Seed oil is commonly used as a cooking oil and is in countless processed foods in our grocery stores today. But are seed oils actually okay for our health?
First let’s take a look at the history of our use of seed oils…
Before 1870, humans used only saturated fats from animal sources or in some Eastern cultures, plant-based natural oils like coconut oil. By 1870, however, we began to use seed oils as lubrication for industrial machinery. Eventually, around 1910-1911, there was a surplus of seed oil and to profit off of this surplus, people had the idea of marketing it for human consumption. It was just made from seeds, after all...
Thus, margarine and vegetable shortening was born. These products were very appealing at the time because they were cheaper and had a much longer shelf life than animal-based oils. However, terrible side effects to the human body were obesity, heart disease, and diabetes, all of which were previously rare, but are now on the rise.
And, unfortunately, it’s only gotten worse. Some scientists have hypothesized that the increase in chronic disease correlates with the increase in seed oil use.
Canola Oil Beginning to Trend...
Seed oils gained popularity in the 1950s. When President Eisenhower had a heart attack in 1955, the blame was placed on saturated fat and cholesterol. However, we have since seen evidence that suggests it’s polyunsaturated fats that cause arteriosclerosis, the thickening and hardening of the walls of the arteries, which, in turn, can cause heart attacks.
Canola oil was then promoted as being heart-healthy by the American Heart Association, but if you look at how the AHA started, you’ll find that it was with the help of Procter & Gamble, the maker of Crisco, so it’s no wonder they’d promote seed oils.
Recent studies have shown that diets high in processed foods with polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and rich in seed oils experience an increase in chronic diseases with more than twice the occurrence of cancer, gallstones, strokes, and cirrhosis of the liver.
“Hydrogenated oils have become the backbone of the food industry.” - Nina Teicholz
A vast amount of commercial food products and fried foods from restaurants are made with vegetable seed oils like sunflower oil or soybean oil. What’s worse is the high heat from the cooking process also creates toxic oxidation, which causes inflammation in our bodies.
So if seed oils are so bad for you, are there any cooking oils that are actually good? The answer is yes.
There are two families of essential fatty acids (EFA) and that would be Omega-3 and Omega-6. Recommended for daily consumption are your omega-3 fatty acids every time, and avoid the high amounts of inflammatory omega 6 fats in seed oils.
There are 4 types of fats: saturated fats, trans fats, monounsaturated fats, and polyunsaturated fats.
Recommended oils with healthy fats would be a single origin organic extra virgin olive oil for non-heat uses like salad dressing. And the use of natural fats like coconut oil or clean saturated animal fats for any heated cooking to avoid the toxic oxidation. The best protocol is to stick with as little food processing as possible. Single fresh ingredient foods drizzled with high quality olive oil or sautéed in coconut oil is our daily go-to in the kitchen.
And the best way to detox from the seed oils that bioaccumulate in our bodies is to make sure we are getting enough Vitamin E. Even though we can make the conscious choice to stop consuming vegetable oils, it takes years to get seed oils out of our bodies.
This is a list of the top foods to consciously transition to omega 3 oils exclusively. These foods can also be helpful as you work to detox your body from seed oil bioaccumulation.
Here are 7 Natural Foods Dense in Omega-3 Healthy Fats...
- Chia Seeds are rich in omega-3 healthy fats, fiber and even protein.
- Brussel Sprouts are nutrient dense with vitamin K, vitamin C, fiber & omega-3.
- Hemp Hearts are filled with magnesium, protein, iron, zinc and omega 3 fats
- Walnuts are packed with omega 3 fatty acids and great for brain health.
- Flaxseed is a great source of fiber, protein, magnesium, and omega 3.
- Avocado winning first place for unsaturated fats, as it is rich with vitamin C,E, K and B6 riboflavin, niacin, folate, pantothenic acid, magnesium, lutein, potassium and omega 3 fatty acids
- Even red lentils and some beans are a small source of omega-3 healthy fats.
A Special Thank You From BeachCandy
Thanks for reading this week’s wellness article reviewing the history of how we even got here in the first place. Seed oils should have no place on our plate or in our gut, make the conscious choice for your present and future health. Omega 6 seed oils have largely contributed to the rise of disease and inflammation in our world today. Not taking these health risks seriously is keeping our bodies ripe for disease and inhibits us from the full experience of our lives.
It is time to turn off the noise of advertisers and turn inwards to self and start to listen. Turn off your mind and tune into what your body is telling you. With each choice we make we are either fighting or feeding disease.
Here are the key takeaways we hope you bring back to your daily life… Eliminate seed oils from your daily meals, use olive oil for salad dressings and no heat situations, and ghee or coconut oil to use for cooking. Focus on enjoying simple fruits and vegetables nutrient dense with omega 3 fats, vitamins, and minerals. Experience a whole new you once the seed oils slowly release from your body.
You are what you eat has never been more true or crucial to our health. There is not someone here to coach you bite by bite to make the right choices, but when you are empowered by biology and truth it gets much easier.It is up to us to make the lifestyle changes to ensure a long healthy life.
It has been proven time and time again, inflammation is the root cause of all dis-ease in the body. Now that we know the truth, we can just say no to machinery lubricant as a food product.
Coming back to our natural origins takes the courage to unlearn and unleash our minds into our own truth and intuition. With non-toxic nutrition we are able to reclaim our health and the very trajectory of our lives. We do have a say on what we put in our mouth, if we consciously take the time to learn what is good, bad, and pure ugly. We have been sold products that have no intention of improving our lives, but rather enhancing profitability for the big businesses of the world.
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