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Dear health-conscious friends,

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If you’ve spent more than five minutes on health TikTok or nutrition Twitter, you’ve probably heard that seed oils are “toxic,” “inflammatory,” or even “poison.” But then your doctor shrugs and tells you it’s not that deep.
So… who do you believe?

Let’s break it down without the panic or the propaganda.

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What We’re Actually Talking About

When people say “seed oils,” they usually mean:

• Soybean oil
• Canola oil
• Sunflower oil
• Corn oil
• Safflower oil
• Cottonseed oil

These are used in:

• restaurant cooking
• packaged snacks
• salad dressings
• fried foods

They’re called “vegetable oils,” but most come from seeds, not vegetables.

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The Case Against Seed Oils

The anti–seed oil crowd has 3 main arguments:

1. They’re high in omega-6 fats

Omega-6 fatty acids are essential — meaning you need them — but too much compared to omega-3 (like from fish) may promote inflammation. Western diets have a very skewed ratio.

2. They oxidize when heated

High heat can break down oils, producing compounds we don’t love — like aldehydes — which aren’t great for cells long-term.

3. They’re everywhere

Even if you don’t cook with them, they sneak into:

• crackers
• chips
• sauces
• baked goods
• “healthy” granola bars

The industrial food environment makes it easy to overconsume them without noticing.

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The Case For Seed Oils

Meanwhile, the medical and nutrition research world pushes back with its own points:

1. They lower LDL cholesterol

Replacing butter or lard with seed oils generally improves cholesterol markers and cardiovascular risk profiles.

2. Studies on humans don’t show mass harm

Large population studies do not show that seed oils are causing widespread inflammation, cancer, or heart attacks.

3. Omega-6 is still essential

You would get sick without it. We’re not dealing with a literal toxin.

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The Real Answer Is Boring (But Important)

Most of the harm we associate with seed oils isn’t from the oils themselves. It’s from the ultra-processed, hyperpalatable foods they live in.

For example:

• fried chips
• fast food
• pastries
• processed snacks

If someone swapped all that for roasted vegetables dressed with canola oil, the discourse would evaporate overnight.

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So Should You Avoid Them?

Here’s the practical, non-dogmatic take:

✔ Seed oils are not poison​
✔ They are not miracle health tonics​
✔ Ultra-processed foods are the real issue
✔ Omega-3 intake is just as important
✔ Whole-food fats like olive oil & avocado are great choices
✔ If you cook at home, you’re already ahead

If you want to optimize without losing your mind:

• Cook more at home
• Use olive oil for most things
• Use butter for flavor, not the whole meal
• Eat fatty fish or supplement omega-3
• Don’t build your diet out of packaged snacks

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The Bottom Line

Seed oils aren’t the sole villain. They’re more like an accomplice to modern food environments that make overeating easy and nutrient density optional.

If you zoom out from the oil and look at the pattern, the healthiest populations in the world have 3 things in common:

• lots of whole foods
• lots of plants
• not a lot of processed junk

And none of them are arguing about canola oil on Instagram.

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Want more content like this? Check out our Youtube channel Askadoc!

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👩‍⚕️ Dr. Joanna​
​AskADoc4Advice — where medicine meets curiosity (and a little bit of weird).

Youtube Askadoc

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