We are living in crazy times with an uncertain future. However, just as in Oz, people are pulling back the curtain and exposing all the lies we have been told about so many things and that inspires hope. Along with being told Dandelions are weeds, as I wrote in a prior blog, we were told seed oils from corn, soybeans, canolas, and sunflowers, to name a few, were good for us. Vegetables are good for us, aren’t their oils? Nope!
Before vegetable seed oils were in just about everything we consume, animal fats like butter and lard were used in cooking and baking. When animal fats got expensive, seed oils appeared as a cheap alternative. “Seed oils came to the forefront as a result of the complex interplay between scientific research, lobbying efforts, potential corruption, profit motivations, and government agency involvement” (Dominguez 1).
In the late 19th century, William Procter, with his candle business, joined with soap maker James Gamble to form Procter and Gamble. Because they used animal fats in both their candle and soap making, the two sought to cut costs. They figured out how to convert unwanted cottonseed oil to use in their products and eventually created cooking oil that resembled lard they called “Crisco” (also called hydrogenated vegetable oil). A successful marketing campaign convinced a trusting public to use it and soon it was in everybody’s pantries. An article in Popular Science at the time summed it up by saying, “What was garbage in 1860, fertilizer in 1870, cattle feed in 1880, and table food and many things else in 1890.” (Landon 10). Similarly, margarine, once made from beef fat intended to be a cheaper and less perishable choice than butter, was eventually made solely with cheaper seed oils (Elliott 3).
Besides seed oils being a by-product once thrown away, they are trans fat and increase the risk of heart disease. They also lead to inflammation and chronic diseases the drug-dispensing cults eagerly anticipate. Another thing, seed oils have made us fat! America is more fat than it has ever been. My mom passed away 22 years ago at the age of 61 from heart disease. She was a teenager in the 50s when kids hung out at burger joints, eating fries and drinking milkshakes. I remember her inquiring, “Why is everybody so fat? We don’t eat any different than we used to. People didn’t used to be so fat!” Too bad she didn’t live to learn the answer.
The good news is people are realizing seed oils are bad and they are reading labels and looking for products made with healthier oils like olive oil and avocado oil. They are once again cooking with butter, tallow, ghee, and coconut oil. I have arthritis in my back along with other issues. I have noticed a significant decrease in my discomfort since avoiding seed oils. However, recently we went to a movie and I indulged in some popcorn and woke up the next morning with excruciating back pain. It was without a doubt the result of the seed oils in that popcorn. Let’s keep opting for products without seed oils and companies will either be forced to make the switch or be pushed aside by new companies willing to do so.
Sources:
Dominguez, Ryan. “History of Seed Oils in the American Diet.” Metabolic Health, 1 Aug. 2023, metabolichealth.com/history-of-seed-oils-in-the-american-diet/.
Elliott, Lori. “The History of Margarine (and Why Butter Is Better).” Our Heritage of Health, 29 June 2022, www.ourheritageofhealth.com/the-history-of-margarine-and-why-butter-is-better/.
Landon, Mitchell. “Shocking History of Seed Oils - Mitchell Landon.” Mitchell Landon - Thoughtful Explorations, 9 Jan. 2022, mitchelllandon.com/seed-oils/.
Templar, English. “From Soap to Supermarket: The Shady Rise of Industrial Seed Oils.” Medium, Medium, 8 Nov. 2023, medium.com/@EnglishTemplar/from-soap-to-supermarket-the-shady-rise-of-industrial-seed-oils-99a695f5cfc6.
Comments