Seed oils have become a hot topic in the media recently, with adherence to seed-oil-free diets increasing in popularity. What does the evidence say? And should we avoid seed oils altogether?

 

  1. Petersen KS, Maki KC, Calder PC, Belury MA, Messina M, Kirkpatrick CF, et al. Perspective on the health effects of unsaturated fatty acids and commonly consumed plant oils high in unsaturated fat. British Journal of Nutrition [Internet]. 2024 Oct 28 [cited 2026 Apr 18];132(8):1039–50. Available from: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/british-journal-of-nutrition/article/perspective-on-the-health-effects-of-unsaturated-fatty-acids-and-commonly-consumed-plant-oils-high-in-unsaturated-fat/54F76A9404C9D1B192EB59DD8E6DC3F3
  2. Hooper L, Martin N, Jimoh OF, Kirk C, Foster E, Abdelhamid AS. Reduction in saturated fat intake for cardiovascular disease. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews [Internet]. 2020 Aug 21 [cited 2026 May 26];2020(8). Available from: https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD011737.pub3/full
  3. Steen JP, Klatt KC, Chang Y, Guyatt GH, Zhu H, Swierz MJ, et al. Effect of Interventions Aimed at Reducing or Modifying Saturated Fat Intake on Cholesterol, Mortality, and Major Cardiovascular Events. Annals of Internal Medicine. 2025 Dec 15;
  4. SACN. Saturated fats and health [Internet]. GOV.UK: The Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN); 2019 [cited 2026 Apr 27]. Available from: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/saturated-fats-and-health-sacn-report
  5. Schoeneck M, Iggman D. The effects of foods on LDL cholesterol levels: A systematic review of the accumulated evidence from systematic reviews and meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials. Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases [Internet]. 2021 May [cited 2026 Apr 16];31(5):1325–38. Available from: https://www.nmcd-journal.com/article/S0939-4753(21)00002-8/fulltext#fig3
  6. Mercola J, D’Adamo CR. Linoleic Acid: A Narrative Review of the Effects of Increased Intake in the Standard American Diet and Associations with Chronic Disease. Nutrients [Internet]. 2023 Jul 13 [cited 2026 May 27];15(14):3129. Available from: https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/15/14/3129
  7. Ramsden CE, Zamora D, Majchrzak-Hong S, Faurot KR, Broste SK, Frantz RP, et al. Re-evaluation of the traditional diet-heart hypothesis: analysis of recovered data from Minnesota Coronary Experiment (1968-73). BMJ [Internet]. 2016 Apr 12 [cited 2026 Apr 17];i1246. Available from: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4836695/
  8. Abdollahi S, Soltani S, Ramezani-Jolfaie N, Mohammadi M, Sherafatmanesh S, Lorzadeh E, et al. The effect of different edible oils on body weight: a systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. BMC Nutrition [Internet]. 2024 Jul 30 [cited 2026 Apr 16];10(1). Available from: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s40795-024-00907-0
  9. Innes JK, Calder PC. Omega-6 fatty acids and inflammation. Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes and Essential Fatty Acids [Internet]. 2018 May [cited 2026 Apr 17];132:41–8. Available from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0952327818300747#abs0002
  10. D’Antonio V, Ramal-Sanchez M, Bravo-Trippetta C, Corvaglia E, Serafini M, Angelino D. Unraveling the Role of Foods on Chronic Anti- and Pro-Inflammatory Cytokines: A Systematic Review of Chronic Dietary Intervention Trials in Humans. Nutrients [Internet]. 2025 Aug 30 [cited 2026 Apr 15];17(17):2834. Available from: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12430716/
  11. Lee K, Kurniawan K. Are Seed Oils the Culprit in Cardiometabolic and Chronic Diseases? A Narrative Review. Nutrition Reviews [Internet]. 2025 Jan 16 [cited 2025 Jan 19]; Available from: https://academic.oup.com/nutritionreviews/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/nutrit/nuae205/7958450?redirectedFrom=fulltext
  12. Su H, Liu R, Chang M, Huang J, Wang X. Dietary linoleic acid intake and blood inflammatory markers: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Food & Function [Internet]. 2017 [cited 2026 Apr 17];8(9):3091–103. Available from: https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2017/fo/c7fo00433h
