Seed Oils: Toxic Waste or Staple in Your Diet?

Did you know that seed oils originated back in the early 1800’s as a new way to make soap?

Cottonseed oil was referred to as “toxic waste” within the lighting industry.

Once oil was discovered, the need for cottonseed oil as fuel for lighting diminished.

That's when Proctor and Gamble moved away from lard and started using cottonseed oil to make their soap.

However, they found that when they processed the oil it resembled lard for cooking oil and hence Crisco was born!

It's crazy how an oil known as toxic waste quickly became a staple of the American diet!

Last week we dove into one of the most harmful foods in the standard American diet (in my opinion)

Seed oils!

We are in part 2 of a 3 part series exploring why seed oils are so harmful to our health and why we should avoid them at all costs!

When we look at how harmful these seed oils are, it's important to understand how they are made.

1. The Seeds are gathered from soy, corn, cotton, safflower, and rapeseed plants

2. The seeds are heated to very high temperatures which creates harmful byproducts

3. The seeds are processed with petroleum based solvent to maximize the oil extracted

4. A deodorizer is added to the seed oil to get rid of the horrific smelling product. This process creates trans fats, which are very harmful to our health

5. Color dyes are added to improve the color of the oils

In comparison, this is how extra virgin olive oil is made…

1. Olives are picked from the olive plant and washed in cold water

2. The olives are then crushed through stone and granite wheels creating a paste

3. The olive oil paste must be mixed through slow and continuous stirring which separates the olive oil from the water.

4. The oil is extracted - typically using a centrifuge which spins the olive paste removing any excess vegetable water.

5. The resulting oil is left to settle for around 1 month

You may notice a HUGE difference here - when they make olive oil there are no chemicals or additives.

Not only are these oils made in factories with dangerous chemicals, they also create dangerous byproducts in our bodies.

Seed oils are HIGHLY unstable meaning when they are exposed to light (AKA the grocery store or your home) and heat (when you cook them) they create harmful chemicals in our body - trans fats and lipid peroxides.

Trans Fats are linked to heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and chronic illnesses. For every 2% increase in calories from trans fats, your chances of heart disease are nearly doubled!

Lipid Peroxides are toxic byproducts that promote accelerated aging and chronic diseases by damaging our DNA and cellular membranes.

I encourage you to go through your pantry and toss out seed oils, as well as any of your products that contain these dangerous oils.