Are Seed Oils the Culprit in Cardiometabolic and Chronic Diseases? A Narrative Review

The demonization of seed oils "campaign" has become stronger over the decades. Despite the dietary guidelines provided by nutritional experts recommending the limiting of saturated fat intake and its replacement with unsaturated fat-rich food sources, some health experts ignore the dietary guidelines and the available human research evidence, suggesting the opposite. As contrarians, these individuals could easily shift public opinion so that dietary behavior moves away from intake of unsaturated fat-rich food sources (including seed oils) toward saturated fats, which is very concerning. Excess saturated fat intake has been known for its association with increased cholesterol serum levels in the bloodstream, which increase atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risks. Furthermore, high saturated fat intake may potentially induce insulin resistance and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, based on human isocaloric feeding studies. Hence, this current review aimed to assess and highlight the available human research evidence, and if appropriate, to counteract any misconceptions and misinformation about seed oils.