Nutritionists weigh in on seed oils, cooking and consumption habits

Seed oils have become a growing topic of discussion on every corner of the internet, from food bloggers and nutritionists to wellness gurus on social media. And amid all the talk about consuming these ingredients, experts can help clarify what individuals should consider to make healthy choices when it comes to seed oils.

While no one food group can be responsible for better or worse overall health, which should be combined with a well-rounded diet and other healthy lifestyle habits like exercise, seed oils have become the latest high-calorie ingredient to make waves online.

Viral claims about how the highly processed, inflammation-inducing seed oils, which consist mainly of fats, are harmful to one’s diet are circumstantial. In many cases, the health impact of the ingredient, which experts believe still needs more scientific research, depends on the amount, which types and other contributing consumption factors.

Nutritionists interviewed by ABC News said seed oils should be consumed in moderation with a better understanding of individual nutritional needs, as the safe consumption threshold varies from person to person.

Although there may be a hypothetical health risk if seed oil is heated to a very high temperature, that problem does not typically arise when cooking at home. Instead, experts warned that ordinary people should be careful about eating too much fast food and commercially processed foods, which are more sensitive to frying at high temperatures and also pose other health risks beyond the hypothetical risk from seed oils.

What nutritionists want you to know about seed oils

“All vegetable oils and seed oils contain different nutritional profiles with a variety of properties,” registered dietitian nutritionist Dr. Maya Feller on “Good Morning America.”

“Eating too much fat or oil is also a concern for heart health and all should be consumed in moderation,” Samantha Cochrane, RD at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, told “GMA.” “This is why you hear recommendations to move away from cooking methods with higher fat content, such as frying, to methods that use smaller amounts of oil, such as sautéing or baking.”

Feller said that because “seed oils typically contain a higher amount of omega 6 fatty acids – a polyunsaturated fatty acid,” they have “been studied specifically in the areas of cardiovascular health and lowering LDL cholesterol.”

In Cochrane’s work, the research has shown that “when replacing saturated fat in the diet – fats from animal sources such as meat and dairy products [or] Oils such as coconut and palm oil – for unsaturated fats, which are found in higher amounts in seed oils – such as canola, sunflower, corn oil, etc. – there are potential benefits for heart health.

Although she explained that there is no evidence to support “any type of seed oil” that could potentially “be harmful if eaten,” Cochrane said, “we do know that when seed oils are heated to their smoke point for extended periods of time, they can form compounds that are not good for your health.”

Canola oil, for example, which has a smoke point of 400 degrees, means that when commercially processed foods cook that oil at a higher temperature, it will burn and cause the polyunsaturated fats in the seed oils to oxidize, producing compounds called can contribute to health problems.

Cooking at home with seed oil and choosing an option with a high smoke point

“When they are made, they are not heated to the smoking point,” Cochrane noted. “To avoid any potential health effects from this, it is best to avoid cooking over high heat for long periods of time, and if you do cook over high heat, use oils with a higher smoke point.”

For home cooks curious about the best examples, Cochrane said, “Avocado, peanut and canola oils all have high smoke points.”

Feller also drew a distinction between how most people use these ingredients at home versus restaurants, fast food chains or highly processed CPG brands.

“The seed oils we use in our home kitchens are less of a problem. At home we tend to use them in smaller quantities and in some cases we buy higher quality versions,” she said. “Seed oils added in larger quantities to packaged goods can be anti-inflammatory and harmful to overall health if consumed regularly and consistently.”

“It’s worth noting that every food should be viewed in relation to a person’s diet and in the context in which it is consumed,” Feller recalls.

Because “there is no limit set for specific seed oils,” Cochrane said, “the recommended amount of total fat per day will vary from person to person and this may affect the amount of oil they should use when cooking.”

Fellow nutritionist and former ABC News chief medical correspondent Dr. Jennifer Ashton explained earlier this year that “oil is still oil, the biochemistry doesn’t change, so you have to be careful about how much you consume.”

She urged people not to assume “that because something is natural you can get an unlimited amount of it,” especially considering that vegetable oils “can be processed” and “contain too many omega-6 fatty acids ‘. Ashton pointed out that seed oils have also been “linked to certain types of inflammation.”