What Are Seed Oils? And How Do You Know If You’re Eating Them?
“Seed oil” and “vegetable oil” sound like innocent, maybe even vaguely healthy, terms. In actuality, they refer to a process of hydrogenation rather than just the oils naturally occurring in seeds and vegetables. They’re in just about all the processed food we eat, and are likely a major culprit in the obesity epidemic we're facing today.
By now, most people have seen the term “seed oil” floating around. While the usage ranges from a well-memed punchline to a more serious call to action around public health, it’s generally not well understood. Some even speculate that seed oils, also called vegetable oils, are the hidden culprit behind the rampant rise in Western obesity rates over the past few decades, though the advice from experts is muddled with conflicts of interest.