"Oil Be Honest: The Real Deal on Seed Oils"

Eugenie Krager
Jul 23
2 min read

What Is a Seed Oil, Anyway?

Seed oils are extracted from the seeds of plants—hence the name. They're a subset of vegetable oils, but not all vegetable oils are seed oils. For example, olive, avocado, palm, and coconut oils come from the fruit, not the seed.

Ever come across the term RBD oils? It stands for Refined, Bleached, and Deodorized—a process used to make oils look clear, smell neutral, and have a long shelf life.

These ultra-processed oils include soybean, corn, canola, cottonseed, sunflower, and safflower oil.

On the other hand, cold-pressed oils skip this chemical refinement. This is why a good olive oil still tastes like olives and can vary in flavor depending on the region it’s from.

Remember the Canola Craze?

Canola oil was once hailed as the “healthy” choice. The name comes from “Canadian oil, low acid,” and it’s derived from the rapeseed plant.

It was genetically modified to reduce erucic acid, a compound once considered unfit for human consumption.

Fun fact (or maybe not so fun): before World War II, rapeseed oil was commonly used as machine lubricant.

According to the Non-GMO Project, there's no such thing as truly non-GMO canola. And in fact, most of the seed oils mentioned above are genetically modified. (1)

The harmful effects of GMO foods cannot be ignored.

What Does the Science Say?

A recent study puts RBD oils in the spotlight, linking them to cancer and metabolic diseases. Why? These oils are high in PUFAs (polyunsaturated fatty acids), especially linoleic acid, which when consumed in excess can be deposited in our fat cells and mitochondrial membranes.

The result? Oxidative stress, insulin resistance, and impaired cellular function. (2)

Our mitochondria—the energy factories of our cells—don’t like being overloaded with unstable fats. And unfortunately, linoleic acid is a major player in this dysfunction.

So, What Oils Are Safe?

Here’s a simple rule: choose minimally processed, natural fats—ones that can spoil over time. That’s usually a good sign that they’re real food.