bad for you; it's that Americans tend to eat too much of it.
- "Omega-6 is an essential fatty acid. You've got to have it — but...it's like everything else: it should be in moderation," Timothy Yeatman, a co-author of the study and a professor of surgery at the University of South Florida, told Scientific American. "But the problem is we've massively overdone the amount of seed oil in foods."
What they're saying: Although seed oils themselves are typically processed, "even worse than that...is they're usually used to make ultra-processed foods — think fast food burgers and fries and anything you'd eat at a state fair or get in a package in the grocery store," the Cleveland Clinic writes in a blog post.
- "Outside of your own home, you're most likely to consume seed oils when you're eating something that's already pretty bad for your health — something that's also full of fat, sugar and sodium," the blog post adds.
The bottom line: Using seed oils — in moderation — to cook healthy meals at home is probably fine. The real takeaway is that eating fast food and heavily processed foods all the time isn't.
