The Only Thing Inflammatory About Seed Oils is the Internet Debate
May 20, 2026
Bottom-line:
- We're debunking the myth that seed oils cause inflammation.
- Discover the truth backed by evidence and understand the real culprits behind inflammation in your diet.
- Learn how to make informed choices for better health and patient outcomes!
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Transcript:
dr wells here from san augustine beach and nutritionalphysicaltherapy.com today we're busting another myth this one's about seed oils so if you're in your clinic and you're telling your patients to avoid seed oils because they cause inflammation and they're toxic you're perpetuating a myth particularly a myth that's been pushed and peddled by influencers on social media and it's not backed by the evidence so Why is that? Well, research shows that seed oils are rich in omega6 fatty acids, also known as linoleic acid.
[00:31-00:58]
Linoleic acid in and of itself is actually not pro-inflammatory, and there's been several studies to show that removing saturated fat products and adding in omega6 linoleic acid can actually reduce interleukins, which are a form of cytokines that promote inflammation, as well as reduce C-reactive protein, which is a marker of inflammation. So if that was the case, then these studies would show the opposite, right?
[00:58-01:25]
If seed oils were inflammatory, then we would see CRP go up, we would see interleukin levels go up, but It's actually not true. We actually see that there's other several longitudinal studies that show that patients that routinely consume seed oils have lower cardiovascular and systemic metabolic risk factors. So the evidence in this really shows that Seed oils themselves aren't necessarily bad.
[01:25-02:04]
However, there's a caveat. There's always a caveat, right? So where do we see seed oil stand out? Well, again, it's the food is what the person's eating. It's not just the ingredients, right? So people aren't just walking around guzzling sunflower oil or avocado oil. it's oftentimes an ultra-processed food. So where we see some of these associations and correlative studies that some people tout and they hold up high in the mountain is people are eating junk food. They're eating processed muffins, they're eating processed snack bars and cereal grains that are ultra processed and they need good shelf stable fats.
[02:04-02:45]
And so what they use is seed oils. And so what happens is people consume those and it's not just that that they're consuming in that there's also refined sugar, There may be other other fats that are in there as well. local local fire department going so what we're seeing is really is what the food is the quality of the food is what matters not just the basic ingredient right so in the end really pts and rehab professionals we need to cite the evidence we need to be uh uh truthful and and tell patients the real evidence and that's that ultra processed food is probably the biggest link it's not just the seed oils it's not that easy and we ultimately want to debunk some of these social media myths.
[02:45-03:07]
So if you like this content, you want more, check out our 3part course series on nutrition, poor physical therapy, going to joint health, joint inflammation. We talk a lot about omega-threes. We talk a lot about omega-sixes, gut brain health, and more. So if you like this, sign up today, save some money, subscribe, and we'll see you again soon.
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