What Are Seed Oils – And Are They Really As Bad As TikTok Says?

“I am not aware of any published research that shows head-to-head comparisons in a randomised control trial in humans on cold-pressed versus refined oils,” Berry tells me. “I’d love that research to take place, but nearly all of the trials that have been carried out on seed oils used refined oils, and still show the health benefits.” Berry does share, though, that processing and refinement can cause the removal of some phytonutrients and polyphenols, but that many of the antioxidant compounds are found in similar amounts whether it’s refined or cold-pressed. “Not all processed things are bad for us – the refinement process ensures the oil is safe and won’t go rancid so quickly.”

Sensing my hesitation, I think, Berry adds the clincher that on her own shopping list, it’s refined seed oil all the way. “I can afford cold-pressed, but I buy the commercial, refined seed oils for myself,” she says. “I find the cold-pressed oils very expensive, and there is no current evidence to show they’re more beneficial than refined seed oil.”

Could the fatty acids in seed oils be detrimental to our health?

Then, there are the specific fatty acids found in plant oils. Seed oils are high in omega 6 – something critics have linked to inflammation, though a 2019 Harvard report roundly dismisses this – whilst extra virgin olive oil, for example, is higher in omega 3. Both are crucial for our health (there’s a reason they’re known as “essential fatty acids”), with the former lowering harmful LDL cholesterol and keeping blood sugar in check, whilst the latter is packed full of polyphenols, protects the heart, eases inflammation and inhibits the formation of dangerous clots in the bloodstream.

In terms of optimising your balance of good fats, Hannah Alderson, a BANT-registered nutritionist and author of Everything I Know About Hormones, says it’s all about ensuring your omega 3 intake remains high, in the face of increased intake of seed oils in commercial cooking, and a subsequent “underconsumption of omega-3-rich foods” by the general population. But it’s not all about oil.

“Increase foods high in omega 3,” she affirms. “You can do this by eating grass-fed meats, algae, walnuts, flaxseeds, chia seeds and oily fish,” she explains. And if you still have your reservations, “try picking a cold-pressed product over a chemically extracted oil.” I’ll also be following Alderson’s best practice oil advice, reducing exposure to light, plastic, oxygen and heat, which she says can promote damage. “Buy oil in glass bottles, especially dark glass, and store it in a dark, cool cupboard,” she recommends. “Use a tight-fitting lid on the bottle, and don’t pour oil directly into a hot pan – let it warm up.”

A final word on seed oils

As is often the case with health and diet, expert advice is dull compared to the horror stories conveyed on TikTok. We aren’t being fed poison and there are no magic bullets. It seems that, as I suspected, we just need to eat a variety of foods in a responsible and balanced way.

Extra virgin olive oil has always been my go-to, partly because I have two small children and so we live a pasta-based lifestyle, and partly because of a snobbish preference for oils presented in green glass bottles with fancy matte labels and swirly text. Berry says that’s great, though, due to EVOO’s consistently proven benefits for heart health and more. But it’s also expensive and has a strong taste which isn’t always suited to other dishes like stir-fries and curries, for example.

Now, though, I’ll feel more confident opting for a more neutral-tasting oil like rapeseed, and the same goes for oil-based baking, which has begun to feel like a pretty indulgent pursuit when using olive oil. And then, of course, there’s butter, which I’ll continue to slather onto crumpets having been validated by Berry. “The evidence is really clear that butter increases total cholesterol and cardiovascular risk compared to olive oil and seed oil, but at the end of the day we have got to enjoy our food. A little bit of butter each day isn’t going to harm you.”

And thank goodness for that.