  13. Fornari Laurindo L, Fornari Laurindo L, Dogani Rodrigues V, da Silva Camarinha Oliveira J, Leme Boaro B, Cressoni Araújo A, et al. Evaluating the effects of seed oils on lipid profile, inflammatory and oxidative markers, and glycemic control of diabetic and dyslipidemic patients: a systematic review of clinical studies. Frontiers in Nutrition [Internet]. 2025 Feb 7 [cited 2026 Apr 6];12. Available from: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11849496/
  14. Lai H, Ryder N, Tintle N, Jackson K, Kris-Etherton P, Harris W. Red Blood Cell Omega-6 Fatty Acids and Biomarkers of Inflammation in the Framingham Offspring Study. Nutrients [Internet]. 2025 Jun 22 [cited 2026 May 27];17(13):2076. Available from: https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/17/13/2076
  15. Maki KC, Chen X, Wilcox ML, Kirkpatrick CF, Guarneiri LL, Palacios OM, et al. Inverse Associations of Serum Total Omega-6 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids and Linoleic Acid with Biomarkers of Inflammation: A Cross-Sectional Analysis. The Journal of Nutrition [Internet]. 2026 Mar [cited 2026 May 27];101471. Available from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022316626001203
  16. Marklund M, Wu JHY, Imamura F, Del Gobbo LC, Fretts A, de Goede J, et al. Biomarkers of Dietary Omega-6 Fatty Acids and Incident Cardiovascular Disease and Mortality. Circulation [Internet]. 2019 May 21;139(21):2422–36. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30971107/
  17. Sadeghi R, Norouzzadeh M, HasanRashedi M, Jamshidi S, Ahmadirad H, Alemrajabi M, et al. Dietary and circulating omega-6 fatty acids and their impact on cardiovascular disease, cancer risk, and mortality: a global meta-analysis of 150 cohorts and meta-regression. Journal of Translational Medicine [Internet]. 2025 Mar 12 [cited 2026 Apr 18];23(1). Available from: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12967-025-06336-2
  18. Szabo Z, Marosvölgyi T, Szabo E, Koczka V, Verzar Z, Figler M, et al. Effects of Repeated Heating on Fatty Acid Composition of Plant-Based Cooking Oils. Foods. 2022 Jan 12;11(2):192.
  19. Skeaff CM, Mann JI. Diet–heart disease hypothesis is unaffected by results of analysis of recovered data from Minnesota Coronary Experiment. Evidence Based Medicine [Internet]. 2016 Aug 24 [cited 2026 May 24];21(5):185–5. Available from: https://ebm.bmj.com/content/21/5/185
  20. Beinortas T, Mahtani KR, Nunan D. Revisiting the diet-heart hypothesis: critical appraisal of the Minnesota Coronary Experiment. BMJ [Internet]. 2017 Jun 1 [cited 2026 May 24];j2108. Available from: https://www.bmj.com/content/357/bmj.j2108.full
  21. Mazidi M, Shekoohi N, Katsiki N, Banach M, Meta-analysis Collaboration (LBPMC) Group the L and BP. Omega-6 fatty acids and the Risk of Cardiovascular Disease: Insights from a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials and a Mendelian Randomization Study. Archives of Medical Science [Internet]. 2021 Apr 24 [cited 2026 Apr 16]; Available from: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8924827/
  22. Voon PT, Ng CM, Ng YT, Wong YJ, Yap SY, Leong SL, et al. Health Effects of Various Edible Vegetable Oils: An Umbrella Review. Advances in Nutrition [Internet]. 2024 Sep [cited 2026 Apr 28];15(9):100276. Available from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2161831324001108
  23. Hooper L, Al-Khudairy L, Abdelhamid AS, Rees K, Brainard JS, Brown TJ, et al. Omega-6 fats for the primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews [Internet]. 2018 Nov 29 [cited 2026 Apr 18];2018(11). Available from: https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD011094.pub4/full#CD011094-sec-0036
  24. Wang Q, Zhang H, Jin Q, Wang X. Effects of Dietary Linoleic Acid on Blood Lipid Profiles: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of 40 Randomized Controlled Trials. Foods [Internet]. 2023 May 25 [cited 2026 May 29];12(11):2129. Available from: https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/12/11/2129
  25. Amiri M, Raeisi-Dehkordi H, Sarrafzadegan N, Forbes SC, Salehi-Abargouei A. The effects of Canola oil on cardiovascular risk factors: a systematic review and meta-analysis with dose-response analysis of controlled clinical trials. Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases. 2020 Jun;
  26. Office for Health Improvements and Disparities . SACN statement on expressing energy, fat and carbohydrate intakes and recommendations [Internet]. GOV.UK. 2025 [cited 2026 Apr 26]. Available from: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sacn-statement-on-expressing-fat-and-carbohydrate-recommendations/sacn-statement-on-expressing-energy-fat-and-carbohydrate-intakes-and-recommendations

