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Kennedy and influencers bash seed oils, baffling nutrition scientists
AP News ^ | Updated 5:14 PM CDT, March 7, 2025 | JONEL ALECCIA

Posted on 03/10/2025 3:26:03 PM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum

Until recently, most Americans had never heard the term “seed oils,” even though they’ve likely cooked with and consumed them for decades.

It’s the catchy description coined by internet influencers, wellness gurus and some politicians to refer to common cooking oils — think canola, soybean and corn oil — that have long been staples in many home kitchens.

Those fiery critics refer to the top refined vegetable oils as “the hateful eight” and claim that they’re fueling inflammation and high rates of chronic diseases like obesity and diabetes.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the new health secretary, has said Americans are being “unknowingly poisoned” by seed oils and has called for fast-food restaurants to return to using beef tallow, or rendered animal fat, in their fryers instead.

In response to consumer concerns, some food-makers have stripped seed oils from their products. Restaurants like the salad chain Sweetgreen have removed them from their menus. Many Americans say they now avoid seed oils, according to a recent survey from the International Food Information Council, an industry trade group.

The seed oil discussion has exasperated nutrition scientists, who say decades of research confirms the health benefits of consuming such oils, especially in place of alternatives such as butter or lard.

“I don’t know where it came from that seed oils are bad,” said Martha Belury, an Ohio State University food science professor.

In a Senate hearing Thursday, Dr. Marty Makary, nominated to lead the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, called for a closer review of the products.

“I think seed oils are a good example of where we could benefit from a consolidation of the scientific evidence,” he said.

What are seed oils?

Simply put, they are oils extracted from plant seeds. They include eight commonly targeted by critics: canola, corn, cottonseed, grapeseed,...

(Excerpt) Read more at apnews.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Crime/Corruption; Government
KEYWORDS: canola; chat; corn; cottonseed; enginelube; fakenews; grapeseed; omega6; rapeseedoil; rfkjr; safflower; seedoils; soybean; sunflower
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Are these the same "nutrition scientists" who gave us the "food pyramid?"

https://wearechief.com/en-us/blogs/articles/the-corrupt-history-of-the-food-pyramid

You might think that what you're looking at here [the food pyramid] is a work of science that back in the 1970’s, scientists without vested interests, methodically reviewed the science to determine the healthiest diet. And then presented this to the public.

Unsurprisingly, this didn't actually happen.

Most of us are acutely aware that science and politics shouldn't mix and yet they're inseparable.

The fact is when we mix science with politics, we get politics and the food pyramid is a product of politics.

The backdrop to the story of the food pyramid begins in post war 1950's America, deaths from competing causes, namely war and infection had drastically reduced.

And at the same time, rates of smoking were increasing. As a result, heart disease rapidly became the leading cause of death.

And on this backdrop in 1955 President Dwight D Eisenhower suffered a heart attack.

He was out playing golf in Denver when he felt what he thought was an episode of indigestion from a hamburger. And later that night, he worked with severe chest pain.

So, his personal physician, not realizing he was having a heart attack gave him several shots of morphine and sent him back to sleep.

It was only after an ECG was performed after he awoke at 1pm the next afternoon that it was understood that he'd in fact had a heart attack.

This was major news which struck a nerve with the US population. The life of their leader, due for re-election, was on a knife's edge with heart disease, the new leading cause of death. The President and the American population was gripped by fear so, the hunt was on for the root cause of this deadly scourge.

Unfortunately, scientists of the day didn't seem to pay too much attention to Eisenhower's heavy smoking. Reported to be up to four packets a day. Indeed, this was in an age when doctors themselves promoted smoking.

Rather, the scourge of heart disease was attributed to dietary saturated fat. And if you're a plumber, this might make sense - after all, pouring fat down a sink can block a drain the rest of us...

Continued: https://wearechief.com/en-us/blogs/articles/the-corrupt-history-of-the-food-pyramid

1 posted on 03/10/2025 3:26:03 PM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum
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Food scientists agree that consumption of seed oils has increased, but they say that’s because they’re widely used in fried and fast foods and ultraprocessed foods, which make up nearly three-quarters of the U.S. food supply.

Maybe that's the real problem. Bad (lazy) diet.

2 posted on 03/10/2025 3:36:07 PM PDT by Rio
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To: E. Pluribus Unum
Cleveland Clinic: Seed Oils: Are They Actually Toxic?
3 posted on 03/10/2025 3:39:43 PM PDT by SoConPubbie (Trump has all the right enemies, DeSantis has all the wrong friends.)
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To: Rio

I ditched the seed oils and now use butter and lard for cooking.


