Seed oils are cooking oils pressed or chemically extracted from the seeds of plants like soybeans, corn, canola (rapeseed), cottonseed, sunflower, safflower, grapeseed and rice bran. They're in most packaged and fried food in America. Over the last few years, they've become one of the most debated ingredients in nutrition, and millions of people are cutting them out in favor of traditional fats like butter, tallow and olive oil.
Which oils are seed oils?
The oils most often called seed oils are soybean, corn, canola, cottonseed, sunflower, safflower, grapeseed and rice bran oil. Olive, avocado and coconut oil come from the fruit of the plant, not the seed, so they usually aren't counted.
How seed oils are made
Unlike butter or olive oil, most seed oils weren't part of the human diet until the industrial era. Many are produced by crushing seeds, extracting the oil with a chemical solvent called hexane, then refining, bleaching and deodorizing it to make it clear and neutral-tasting. The soybean industry maintains that this extraction process is safe; critics argue a heavily processed oil is the opposite of real food.
Why people avoid seed oils
- They're new to the human diet. Our grandparents and great-grandparents cooked with butter, lard and tallow. Seed oils became widespread only in the 20th century.
- They're high in omega-6 fats. Most seed oils are rich in linoleic acid, an omega-6 fat. Many people in the natural-health world believe today's diet carries far too much omega-6 compared with omega-3, and that this imbalance may contribute to inflammation.
- They're heavily processed. Solvent extraction and high-heat refining don't sit well with people who want their food close to how nature made it.
- They're everywhere. Seed oils show up in fried food, salad dressings, chips, baked goods, plant-based milks and coffee creamers, often in places you wouldn't expect.
What the 2026 dietary guidelines say
The 2025–2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, released in January 2026, tell people to prioritize oils with essential fatty acids such as olive oil, and name butter and beef tallow as other options. HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. described the shift as "ending the war on saturated fats" (DTN).
The debate isn't settled. Some cardiologists argue that butter and tallow raise LDL cholesterol compared with olive oil (American College of Cardiology). There isn't enough long-term research to settle the question, so many families take the precautionary route: cook with traditional fats and keep industrial oils to a minimum.
What to cook with instead
- Extra virgin olive oil for dressings and lower-heat cooking
- Butter or ghee, ideally grass-fed, for cooking and baking
- Beef tallow or lard for high-heat frying, the way it was done for generations
- Avocado oil for high-heat cooking
- Coconut oil for baking and medium heat
How to cut back on seed oils
- Cook at home with the fats above. Most restaurant fryers use seed oils.
- Read labels on dressings, mayonnaise, chips, crackers, nut butters and plant milks.
- Check your coffee creamer. Many are built on soybean or sunflower oil. See The Healthiest Coffee Creamer.
- Choose whole foods: meat, eggs, dairy, fruit and vegetables don't come with an ingredient list.
No seed oils in our products
We read labels the same way you do. Our Signature Mushroom Coffee Blend and Premium Electrolyte Mix contain no seed oils, no artificial sweeteners, no dyes and no "natural flavors," and every batch is third-party tested for mold, mycotoxins, glyphosate and heavy metals. Pair the coffee with whole milk, raw cream or grass-fed butter for a cup you can feel good about.
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Frequently asked questions
What are seed oils?
Oils extracted from plant seeds, mainly soybean, corn, canola, cottonseed, sunflower, safflower, grapeseed and rice bran oil.
Is olive oil a seed oil?
No. Olive oil is pressed from the fruit of the olive, not the seed.
Is canola oil a seed oil?
Yes. Canola comes from rapeseed and is one of the most common seed oils.
Is avocado oil a seed oil?
No. It's pressed from the fruit of the avocado.
Are seed oils bad for you?
It's one of the most debated questions in nutrition. Many people avoid them because they're highly processed and high in omega-6 fats; mainstream health groups still consider some of them acceptable. With the research unsettled, plenty of people choose traditional fats as a precaution.
What oil did people use before seed oils?
Mostly animal fats like butter, lard and tallow, along with olive oil and coconut oil in some regions.