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Nutritionists separate the facts and misconceptions about vegetable oils — also known as seed oils — and explain which products are recommended to choose and why you might choose oil instead of butter or animal fat.
The American Heart Association asserts that “there is no reason to avoid seed oils. There are many reasons to eat them.” However, some news headlines and social media platforms lead people to believe otherwise.
To better understand seed oils and why they've become controversial, Tufts Now spoke to:
Alice Lichtenstein:
Most seed oils are different from other vegetable oils such as coconut and palm oil in terms of the type of fatty acids.
Soybean, sunflower, canola, safflower and corn oils, as well as olive oil and avocado, are rich in unsaturated fats. While coconut and palm oils, and animal fats (such as full-fat meat and dairy products) are rich in saturated fats.
Huge amounts of data have shown that eating vegetable oils rich in unsaturated fats instead of animal oils or palm and coconut oils is associated with better health outcomes.
We also get omega-3 from fish, so the guidelines recommend eating at least two servings of fish per week.
In daily use, people choose oil according to their taste and the purpose of cooking:
But preferring a specific oil just because it is “better” is nothing more than a minor detail. The most important thing is Using liquid vegetable oils instead of animal fats.
Diane McKay:
If you follow a diet rich in saturated fat and replace high-saturated foods with ones that contain unsaturated fats, studies have shown that this helps reduce the risk of heart disease.
Saturated fat in excess of the body's needs activates the production of cholesterol in the liver, which raises the levels of bad cholesterol (LDL) in the blood. Saturated fat can also increase inflammation, which is a factor in many diseases.
Diane McKay:
The problem is not the seed oils themselves — or what is sometimes called the “hated eight” — but that they are part of ultra-processed foods.
When you diet on these foods, you consume seed oils in addition to other unhealthy ingredients such as sugars, refined starches, salt and preservatives. This is what is actually linked to health risks.
The real problem is that we're not getting enough omega-3 fatty acids in our diet.
Diane McKay:
Omega-3 is essential and the body cannot produce it in sufficient amounts, so it must be obtained from food.
It is an essential component of cell membranes, especially in the eyes and brain, and plays an important role in the functioning of the heart, lungs, immune and hormonal systems.
Alice Lichtenstein:
The best options for daily cooking: canola oil or soybean oil, while choosing other vegetable oils according to personal use.
Whole foods that are rich in healthy fats include:
The key: make your own food as much as possible. This gives you greater control over what goes into your body.
Alice Lichtenstein:
EXACTLY. What is important is the complete diet, not a single component.
I was asked: should butter be abandoned in favor of vegetable oils?
My answer is: not necessarily.
If you don't eat a lot of meat or full-fat dairy products, the amount of saturated fat you get is low, and you can eat a little bit of butter without worry.
But if you consume a lot of meat and animal fat, you should be careful about the amount of butter.
It's all about balance.
Finally, sprinkling vegetable oil on a bowl of hot chocolate ice cream does not make it “healthy”! It's best to share a dessert between two and enjoy it from time to time.
Source: Tufts Now