4 posted on 03/10/2025 3:41:06 PM PDT by eastforker (All in, I'm all Trump,what you got!)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum
"internet influencers"

So, this is a real job? This is a credential one puts on a resume? Besides morons, who is influenced by them?

5 posted on 03/10/2025 3:41:13 PM PDT by Retain Mike ( Sat Cong)
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To: eastforker

I’ve been reading labels and avoiding seed oils for the last 4 years.


6 posted on 03/10/2025 3:41:53 PM PDT by glorgau
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To: E. Pluribus Unum
“Scientists who study omega-6 and omega-3 think we need both,” Belury said. “Seed oils do not increase acute or chronic inflammation markers.”

That doesn't address the concern that it is the imbalance between the two that causes some to be concerned about overuse of seed oils.
7 posted on 03/10/2025 3:42:17 PM PDT by Jamestown1630 ("A Republic, if you can keep it.")
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To: eastforker
I use butter and olive oil.

But recipes...I still use vegetable oil.

8 posted on 03/10/2025 3:47:53 PM PDT by Sacajaweau
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To: glorgau

ALOT of people have been avoiding seed oils. Now democraps have to be for seed oils?


9 posted on 03/10/2025 3:49:24 PM PDT by KC_Conspirator
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Everyone is fat

Hello!!!


10 posted on 03/10/2025 3:49:43 PM PDT by stanne (Because they were mesmerized by Obama, the man for whom this was named, whose name they left out of )
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

So called scientists defending seed oils are incredibly dishonest. Canola is typically processed using hexane as a solvent. In what world can that be safe?


11 posted on 03/10/2025 3:50:52 PM PDT by TomT in NJ
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To: E. Pluribus Unum; All

Enormous amounts of “nutrition” studies are based on the correlation-causation fallacy.

It is very difficult to separate and weed out all the potential causal factors in diet.

In addition, one person can eat a diet which works very well for them, and another person can eat the same diet and develop poor health.

The numbers in the statistical studies tend to be very small differences. We cannot use humans like lab mice, so real studies are extremely difficult to do.


12 posted on 03/10/2025 3:51:38 PM PDT by marktwain
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

It is not seed oils in and of themselves that are being flagged as a potential health hazard but the method of extraction.


13 posted on 03/10/2025 3:55:27 PM PDT by lastchance (Cognovit Dominus qui sunt eius.)
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To: TomT in NJ

I think also heavy pesticide application is associated with seed oils. I am not sure if seed oil crops are rotated but if not that could also be cause for concern.


14 posted on 03/10/2025 3:57:30 PM PDT by lastchance (Cognovit Dominus qui sunt eius.)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Good summary. Not everything was rosy in the Eisenhower era. Those idiots made a lot of bad decisions for which hundreds of millions of people paid the price.


15 posted on 03/10/2025 4:00:03 PM PDT by nwrep
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To: lastchance

It’s not just that. It’s the imbalance between our intake of Omega 6 fatty acids and the Omega 3 fatty acids.

They are both essential; but we’ve been getting too much of one and not enough of the other.


16 posted on 03/10/2025 4:02:24 PM PDT by Jamestown1630 ("A Republic, if you can keep it.")
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

“Those fiery critics refer to the top refined vegetable oils”

Actually, we refer to them as re-purposed INDUSTRIAL LUBRICANTS as that is what they were before being repackaged for humans to consume.


17 posted on 03/10/2025 4:04:14 PM PDT by BobL (The people who hate Trump demand that you hate Russia)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

““I don’t know where it came from that seed oils are bad,” said Martha Belury, an Ohio State University food science professor.”

We NEVER said they were bad. They work find doing what they were designed to do, such as lubricating Tie Rod Ends.


18 posted on 03/10/2025 4:06:09 PM PDT by BobL (The people who hate Trump demand that you hate Russia)
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To: lastchance

“I think also heavy pesticide application is associated with seed oils.”

It is the way seed oils are produced. Some scientists say seed oil is like plastic oil.


19 posted on 03/10/2025 4:08:14 PM PDT by odawg
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

“And on this backdrop in 1955 President Dwight D Eisenhower suffered a heart attack.”

Seed oils hit the market in 1911, so Eisenhower had the misfortune of consuming them for most of his life...and paying the price for it.


20 posted on 03/10/2025 4:11:37 PM PDT by BobL (The people who hate Trump demand that you hate Russia)
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