SNP40: Do Seed Oils Cause Inflammation & Chronic Disease?

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Introduction

Seed oils have recently become a hotly debated topic in nutrition, fueled by sensational claims on social media. In this episode, the central theme is examining whether seed oils are truly harmful or if they’ve been unjustly demonized.

The discussion tackles prevalent claims – that seed oils drive inflammation, oxidation, and chronic disease – and compares them against the current scientific evidence.

This is highly relevant to nutrition science and clinical practice today, as many patients and practitioners are encountering conflicting information about vegetable oils.

By exploring the origins of seed oils, their biochemical effects, health outcome data, and the misinformation ecosystem, the episode aims to clarify how omega-6 rich seed oils fit into a healthy diet and what evidence-based guidelines say.

Timestamps

• 01:00 Understanding terms: PUFA, Linoleic Acid, Omega-6
• 05:20 Do seed oils cause inflammation?
• 12:44 Omega-3 and omega-6
• 16:43 Inflammatory markers and linoleic acid
• 19:22 Oxidation and cooking oils
• 26:25 Refining processes and health concerns
• 30:32 Health outcomes and polyunsaturated fats
• 35:18 Evidence cited by anti-seed oil proponents
• 43:48 Conclusions

Related Resources

• Join the Sigma email newsletter for free
• Subscribe to Sigma Nutrition Premium
• Enroll in the next cohort of our Applied Nutrition Literacy course
• Sigma Statement: Seed Oils on Trial: Is the Panic Justified?
• Related podcast episodes:
  • 502: Sydney Diet-Heart Study – Is Linoleic Acid Causing Heart Disease?
  • 504: Vegetable Oil vs. Saturated Fat – Analysis of the LA Veterans Study
  • 505: Oslo Diet-Heart Study: Cholesterol-lowering Diets & Cardiovascular Events
  • 329: Diet & Inflammation
• Relevent Studies:
  • Peterson et al., 2024 – Perspective on the health effects of unsaturated fatty acids and commonly consumed plant oils high in unsaturated fat
  • Johnson & Fritsche, 2012 – Effect of Dietary Linoleic Acid on Markers of Inflammation in Healthy Persons: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials
  • Li et al., 2020 – Dietary intake and biomarkers of linoleic acid and mortality: systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies
  • Mozaffarian et al., 2010 – Effects on Coronary Heart Disease of Increasing Polyunsaturated Fat in Place of Saturated Fat: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

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