About the Author: Zuzanna Gradek RD

Zuzanna Gradek is a recently graduated dietitian, who is interested in promoting evidence-based diet and health advice, as well as de-bunking diet myths.

Leave A Comment

Seed oils have become a hot topic in the media recently, with adherence to seed-oil-free diets increasing in popularity. What does the evidence say? And should we avoid seed oils altogether?

 

  1. Petersen KS, Maki KC, Calder PC, Belury MA, Messina M, Kirkpatrick CF, et al. Perspective on the health effects of unsaturated fatty acids and commonly consumed plant oils high in unsaturated fat. British Journal of Nutrition [Internet]. 2024 Oct 28 [cited 2026 Apr 18];132(8):1039–50. Available from: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/british-journal-of-nutrition/article/perspective-on-the-health-effects-of-unsaturated-fatty-acids-and-commonly-consumed-plant-oils-high-in-unsaturated-fat/54F76A9404C9D1B192EB59DD8E6DC3F3
  2. Hooper L, Martin N, Jimoh OF, Kirk C, Foster E, Abdelhamid AS. Reduction in saturated fat intake for cardiovascular disease. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews [Internet]. 2020 Aug 21 [cited 2026 May 26];2020(8). Available from: https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD011737.pub3/full
  3. Steen JP, Klatt KC, Chang Y, Guyatt GH, Zhu H, Swierz MJ, et al. Effect of Interventions Aimed at Reducing or Modifying Saturated Fat Intake on Cholesterol, Mortality, and Major Cardiovascular Events. Annals of Internal Medicine. 2025 Dec 15;
  4. SACN. Saturated fats and health [Internet]. GOV.UK: The Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN); 2019 [cited 2026 Apr 27]. Available from: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/saturated-fats-and-health-sacn-report
  5. Schoeneck M, Iggman D. The effects of foods on LDL cholesterol levels: A systematic review of the accumulated evidence from systematic reviews and meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials. Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases [Internet]. 2021 May [cited 2026 Apr 16];31(5):1325–38. Available from: https://www.nmcd-journal.com/article/S0939-4753(21)00002-8/fulltext#fig3
  6. Mercola J, D’Adamo CR. Linoleic Acid: A Narrative Review of the Effects of Increased Intake in the Standard American Diet and Associations with Chronic Disease. Nutrients [Internet]. 2023 Jul 13 [cited 2026 May 27];15(14):3129. Available from: https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/15/14/3129
  7. Ramsden CE, Zamora D, Majchrzak-Hong S, Faurot KR, Broste SK, Frantz RP, et al. Re-evaluation of the traditional diet-heart hypothesis: analysis of recovered data from Minnesota Coronary Experiment (1968-73). BMJ [Internet]. 2016 Apr 12 [cited 2026 Apr 17];i1246. Available from: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4836695/
  8. Abdollahi S, Soltani S, Ramezani-Jolfaie N, Mohammadi M, Sherafatmanesh S, Lorzadeh E, et al. The effect of different edible oils on body weight: a systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. BMC Nutrition [Internet]. 2024 Jul 30 [cited 2026 Apr 16];10(1). Available from: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s40795-024-00907-0
  9. Innes JK, Calder PC. Omega-6 fatty acids and inflammation. Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes and Essential Fatty Acids [Internet]. 2018 May [cited 2026 Apr 17];132:41–8. Available from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0952327818300747#abs0002
  10. D’Antonio V, Ramal-Sanchez M, Bravo-Trippetta C, Corvaglia E, Serafini M, Angelino D. Unraveling the Role of Foods on Chronic Anti- and Pro-Inflammatory Cytokines: A Systematic Review of Chronic Dietary Intervention Trials in Humans. Nutrients [Internet]. 2025 Aug 30 [cited 2026 Apr 15];17(17):2834. Available from: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12430716/
  11. Lee K, Kurniawan K. Are Seed Oils the Culprit in Cardiometabolic and Chronic Diseases? A Narrative Review. Nutrition Reviews [Internet]. 2025 Jan 16 [cited 2025 Jan 19]; Available from: https://academic.oup.com/nutritionreviews/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/nutrit/nuae205/7958450?redirectedFrom=fulltext
  12. Su H, Liu R, Chang M, Huang J, Wang X. Dietary linoleic acid intake and blood inflammatory markers: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Food & Function [Internet]. 2017 [cited 2026 Apr 17];8(9):3091–103. Available from: https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2017/fo/c7fo00433h
