Ever wondered if something as mundane as cooking oil could be influencing your brain health? Hold onto your popcorn (cooked in butter, ideally), because there’s a heated debate over a food ingredient that might be doing just that.
Over the past few decades, the consumption of seed oils—such as soybean, canola, and sunflower oil—has skyrocketed.
Valued at over $212 billion, these oils have become a cornerstone of the food industry, finding their way into everything from salad dressings to processed snacks. Marketed as healthier alternatives to saturated fats like butter or coconut oil, they have become a staple in Western diets. But behind their glossy marketing, there’s growing concern about their impact on our health—especially on our brains.
Seed oils are rich in omega-6 fatty acids, particularly linoleic acid. While our bodies do need some omega-6, the problem arises when the balance between omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids tilts too far in one direction. Ideally, we should consume these fatty acids in equal measure, but modern diets are loaded with omega-6 thanks to seed oils. This imbalance has been linked to chronic inflammation, which could have a significant impact on brain health.
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