CLEVELAND, Ohio –The \u201cMake America Healthy Again\u201d movement, led by U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr., is getting pushback from seed oil companies.<\/p>\n
Kennedy has repeatedly warned that cooking with seed oils causes inflammation and chronic disease, urging Americans to return to \u201cancestral fats\u201d such as butter, tallow and lard. In recent posts to X (formerly Twitter), he claimed seed oils \u201cweaken cell function\u201d and \u201caccelerate chronic disease.\u201d<\/p>\n
But nutrition experts say Kennedy\u2019s advice is misleading \u2014 and potentially dangerous for public health.<\/p>\n
\u201cResearch has shown that animal fat increases your risk for heart disease and other correlated diseases,\u201d said Lizzy Traxler, a clinical dietitian and diabetes educator at University Hospitals. \u201cWe really emphasize plant-based oils. We promote unsaturated oils, which come from plants and seeds.\u201d<\/p>\n
While some seed oils, such as canola, corn, and soybean, are highly refined using heat and chemicals, experts say that doesn\u2019t mean all seed oils are bad. In fact, the healthiest versions \u2014 cold-pressed and unrefined \u2014 are linked to heart health, not disease.<\/p>\n
Take Simply Sunflower, a Nebraska-based company that produces cold-pressed, high-oleic sunflower oil using sustainable farming practices. The oil is extracted without chemicals or high heat, a process that preserves natural vitamin E and healthy fats.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s been disheartening to hear seed oils labeled as awful,\u201d said Sierra Forrest, director of marketing and sales at Simply Sunflower. \u201cIt\u2019s not the seed that\u2019s the problem \u2014 it\u2019s how the oil is processed.\u201d<\/p>\n
Unlike industrially refined oils, Simply Sunflower\u2019s product never exceeds 100 F during pressing and retains its nutrients and golden color. The result is a vitamin E-rich oil recognized by the American Heart Association as heart-healthy, with a high smoke point suitable for everyday cooking.<\/p>\n
That distinction \u2014 between refined and unrefined \u2014 is key, according to Lindsay Malone, a registered dietitian and instructor in nutrition at Case Western Reserve University.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can avoid the unhealthy processing by getting organic, cold-pressed oils,\u201d Malone said. Production matters. <\/p>\n
Malone and other Cleveland-area nutritionists say the science is clear: unsaturated plant-based oils are safer than animal fats for most people, especially those with cardiovascular concerns.<\/p>\n
\u201cThings like beef tallow, bacon fat, duck fat and butter shouldn\u2019t be used freely,\u201d said Julia Zumpano, a registered dietitian at the Cleveland Clinic. \u201cFor people without heart disease risk factors, small amounts are fine. But for everyone, extra-virgin olive oil, avocado oil or cold-pressed seed oils are much healthier choices.\u201d<\/p>\n
In the end, experts say it\u2019s not about nostalgia or \u201cancestral fats\u201d \u2014 it\u2019s about nutrition and moderation.<\/p>\n
\u201cSeed oils are not the enemy,\u201d Zumpano said. \u201cThey just get a bad reputation because they\u2019re in heavily processed foods. When you use high-quality, cold-pressed oils, they can actually support your health.\u201d<\/p>\n
Experts say Americans don\u2019t need to fear seed oils. They just need to choose them wisely.<\/p>\n
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