Month: January 2025

Are Oils from Vegetables and Seeds “Harmful”?

Vegetable oils, often referred to as “seed oils,” have ignited significant discussions on social media and bestseller charts.

The controversy surrounding vegetable oils has been present since their market debut. Recently, with the popularity of the carnivore diet, negative perceptions of vegetable oils have intensified. You might have come across terms such as “toxic sludge,” “motor oil,” “the hateful eight,” and “the main contributor to chronic diseases that are largely ignored.”

The critique of vegetable oils usually asserts that while animal fats have been a part of human diets for thousands of years, vegetable fats were created in the past century by businesses focused on profiting from cheap crops.

Another argument is that, akin to margarine, vegetable oils were marketed as healthier alternatives to butter, yet many contend these oils are more detrimental than butter, heightening the likelihood of obesity, anxiety, depression, ulcerative colitis, and a variety of other issues.

On the flip side, some specialists maintain that vegetable oils are safe, potentially advantageous for health, and unquestionably preferable to butter.

As with a lot of discussions on nutrition, the reality is intricate and cannot merely be reduced to a catchy phrase.

This article seeks to elucidate the science versus pseudoscience regarding vegetable oils, aiding you in making educated decisions about the oils you incorporate into your diet.

What Constitutes Vegetable Oils?

Commonly known as “seed oils,” vegetable oils are extracted from the seeds of plants. The most commonly found varieties in stores include:

• Canola oil
• Corn oil
• Safflower oil
• Sesame oil
• Sunflower oil
• Soybean oil
• Grapeseed oil

Oils derived from non-seed plants, such as olive, avocado, palm, or coconut oil, do not fall under the category of vegetable or seed oils as they are obtained from fruits.

What Is the Processing Method for Vegetable Oils?

In contrast to oils like olive and avocado oil, which originate from naturally fatty foods (you can even produce olive oil at home), the majority of vegetable oils are extracted from items with low fat levels.

For instance, a cup of green olives contains around 20 grams of fat,¹ while a cup of corn has merely 2 grams.²

This requires a complicated, multi-step extraction procedure for vegetable oils, which involves:

• Crushing: High pressure is utilized to draw out oil from seeds.
• Refining: Seeds are heated alongside solvents like hexane to extract additional oil.
• Deodorizing: The oil obtained is heated to 400°F (204°C) for several hours to eliminate flavor and remove unwanted compounds.

This method can result in the depletion of beneficial polyphenols and nutrients, and can transform some unsaturated fats into trans fatty acids (partially hydrogenated fats).

While dubbing these processed oils as “harmful” might be an exaggeration, nutrition experts generally concur that trans fats should be minimized, leading to a 2018 FDA prohibition on their inclusion in processed foods.^{3 4}

Which Cooking Oils Are Recommended?

At PN, we have created multiple visual guides to assist individuals in making well-informed dietary decisions.

We have categorized some vegetable oils—such as expeller-pressed canola oil, high-oleic sunflower, and safflower oils—within the “Eat Some” category. This indicates these oils have a neutral health effect when consumed in moderation. In certain cases, similar to dark chocolate, small quantities may even offer benefits.

Other vegetable oils, along with butter and saturated fats, are designated as “Eat Less.” Vegetable oils are highlighted in bold.

We have received responses from individuals who believe some vegetable oils, especially cold-pressed canola oil, should be placed in the “eat more” category, while others contend that all vegetable oils should be classified under “eat less,” and that butter ought to be in “eat some” or “eat more.”

To comprehend the reasoning behind our suggestions, let’s

Our forebears used their senses to evaluate their health, while we are increasingly reliant on technology.

Today, if you have a curious mindset, you can track your heart rate, step count, workout intensity, and sleep quality—often all through a single sleek device.

Ideally, these devices forge a link between your personal sensations and empirical data.

This is, in general, a captivating and remarkable advancement.

Though our individual feelings and assessments carry weight, they are not always the most precise. Humans frequently find it challenging to accurately quantify our experiences and actions.

For example, a coworker believed he was eating a small number of calories, but after monitoring, he found he was actually consuming an extra 500 calories each day—just from barbecue sauce.

Nonetheless, some people excel at self-evaluation more than others.

Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson was recognized for his skill in predicting his 100-meter time within a tenth of a second of the actual stopwatch reading.¹

This is outstanding performance, but it prompts the inquiry:

How effectively can you evaluate yourself?

And how can you improve your precision through the smart application of technology—such as fitness trackers—to make informed health choices?

In this article, we will delve into these questions and also discuss:

• How precise are data trackers?
• When is monitoring advantageous? (And when is it not?)
• Can you condition yourself to judge things more accurately by intuition?

Let’s begin.

First, how precise are data trackers?

Not all data holds the same value.

Some brands offer superior products compared to others, which encompasses not just their hardware but the caliber of their software and datasets.

Additionally, not all metrics are equally simple to quantify.

For instance, heart rate and step count data are generally reliable,² whereas many other metrics—such as calories expended or speed of movement—can exhibit substantial margins for error.

The chart below demonstrates the dependability of varying tracking devices.

(For additional information on the accuracy of different progress indicators, refer to: Are Fitness Trackers Worth It?)

Next, when is tracking genuinely useful?

The positive aspect: Tracking devices furnish us with more data regarding our behaviors and bodies than ever previously.

The downside: Tracking devices can also inundate us with more information than we can effectively manage.

“What’s truly astonishing,” states computer scientist Samantha Kleinberg, “is that even a modest amount of extra information can adversely affect our decision-making.”³

This represents the paradox of tracking: Insufficient detail makes it difficult to make the right choice, but excessive detail does as well.

This can be conceptualized as an inverted U-curve, with the ideal point at the pinnacle.

Nowadays, it’s surprisingly easy to become inundated with information.

Consider the analysis paralysis you experience after reviewing numerous evaluations for taco restaurants in your locality. (All you sought was a decent el pastor, yet now you’re uncertain which taqueria to select!)

Finding the precise amount of information needed to make prudent decisions is an art—especially in health and fitness, where it appears that everyone is striving to provide more science, personalization, and complexity.

However, when all that information becomes confusing and lacks a clear direction, what should you do?

Begin by posing a straightforward question to yourself:

Does tracking improve my well-being and performance?

If the response is a clear yes or no, you determine your next course of action. (Either continue tracking as you have been, or discard the device.)

If your answer is uncertain, here are three signs to assist you in determining whether tracking is advantageous.

Sign #1: Tracking alleviates your stress and affirms your methods.

When Zak’s coach emphasized the advantages of zone 2 cardio, it resonated with him. However, once he commenced running, Zak began to question everything. He felt proud of his capability to