PLEASE NOTE: The information in this blog is for educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Consult your healthcare provider if you’re seeking medical advice, diagnoses, or treatment.
Seed oils are everywhere—lurking in everyday foods and hidden in places you’d never expect, from baby formula to granola bars. However, growing concerns exist about the potential health risks associated with seed oils.
If you’re looking to make healthier choices, you should know which seed oils to watch out for and why. In this post, we’ll explore a list of seed oils to avoid, and their associated health risks and provide practical tips to help you eliminate seed oils and protect your family’s health.
Table of Contents
TL;DR
A list of seed oils to avoid: canola oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil, flaxseed oil, grapeseed oil, hemp seed oil, rice bran oil, safflower oil, sesame oil, soybean oil, and sunflower oil. These industrial oils are high in linoleic acid, unstable at cooking temperatures, and linked to chronic inflammation and metabolic disruption. Replace them with animal fats: tallow, butter, and ghee.
What are Seed Oils?
Seed oils, or “vegetable oils” are extracted from vegetable crops like soybeans, cottonseed, and corn, often through intensive processing. These methods typically involve high heat, chemical solvents, and deodorization to make the oils suitable for consumption.
Seed oils were originally byproducts of manufacturing during the Industrial Revolution. They weren’t initially intended for the dinner table. However, by the mid-1900s, seed oils had become a staple ingredient in packaged foods, reshaping the Western diet in ways that are raising new health concerns today (1). In short, they’re the single biggest change to the US Diet in the last 150 years.
From “The Ancestral Diet Revolution” by Chris Knobbe, MD
Are Seed Oils Toxic?
The food industry favors seed oils for their low cost and so-called “heart-healthy” reputation, but this claim lacks robust scientific backing. Research suggests that seed oils pose significant health risks.
Seed oils are high in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), especially linoleic acid, constituting over 50% of most seed oils (2). Linoleic acid can accumulate in the body over time, potentially raising the risk of chronic health conditions (3). Here’s how (4, 5).
- Fat Cell Expansion: Consuming too much linoleic acid causes fat cells to grow beyond their healthy size
- Release of Fatty Acids: These oversized fat cells release excess fatty acids into the bloodstream.
- Triggering of Inflammation: The release of fatty acids triggers inflammation, a natural response to cellular stress.
- Metabolic Disruption: Chronic inflammation can signal insulin resistance, making it difficult for cells to absorb glucose and raising blood sugar levels.
- Increased Risk of Chronic Disease: Prolonged insulin resistance can lead to chronic conditions like diabetes, heart disease, and other serious illnesses (6).
Over the past century, seed oil consumption has skyrocketed, as have rates of chronic diseases (7). Avoiding seed oils is crucial for supporting long-term health and promoting longevity.
The Comprehensive List of Seed Oils to Avoid
Now that we recognize the link between the increased consumption of seed oils and inflammation, let’s identify the specific types of seed oils to watch out for. They are commonly found in processed foods and even some health products, making it essential to recognize the names of seed oils.
Below is a complete list of seed oils to avoid, organized alphabetically:
- Canola oil
- Corn oil
- Cottonseed oil
- Flaxseed oil
- Grapeseed oil
- Hemp seed oil
- Rice bran oil
- Safflower oil
- Sesame oil
- Soybean oil
- Sunflower oil
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Now, let’s dive into a few of our most frequently asked questions about avoiding seed oils.
Is Olive Oil a Seed Oil? Is Avocado Oil a Seed Oil?
Olive and avocado oils are not on the list of seed oils; they come from fruit and are less processed. They contain significantly lower amounts of linoleic acid (about 10% each).
Caution: Be mindful of sourcing. The olive oil and avocado oil markets are largely unregulated, with studies showing that more than 75% of store brands labeled “olive oil” may contain soybean, canola, or other oils.
Tip: If you choose olive oil, opt for a cold-pressed, extra virgin variety stored in a dark glass bottle for optimal freshness.
What About Palm Oil?
Palm oil is not on the list of seed oils; it is sourced from the fruit of the palm tree and contains about 10% linoleic acid.
Caution: Refined palm oil can be tricky since the refining process isn’t standardized, and some factories may produce harmful toxins. (8)
Tip: It’s best to avoid it if you can, but if you don’t have another option, it’s still better than seed oils.
Is Coconut Oil a Seed Oil?
Coconut oil is not a seed oil, and is not on the list of seed oils. It only contains about 1-2% linoleic acid and is composed primarily of saturated fats, particularly medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), making it stable at high temperatures and supportive of metabolic health (9).
Caution: While coconut oil contains small amounts of the plant compound salicylates, it is usually well-tolerated by most people. However, very sensitive individuals should be mindful when trying.
Tip: If you choose to use coconut oil, opt for raw, unrefined options that retain more nutrients.
What about Fried Foods?
Avoiding foods fried in seed oils is a great start, but fried foods aren’t necessarily off-limits!
When frying or cooking at high temperatures, choosing saturated fats with high smoke points is essential. Once oils reach their smoke point, they break down, forming harmful compounds that negatively affect both health (and flavor!) (10).
Here’s a list of healthy fats ranked from highest to lowest smoke point:
- Ghee: 450°F
- Tallow: 400°F
- Avocado Oil (Unrefined): 375–400°F
- Olive Oil (Extra Virgin): 325–375°F
- Coconut Oil (Unrefined): 350°F
- Butter: 300°F
Next time you want to fry plantains or sweet potatoes, use ghee or tallow for a healthy, stable cooking option.
