News story about seed oils, which are the latest target in RFK Jr.’s MAHA campaign
In his efforts to Make America Healthy Again (better known as the MAHA campaign), Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is rioting against seed oils. The movement has gained significant attention across social media, with influencers, podcasters (namely, Joe Rogan) and, even, restaurant chains slamming on seed oils.
“Seed oils are one of the most unhealthy ingredients that we have in foods,” Kennedy claimed in an interview with Fox News last fall, adding that they’re “associated with all kinds of serious illnesses including body-wide inflammation which affects all of our health.”
The term seed oils is fairly new and refers to cooking oils extracted from the seeds of various plants that are then refined using chemicals like hexane and tertiary-butylhydroquinone (TBHQ), a synthetic preservative. In recent years, supporters of the MAHA movement have taken issue with eight specific seed oils: corn, canola, cottonseed, grapeseed, soy, sunflower, safflower and rice bran — collectively dubbed the “hateful eight.” Their main argument is that seed oils are high in omega-six fatty acids, which aren’t detrimental to human health but can lead to inflammation when consumed in excess.
“First, while seed oils do contain high levels of omega-six fatty acids, that’s not a bad thing,” per the American Heart Association. “Omega-six is a polyunsaturated fat the body needs but cannot produce itself, so it must get it from foods. Polyunsaturated fats help the body reduce bad cholesterol, lowering the risk for heart disease and stroke.
