Partner content: Seed Oils Aren’t the Problem
In the past couple of years there had been mutterings about seed oils which have grown into a roar of anti-seed oil sentiment thanks to various wellness influencers and podcast pundits with no education in food, food science, nutrition or nutrition science.
Seed oils are from: canola, corn, cottonseed, soybeans, sunflower, safflower, grapeseed, flaxseed, and sesame seeds. Influencers will claim that these particular oils are responsible for inflammation, obesity, gut issues and more—but not offer any good research or proof to back up those claims.
Often when I get questions or emails about seed oils the person asks, ‘would it be better or healthier to fry in lard/butter/tallow/coconut oil than in canola/vegetable/soy/corn oil?”.
It certainly doesn’t help that some fast-food chains advertise that they are switching to beef tallow to fry French fries and somehow making people think this is healthier. (note: this would automatically mean that someone who follows a vegan diet as well as someone with an allergy to mammalian meat (Alpha-Gal syndrome) won’t be able to consumer them.)
Overall, the thing to keep in mind is that regularly eating foods that have been fried in oils, regardless of the type of oil, is not the best way to eat on a regular basis. Fried foods are higher in calories from fat, and this can contribute to weight gain and weight gain can lead to obesity and be a contributing cause for chronic inflammation, Type 2 diabetes, heart disease and even increase your risk of certain type of cancers. But using small amounts of oils to prepare and cook foods or to dress a salad is not the issue and can lead to more enjoyment of food and meals.
Source: https://www.statnews.com/2025/03/06/butter-versus-seed-oils-jama-internal-medicine-study/
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Leah McGrath, RDN, LDN
Ingles Markets Corporate Dietitian
