The Hidden Dangers of Seed Oils: Profit over Health
For over a century, seed oils—including soybean oil, canola oil, corn oil and others—have quietly become staples of the modern diet. These oils, once thought to be healthier alternatives to animal fats like butter and lard, have instead become major contributors to the rise in obesity, heart disease and a host of other chronic conditions. The alarming truth is that the damage caused by these oils isn't some hidden scientific mystery—it's well-documented. What concerns many health experts is that this science is not unknown; it has simply been silenced.
The Profit-Driven Agenda Behind Seed Oils
The introduction of seed oils into the global food supply was less about health and more about profit. During the early 20th century, as the industrial revolution took hold, companies like Procter & Gamble and others in the burgeoning vegetable oil industry saw an opportunity to capitalize on the surplus of seeds like soy, corn, and cotton. These oils could be processed cheaply and marketed as healthier alternatives to animal fats, and their use quickly expanded.
Crisco, for example, was marketed in 1911 as a superior alternative to lard, with advertising campaigns that focused on its supposed health benefits. Procter & Gamble made substantial efforts to ensure that consumers believed that vegetable oils were healthier than traditional animal fats. They pushed this narrative hard, despite the fact that there was little scientific evidence at the time to support it. Instead, it was the profit margins that drove this agenda. Crisco was cheaper to produce and mass production allowed these companies to dominate the market for oils.
In the 1940s and 1950s, the American Heart Association (AHA) became a major proponent of seed oils, partly due to the influence of major food corporations. These corporations funded the AHA’s research and began promoting seed oils as heart-healthy options. At the same time, a paradigm shift occurred in which saturated fats—found in animal fats like butter, lard and beef—were demonized, while polyunsaturated oils derived from seeds were touted as beneficial. The truth, however, is that this was an effort to protect profits, not human health.
Why Seed Oils Became So Prevalent
By the 1960s, the food industry began aggressively pushing seed oils through ultra-processed products. Salad dressings, cookies, chips, baked goods and countless other everyday food items suddenly became laden with soybean oil, canola oil and corn oil. These oils were easy to incorporate into foods, extending shelf life and enhancing flavor profiles, all while keeping costs low. However, what most consumers didn’t realize was the long-term health consequences of this shift.
Over the decades, as these oils became staples in the average American diet, the rise in chronic diseases began to parallel their consumption. In 1865, the average American consumed less than 51 grams of vegetable oils per day. By 2014, that number had skyrocketed to 65 grams per person globally. This increase, however, mirrored the rise in heart disease, diabetes, obesity and other conditions—suggesting a clear connection between the consumption of seed oils and chronic illness.
The Toxicity of Seed Oils
Seed oils are rich in omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids, specifically linoleic acid, which the body does not handle well in large amounts. These fats oxidize easily, creating inflammation, free radicals and toxic byproducts that can harm cells, tissues and organs. The high intake of omega-6 fatty acids, especially in relation to omega-3s, creates an imbalance that exacerbates inflammation in the body, leading to a host of diseases, including heart disease, diabetes, cancer and obesity.
What's particularly disturbing is that linoleic acid accumulates in fat stores and cell membranes, disrupting metabolism and causing oxidative stress that leads to disease progression. When consumed in high quantities, these oils create a pro-inflammatory environment, where the body is in a constant state of oxidative stress, contributing to chronic illnesses.
The Silence and the Need for New Studies
What is perhaps most concerning is that the scientific evidence linking seed oils to these health problems is well-established—but largely ignored or suppressed. As Dr. Chris Masterjohn and other health experts have pointed out, this research isn’t hidden away in obscure journals; it has been systematically silenced by a combination of corporate interests, poor study funding and outdated methodologies.
Dr. Masterjohn highlights a significant concern when he says, “What concerns me most is that this science is not unknown. It has just been silenced.” Despite mounting evidence that seed oils are harmful, there are no large-scale, independent studies funded to prove this. Most funding for clinical research today comes from private industries, such as pharmaceutical companies, which have a vested interest in promoting and defending the status quo. No pharmaceutical company is likely to fund a study that compares saturated fats with seed oils because the results could challenge the multi-billion-dollar industry that relies on promoting seed oils as a healthier option.
This leaves us in a difficult position. We are kind of stuck looking at antiquated data and doing the best we can. And while that data may be flawed or outdated, it still suggests strongly that seed oils are problematic for human health. The frustration among researchers like Dr. Masterjohn is palpable. “I’m frustrated by our food supply,” he says, “because it’s making us sick and it’s going to penalize their illness and even their death tomorrow.”
The Financial and Political Power of the Seed Oil Industry
The dominance of seed oils in the global food supply is not just a matter of misguided health advice—it’s the result of a massive economic structure that benefits from their widespread use. From the food industry to pharmaceuticals, many sectors profit from the continued promotion of seed oils. These industries control the narrative around dietary fats, funding research that supports their agenda while suppressing contradictory findings.
The sheer profit these industries make from seed oils is staggering. At the same time, the health impacts of consuming these oils have largely been ignored or downplayed by the very authorities entrusted with safeguarding public health. Instead of focusing on what is truly beneficial for consumers, these industries continue to protect their bottom lines, even if it means perpetuating a cycle of illness and misinformation.
A Call for New, Independent Research
We need funding for new, independent studies that are free from the influence of the food and pharmaceutical industries. These studies should focus on the long-term effects of seed oils versus other fats, such as saturated fats from animal sources and coconut oil. Until this is done, we remain stuck in a cycle of antiquated and incomplete data that leaves us vulnerable to continued dietary damage.
Ancestral Diets
The most compelling evidence for the dangers of seed oils lies in the ancestral diets of human populations. Communities like the Maasai in Africa, who consume a diet primarily of milk, meat and blood and the Tokelauans in the Pacific, who thrive on coconut oil and fish, have very low rates of heart disease, despite consuming high amounts of fat. These populations provide proof that natural fats—from animal and plant sources—are far healthier than seed oils.
In contrast, modern diets that rely on seed oils and processed foods have led to an explosion in chronic diseases. Moving back toward whole, natural foods—like grass-fed meats, butter and coconut oil—may be the key to restoring our health and combating the damage done by seed oils.
Practical Steps
What you can do to nurture your health and reduce the impact of vegetable oils:
- Avoid processed foods: Shop primarily along the outer aisles of the supermarket where fresh, whole foods are found and avoid the aisles packed with processed, oil-laden products.
- Replace vegetable oils at home: Ditch harmful vegetable oils in favor of traditional animal fats like butter and lard, or choose healthy options like coconut oil.
- Be cautious when dining out: Many restaurant dishes, particularly fried foods, are cooked with vegetable oils. Choose grilled, steamed, or roasted meals to protect your health from unnecessary exposure to these toxic fats.
The Need for Change
The science on seed oils is clear, but it's been buried under layers of corporate interests and outdated research. For too long, the food industry has prioritized profit over health, flooding our diets with cheap, harmful oils that promote disease. What we need now is a revival of honest, independent scientific inquiry, new studies free from corporate influence and a return to a diet based on natural fats and whole foods. Without this, the toll of modern illness will continue to rise and generations to come will pay the price of the seed oil epidemic.