  13. Fornari Laurindo L, Fornari Laurindo L, Dogani Rodrigues V, da Silva Camarinha Oliveira J, Leme Boaro B, Cressoni Araújo A, et al. Evaluating the effects of seed oils on lipid profile, inflammatory and oxidative markers, and glycemic control of diabetic and dyslipidemic patients: a systematic review of clinical studies. Frontiers in Nutrition [Internet]. 2025 Feb 7 [cited 2026 Apr 6];12. Available from: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11849496/
  14. Lai H, Ryder N, Tintle N, Jackson K, Kris-Etherton P, Harris W. Red Blood Cell Omega-6 Fatty Acids and Biomarkers of Inflammation in the Framingham Offspring Study. Nutrients [Internet]. 2025 Jun 22 [cited 2026 May 27];17(13):2076. Available from: https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/17/13/2076
  15. Maki KC, Chen X, Wilcox ML, Kirkpatrick CF, Guarneiri LL, Palacios OM, et al. Inverse Associations of Serum Total Omega-6 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids and Linoleic Acid with Biomarkers of Inflammation: A Cross-Sectional Analysis. The Journal of Nutrition [Internet]. 2026 Mar [cited 2026 May 27];101471. Available from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022316626001203
  16. Marklund M, Wu JHY, Imamura F, Del Gobbo LC, Fretts A, de Goede J, et al. Biomarkers of Dietary Omega-6 Fatty Acids and Incident Cardiovascular Disease and Mortality. Circulation [Internet]. 2019 May 21;139(21):2422–36. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30971107/
  17. Sadeghi R, Norouzzadeh M, HasanRashedi M, Jamshidi S, Ahmadirad H, Alemrajabi M, et al. Dietary and circulating omega-6 fatty acids and their impact on cardiovascular disease, cancer risk, and mortality: a global meta-analysis of 150 cohorts and meta-regression. Journal of Translational Medicine [Internet]. 2025 Mar 12 [cited 2026 Apr 18];23(1). Available from: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12967-025-06336-2
  18. Szabo Z, Marosvölgyi T, Szabo E, Koczka V, Verzar Z, Figler M, et al. Effects of Repeated Heating on Fatty Acid Composition of Plant-Based Cooking Oils. Foods. 2022 Jan 12;11(2):192.
  19. Skeaff CM, Mann JI. Diet–heart disease hypothesis is unaffected by results of analysis of recovered data from Minnesota Coronary Experiment. Evidence Based Medicine [Internet]. 2016 Aug 24 [cited 2026 May 24];21(5):185–5. Available from: https://ebm.bmj.com/content/21/5/185
  20. Beinortas T, Mahtani KR, Nunan D. Revisiting the diet-heart hypothesis: critical appraisal of the Minnesota Coronary Experiment. BMJ [Internet]. 2017 Jun 1 [cited 2026 May 24];j2108. Available from: https://www.bmj.com/content/357/bmj.j2108.full
  21. Mazidi M, Shekoohi N, Katsiki N, Banach M, Meta-analysis Collaboration (LBPMC) Group the L and BP. Omega-6 fatty acids and the Risk of Cardiovascular Disease: Insights from a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials and a Mendelian Randomization Study. Archives of Medical Science [Internet]. 2021 Apr 24 [cited 2026 Apr 16]; Available from: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8924827/
  22. Voon PT, Ng CM, Ng YT, Wong YJ, Yap SY, Leong SL, et al. Health Effects of Various Edible Vegetable Oils: An Umbrella Review. Advances in Nutrition [Internet]. 2024 Sep [cited 2026 Apr 28];15(9):100276. Available from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2161831324001108
  23. Hooper L, Al-Khudairy L, Abdelhamid AS, Rees K, Brainard JS, Brown TJ, et al. Omega-6 fats for the primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews [Internet]. 2018 Nov 29 [cited 2026 Apr 18];2018(11). Available from: https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD011094.pub4/full#CD011094-sec-0036
  24. Wang Q, Zhang H, Jin Q, Wang X. Effects of Dietary Linoleic Acid on Blood Lipid Profiles: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of 40 Randomized Controlled Trials. Foods [Internet]. 2023 May 25 [cited 2026 May 29];12(11):2129. Available from: https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/12/11/2129
  25. Amiri M, Raeisi-Dehkordi H, Sarrafzadegan N, Forbes SC, Salehi-Abargouei A. The effects of Canola oil on cardiovascular risk factors: a systematic review and meta-analysis with dose-response analysis of controlled clinical trials. Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases. 2020 Jun;
  26. Office for Health Improvements and Disparities . SACN statement on expressing energy, fat and carbohydrate intakes and recommendations [Internet]. GOV.UK. 2025 [cited 2026 Apr 26]. Available from: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sacn-statement-on-expressing-fat-and-carbohydrate-recommendations/sacn-statement-on-expressing-energy-fat-and-carbohydrate-intakes-and-recommendations

About the Author: Zuzanna Gradek RD

Zuzanna Gradek is a recently graduated dietitian, who is interested in promoting evidence-based diet and health advice, as well as de-bunking diet myths.

Leave A Comment

You may also like