Are Vegetable and Seed Oils Bad for Your Health?

The consumption of vegetable oils has increased dramatically in the past century. Most mainstream health professionals consider them healthy, but vegetable oils may cause health problems.

Their health effects vary depending on what fatty acids they contain, what plants they are extracted from, and how they are processed.

This article looks at the evidence to determine if vegetable and seed oils are bad for your health.

What are they and how are they made?

Edible oils extracted from plants are commonly known as vegetable oils.

In addition to their use in cooking and baking, they’re found in processed foods, including salad dressings, margarine, mayonnaise, and cookies.

Common vegetable oils include soybean oil, sunflower oil, olive oil, and coconut oil.

Refined vegetable oils were not available until the 20th century, when the technology to extract them became available.

These are extracted from plants using either a chemical solvent or oil mill. Then they are often purified, refined, and sometimes chemically altered.

Health-conscious consumers prefer oils that are made by crushing or pressing plants or seeds, rather than those produced using chemicals.