Is vegetable oil bad for your health?

What is Vegetable Oil
Most vegetable oils are soybean oil with corn oil mixed in, hence the name “vegetable oil”.

The main component of soybean oil is polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). Only about 8% of these PUFAs are healthy omega-3 fatty acids.

The rest are Omega-6 fatty acids, and studies have shown that high consumption increases the risk of inflammatory diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.

Vegetable oil vs. other oils
In the war against vegetable oils, many alternatives have emerged that claim to be healthier, such as olive oil, avocado oil and even tallow. But what are their advantages over vegetable oils?

“Vegetable oils have about the same calorie and fat content as most other common plant-based cooking oils,” explains Bassbaum, “but there are differences in terms of other aspects of the nutritional profile.

For example, olive oil is much higher in antioxidants and monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs), which have been found to improve heart health and reduce the risk of cancer. According to Bassbaum, avocado oil has a similar nutritional profile.

As for the trendy beef tallow, Bassbaum is skeptical.

“Although beef tallow is a minimally processed food, the fact that it is so high in saturated fat (about 50 percent of total fat) is cause for alarm,” she cautions, “because it is well established that lowering saturated fat intake can significantly reduce cardiovascular risk factors.

That said, if weight loss is your goal, Bassbaum says there’s no substantial scientific research supporting one oil over another.

Recently, some oils – especially seed and vegetable oils – have gotten a bad rap on social media. Many influencers and health experts claim they cause inflammation and other health problems.

But is the “vegetable oils are bad for you” claim a scare or a fact?

We asked registered dietitian Katherine Basbaum, MS, RD, to delve into the actual science behind vegetable oils – and whether they’re as unhealthy as TikTok says.

Final Verdict
So, are vegetable oils harmful? When it comes to sunflower, safflower and canola oils, it seems that the dose is what matters. Bassbaum says that if you use them in small amounts, current research suggests there should be no problem.

But if you use it in large amounts, she recommends switching to olive oil or avocado oil, which contain fewer omega-6 fatty acids.

The good news is that vegetable oils can still be part of your diet, but in moderation.

“It’s important, no matter which vegetable oils you choose, to be aware of their high calorie content when cooking and avoid using too much,” explains Bassbaum.