The Damaging Effects of Seed Oils
Seed oils are one of the most common products to cook with. You might have a bottle of canola oil in your kitchen right now. But did you know that seed oils are highly processed and anything but natural? At Gonstead Physical Medicine, we always put your health first. We are eager to offer tips that will help you live your healthiest life, inside and out.
What Are Seed Oils?
Unlike traditional fats, such as olive oil, coconut oil, butter, ghee, and lard, industrial seed oils are a very recent addition to the human diet. It wasn’t until the early 1900s that the highly processed oils extracted from soybeans, corn, rapeseed, cottonseed, and safflower seeds were pushed as an integral part of the American diet.
How Can Seed Oils Be Damaging?
You might be wondering why seed oils are so damaging if they are extracted from crops. Before seed oils can be bottled and sold, they are chemically altered through several processes. First, the oils must be refined, bleached, and deodorized. Then, they undergo hydrogenation, a process that turns the oil into a solid form, resembling lard, that makes the oil suitable for consumption. Altogether, industrial seed oil processing creates an energy-dense, nutrient-poor oil that contains chemical residues, trans fats, and oxidized byproducts.
Overconsumption of seed oils has also been known to contribute to detrimental health conditions, including diabetes, obesity, heart disease, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), inflammation, and macular degeneration.
Alternatives to Seed Oils
The negative effects associated with seed oils may seem daunting, but there are plenty of alternatives and simple swaps you can make in your kitchen today. We recommend stocking up on extra virgin olive oil (cold pressed), coconut oil, butter and ghee, lard, beef tallow, suet, or duck fat to use as cooking oils. These alternative oils are natural in their processes and can even contain important vitamins, minerals, and fatty acids.
Schedule an Appointment Today
Healthy choices start with what is fueling your body. Our team of doctors at Gonstead Physical Medicine is fully dedicated to your wellbeing and eager to help you make sustainable choices that work for your unique lifestyle.
Visit one of our convenient New Mexico locations, in Albuquerque and Rio Rancho, for your appointment to consult with our experts.
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Chiropractic
Dietary Tips
