The Great Seed Oil Experiment—And Why It’s Time to Opt Out

If I told you that, over the last century, we’ve radically changed one of the most fundamental parts of our diet—without much thought to the consequences—you might be a little concerned. And rightly so.

You see, for most of human history, our ancestors cooked with things that came from nature: butter, tallow, olive oil, coconut oil. Then, somewhere along the way—roughly around the time of mass industrialization—we got the bright idea to start squeezing oil out of things that were never meant to be squeezed. Enter: seed oils.

Now, I don’t mean the lovely, gentle kind of seeds you sprinkle on your porridge. No, I’m talking about oils extracted from things like rapeseed and sunflower. These oils require heavy industrial processing, chemical solvents, and high heat just to be remotely edible. And yet, they’ve found their way into nearly everything: salad dressings, snack foods, fried foods, even so-called “health” products.

Which oils to avoid:

1. Rapeseed Oil (Canola Oil) – Marketed as “heart-healthy,” but highly processed and often refined.

   
   

2. Sunflower Oil – High in omega-6 fatty acids and commonly used in snacks, ready meals, and crisps.

   
   

3. Soybean Oil – Found in processed foods, salad dressings, and margarine; often highly refined.

   
   

4. Corn Oil – Common in fried foods and ultra-processed snacks; heavily processed and unstable at high heat.

   
   

5. Cottonseed Oil – Rare but sometimes used in processed foods; a byproduct of the cotton industry and often contains pesticide residues.

   
   

6. Grapeseed Oil – Sometimes marketed as “healthy,” but highly processed and rich in omega-6.

   
   

7. Safflower Oil – Another high omega-6 oil used in processed foods and cooking oils.

   
   

8. Vegetable Oil (Blends) – Often a mix of rapeseed, soybean, and sunflower oils, found in everything from mayonnaise to cheap frying oils.

   
   

Where These Oils Hide

• Supermarket ready meals

• Crisps and snack foods

• Margarine and butter substitutes

• Store-bought salad dressings and sauces

• Takeaways and fried foods

• Baked goods like biscuits and cakes

What’s the Problem with Seed Oils?

Well, here’s the crux of it: our bodies simply weren’t designed to handle them. Seed oils are high in omega-6 fatty acids, which, in moderation, aren’t necessarily evil. But the modern diet is not moderate—it’s drowning in them. And when we consume too much omega-6 without enough omega-3 to balance it out (as found in fish, grass-fed meat, and some nuts), we create the perfect storm for chronic inflammation.

Inflammation, as it happens, is at the root of a whole host of modern ailments—heart disease, obesity, diabetes, and even mental health struggles like anxiety and depression. Not exactly the glowing health we were promised when these oils were marketed as “heart-healthy alternatives.”

And if that weren’t enough, the way these oils are processed makes them unstable at high temperatures, meaning they oxidize easily and create free radicals—those pesky molecules that damage our cells and accelerate aging. So, if you’d rather not feel like a creaky old door before your time, it might be worth reconsidering what’s in your frying pan.

What Should We Use Instead?

The good news is that, just as we unknowingly invited seed oils into our lives, we can just as easily show them the door. And the alternatives? They’ve been here all along.

1. Olive Oil – A staple of the Mediterranean diet (which, as research tells us, seems to do wonders for longevity), olive oil is rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds. Best used for low-heat cooking and drizzling over salads.

   
   

2. Butter & Ghee – If your great-grandparents swore by it, there’s probably a good reason. Butter (from grass-fed cows, ideally) is full of fat-soluble vitamins, and ghee—its clarified cousin—is fantastic for high-heat cooking.

   
   

3. Coconut Oil – Once unfairly demonized, coconut oil is rich in stable saturated fats, making it a great choice for frying and baking. Plus, it has antimicrobial properties, which is a nice little bonus.

   
   

4. Animal Fats (Tallow & Lard) – The unsung heroes of traditional cooking. Tallow (from beef) and lard (from pork) are heat-stable, delicious, and provide a good balance of fats that your body knows exactly how to use.

   
   

5. Avocado Oil – High in monounsaturated fats and stable at higher temperatures, avocado oil is a solid choice for everything from sautéing to homemade mayonnaise.

   
   

Are you ready for Change?

So, should you be afraid of seed oils?

I don’t think fear is ever a particularly useful mindset.

Should you rethink them? Absolutely.

The industrial food system is full of experiments that haven’t quite worked out in our favor, and seed oils are one of them.

The bottom line? The best foods are the ones that don’t need a laboratory to exist. Cook with real, stable fats that have stood the test of time.

Your body—and quite possibly your taste buds—will thank you.

We personally cook & bake with a mix of the products pictured above. Our favourite is Tallow which is great for frying and roasting as is packed with vitamins. It can be expensive but the cheapest place we have found to buy this one is at Healf online. If you use our code THEROBSONS at checkout, you will get a huge £10 off your first order (minimum spend £40)

Healf Website