The Best Fats for Optimal Health
We believe that high-quality animal fats, like butter and tallow (rendered beef fat), are among the most beneficial fats for optimal health. Unlike seed oils, animal fats offer a balanced fatty acid profile that supports metabolic health, satiety, cognitive performance, hormone balance, and more.
Animal fats contain only about 1-2% linoleic acid and are rich in stable saturated and monounsaturated fats, which are less prone to oxidation. They also contain stearic acid—a fatty acid found in suet (the fat around the kidneys) and in our Firestarter supplement—which signals fat cells to shrink (11).
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FAQ: List of Seed Oils and How to Avoid Them
What is the complete list of seed oils to avoid? The full list of seed oils to avoid is: canola oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil, flaxseed oil, grapeseed oil, hemp seed oil, rice bran oil, safflower oil, sesame oil, soybean oil, and sunflower oil. These are the most common seed oils found in packaged foods, restaurant cooking, and processed snacks.
Why should you avoid seed oils? Seed oils are high in linoleic acid, a polyunsaturated fatty acid that makes up over 50% of most seed oils. Excess linoleic acid accumulates in the body, causes fat cells to expand beyond their healthy size, triggers inflammation, and disrupts insulin signaling. Over the past century, seed oil consumption has risen sharply alongside rates of chronic disease.
How do you know if a food contains seed oils? Read the ingredient label. Any product listing canola oil, soybean oil, vegetable oil, corn oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil, or cottonseed oil contains seed oils. “Vegetable oil” is the most common disguise. Seed oils appear in the majority of packaged snacks, salad dressings, condiments, frozen meals, and restaurant-cooked foods.
Are all vegetable oils seed oils? Not all vegetable oils are seed oils. Olive oil and avocado oil come from fruit, not seeds, and contain significantly less linoleic acid (around 10% each). Coconut oil comes from the coconut fruit and contains only 1 to 2% linoleic acid. However, the term “vegetable oil” on an ingredient label almost always refers to soybean, canola, or corn oil.
What can you use instead of seed oils? Replace seed oils with animal fats: tallow, butter, ghee, and lard. These fats contain only 1 to 2% linoleic acid, are stable at high cooking temperatures, and support metabolic health, satiety, and hormone balance. For high-heat cooking, ghee (smoke point 450°F) and tallow (400°F) are the top choices.
Are seed oils hiding in healthy-seeming foods? Yes. Seed oils appear in foods commonly perceived as healthy, including granola bars, protein bars, hummus, store-bought nut butters, baby formula, salad dressings labeled “light” or “natural,” and even some supplements. Checking every ingredient label is the only reliable way to avoid them.
Is canola oil the worst seed oil? All seed oils on the list are problematic due to their high linoleic acid content. Canola oil is particularly concerning because it also undergoes a deodorization process that can produce trans fats as a byproduct, even in products labeled trans-fat-free.
Glossary
Seed oil: An industrial oil extracted from the seeds of crops such as soybeans, corn, sunflowers, and rapeseeds (canola) through high-heat processing and chemical solvents. High in polyunsaturated fatty acids, particularly linoleic acid.
Linoleic acid: An omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid that makes up over 50% of most seed oils. Linoleic acid accumulates in body fat over time and is associated with fat cell expansion, chronic inflammation, and metabolic disruption when consumed in excess.
Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs): A category of dietary fat with multiple double bonds in the carbon chain, making them chemically unstable and prone to oxidation at high heat. Seed oils are predominantly composed of PUFAs.
Saturated fat: A type of dietary fat with no double bonds in the carbon chain, making it stable at high cooking temperatures and resistant to oxidation. Found primarily in animal fats like tallow, butter, ghee, and lard.
Tallow: Rendered beef fat. Contains only 1 to 2% linoleic acid, has a smoke point of 400°F, and is one of the most stable and nutrient-supportive cooking fats available. The ancestral replacement for seed oils in high-heat cooking.
Smoke point: The temperature at which a fat or oil begins to break down and produce harmful compounds. Fats with higher smoke points are safer for high-heat cooking. Animal fats generally have higher and more stable smoke points than seed oils.
Oxidation: A chemical reaction in which a fat molecule reacts with oxygen, producing free radicals and harmful byproducts. Seed oils, high in PUFAs, oxidize rapidly when exposed to heat, light, or air, making them particularly damaging when used for cooking.
Related Reading
- Is Corn Oil Healthy? 4 Dangers & What To Choose Instead
- The Ultimate Guide To The Animal-Based Diet
- 6 Dangers Of Eating Liver: What You Need To Know
- Beef Liver Vs Chicken Liver Benefits: Which Is Healthier?
- Key Differences Between Organic And Conventional Foods
Download the full animal-based diet food list PDF for a printable animal-based grocery list and other resources to help you reach your goals.
The Bottom Line
The Western diet now contains far more seed oils than ever, a shift that coincides with the rise in chronic health conditions. Eliminating seed oils is a crucial step toward optimal well-being!
You can better support your metabolic, heart, and immune health by choosing nutrient-dense animal fats rich in saturated fats. Small changes—like reading labels and choosing unprocessed foods—help you to protect your family’s health. Each step to reduce seed oils is a step toward radical health.
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