To seed oil or not to seed oil? That seems to be the question.

Seed oils have certainly become one of the most controversial topics in nutrition. One minute we're being told they're "toxic", and the next we're hearing there's no reason to avoid them. It's no wonder people are confused!

Let’s deep dive into this divisive topic and see what the research actually says.

First things first... what is a seed oil and why have they suddenly made headlines?

Much of the recent concern around seed oils has been fuelled by social media, podcasts and documentaries, where complex nutrition topics are often distilled into simple, attention-grabbing messages. While these conversations have encouraged people to question what's in their food (which isn't necessarily a bad thing), they don't always reflect the full body of scientific evidence or the nuance within it.

One thing I’ve also noticed get lost in the conversation is that not every plant oil is a seed oil.

Seed oils are oils extracted from the seeds of plants and include:

• Sunflower
• Safflower
• Canola
• Cottonseed
• Sesame
• Grapeseed
• Soybean

Whilst some commonly used oils aren't seed oils at all. For example olive oil, avocado oil and coconut oil are all fruit oils which are extracted by pressing the flesh of the fruit.

And then there is Rice bran oil which is not technically a seed oil, but people often group it with them because it undergoes similar industrial processing. It comes from the outer bran layer and germ of a rice grain rather than a seed.

Grouping all plant oils together, when they can have varying nutritional properties, can make the discussion unnecessarily confusing and as the article referenced below points out, ‘seed oils’ seem to have replaced the term “vegetable oils”.

An example of this is coconut oil, although it is a plant-based oil, coconut oil has a very different fatty acid profile to most other commonly used vegetable oils because it is naturally high in saturated fat.

The main concerns raised by critics of seeds oils are a combination of:

• Industrial processing (e.g. solvent extraction, bleaching, deodorising).
• High omega-6 linoleic acid content and the belief it promotes inflammation.
• Oxidation during high-heat cooking.
• The fact that they're common in ultra-processed foods.

These claims have gained enormous traction on social media, but do they stand up to scientific scrutiny?

Recently, a comprehensive scientific review (referenced below) examined the evidence surrounding seed oils and health. The authors looked at the claims commonly made online and compared them with the current body of research.

One of the strongest conclusions was that replacing saturated fats such as butter, lard and tallow with unsaturated vegetable oils is associated with better cardiovascular health.

In other words, if you're choosing between cooking with butter or sunflower oil, the current evidence supports choosing the sunflower oil.

This is consistent with decades of nutrition research showing that replacing saturated fat with unsaturated fat can improve blood cholesterol levels and reduce cardiovascular disease risk.

But let me make something clear - asking whether a food is healthy is a very different question to asking if it is healthier than the alternatives.

The question being asked by many researchers isn't simply, "Are seed oils healthy?" but rather, "Healthier than what?".

And just because one fat is a healthier choice than another doesn't automatically mean we should use unlimited amounts of it.

Replacing butter with sunflower oil is different from asking whether you need to add oil to a meal that doesn't require it. Those are two completely different questions, and the research answers them differently.

Oils are still energy-dense foods, and many recipes don't actually need as much oil as we think.

Over the past few years, I've been surprised by how often I've been able to reduce or even skip the oil in everyday cooking without noticing much difference.

However, I don't avoid oil - I just don't use it automatically anymore.

I enjoy avocado oil drizzled over a fresh salad, and when I'm baking - like making banana bread for the school fete I'll use sunflower oil instead of butter. And I admit, I love the flavour sesame oil adds to a stir-fry.

For me, it's not about eliminating oils. It's about using them intentionally and in small quantities.

My practical advice

-       If you're using a cooking fat, current evidence supports choosing an unsaturated oil instead of saturated fats such as butter, lard and tallow, or highly saturated plant fats like coconut oil.

-       Use oils mindfully rather than automatically. Many meals simply don't need large amounts or any at all!

-       Choose whole-food sources of healthy fats like nuts, seeds and whole avocado.

-       Focus on your overall dietary pattern rather than a single ingredient.

Nutrition is rarely about one food making or breaking your health – it’s about that one food within the context of your whole dietary pattern.

The bottom line

Seed oils have become one of the most polarising topics in nutrition however the reality is more balanced than many headlines suggest.

Current evidence supports using unsaturated oils in place of saturated animal fats when cooking, but that doesn't mean more oil is always better.

Personally, I'm not oil free. I simply use oils where they genuinely add flavour or function, choose healthier options, keep the amount small and don't feel the need to add them to every meal.

Reference

Nagra M, Goldman DM, Belury MA, Messina M. Concerns about the health effects of industrially produced seed oils are without scientific foundation: a scoping narrative review of the clinical and observational evidence. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. Published online April 28, 2026. doi:10.1080/10408398.2026.2657527