Diet Doctor Podcast #78:
Vegetable oils: Are they healthy?
Vegetable oils lower LDL, and observational studies suggest improved health in those who eat more of them. But mechanistic studies and even some intervention trials suggest that vegetable oils are prone to oxidation and promote inflammation. There is even evidence that diets high in vegetable oil can potentially lead to an increased risk of heart disease and cancer. How do we make sense of all the data?
We’ve compiled interviews with six nutrition and health experts to get their take on this controversial topic. As you will hear, we can look at the data in different ways. However, the overall conclusion is likely that both the potential health benefits and potential harms have been overstated for the general population.
It’s true that vegetable oils are relatively new with no evolutionary footprint. And, we’ve increased our consumption of vegetable oils dramatically along with the rise in insulin resistance and obesity. Plus, they can become oxidized easily and can promote inflammation.
But that doesn’t mean they necessarily cause us harm. Observational studies don’t suggest any harm. Instead, they suggest a slight benefit to eating vegetable oils. Of course, the background diet matters, as do the other lifestyle factors.
Interestingly, a substantial part of vegetable oils’ purported health benefits is as a replacement for saturated fat. Once we understand the low risk or possible lack of concern with saturated fat for those following an otherwise healthy lifestyle, the potential benefits of vegetable oils seem to diminish.
Buckle up for a whirlwind ride with six experts and their takes on these topics and more!
About the video
Virtual podcast recorded in July 2021, published in August 2021.
Host: Dr. Bret Scher
Producer: Hari Dewang
Table of contents
00:00 Introduction
05:51 Ethan Weiss, MD
07:02 Dr. Weiss on the topic of vegetable oil
10:56 Counselling a patient about vegetable oil
15:30 Nicola Guess, RD
19:13 Does it matter where the vegetable oil originates?
26:02 The role of oleic acid like avocado and olive oil
28:43 Conclusion to Dr. Guess’ discussion
30:16 Tro Kalayjian, MD
30:44 The practical and clinical experience with vegetable oil
36:16 Raphael Sirtoli
43:35 About reactive oxygen species
48:54 Dr. Scher on being open-minded about different studies
54:41 A special case for people following a low-carb diet
56:45 Ben Bikman, PhD
1:05:14 Is there any negative effects in people on a hypocaloric diet?
1:07:01 How to weave through the different evidence
1:14:15 Amber O’Hearn
1:22:57 About the overstatement of the benefits and harm of omega 6
1:27:10 Conclusion
Vegetable oils lower LDL, and observational studies suggest improved health in those who eat more of them. But mechanistic studies and even some intervention trials suggest that vegetable oils are prone to oxidation and promote inflammation. There is even evidence that diets high in vegetable oil can potentially lead to an increased risk of heart disease and cancer. How do we make sense of all the data?
We’ve compiled interviews with six nutrition and health experts to get their take on this controversial topic. As you will hear, we can look at the data in different ways. However, the overall conclusion is likely that both the potential health benefits and potential harms have been overstated for the general population.
It’s true that vegetable oils are relatively new with no evolutionary footprint. And, we’ve increased our consumption of vegetable oils dramatically along with the rise in insulin resistance and obesity. Plus, they can become oxidized easily and can promote inflammation.
But that doesn’t mean they necessarily cause us harm. Observational studies don’t suggest any harm. Instead, they suggest a slight benefit to eating vegetable oils. Of course, the background diet matters, as do the other lifestyle factors.
Interestingly, a substantial part of vegetable oils’ purported health benefits is as a replacement for saturated fat. Once we understand the low risk or possible lack of concern with saturated fat for those following an otherwise healthy lifestyle, the potential benefits of vegetable oils seem to diminish.
Buckle up for a whirlwind ride with six experts and their takes on these topics and more!
About the video
Virtual podcast recorded in July 2021, published in August 2021.
Host: Dr. Bret Scher
Producer: Hari Dewang
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