How to Detox Seed Oils from the Body

How to Detox Seed Oils from the Body

Seed oils are everywhere in our ultra-processed life. They are found in fried foods, baked goods, processed snacks, and fast food. They are a commonly used oil in most kitchens for cooking and baking.

Unfortunately, seed oils come with a lot of risks and can severely compromise your health. Avoiding seed oils and detoxing seed oils from your body is critical for improving chronic symptoms, reducing your health risks, and supporting your overall well-being.

In this article, you will learn what seed oils are. I will discuss the problems with seed oils. You will learn about the impact of seed oils on mitochondrial health. Finally, I will share my top tips on how to detox seed oils from your body.

What are Seed Oils

Seed oils are vegetable oils that are extracted from various seeds. They are everywhere in our ultra-processed lifestyle. They are used in cooking, baking, and the production of many processed foods.

Commonly used seed oils include:

• Sunflower oils: Sunflower oils are made by extracting oil from sunflower seeds. It is a popular ingredient in many salad dressings and snacks.
• Canola oil: Canola oil is made from rapeseed. It is commonly used for both frying and baking.
• Corn oil: Corn oil is made from corn kernels. It is commonly used for frying food.
• Soybean oil: Soybean oil is made from soybeans. It is a very common ingredient in most processed foods.
• Safflower oil: Safflower oil is made by extracting oil from safflower seeds. It is commonly used for high heat cooking and also in salad oil.s
• Grapeseed oil: Grapeseed oil is made from grape seeds. It is commonly used in marinades and dressings
• Cottonseed oil: Cottonseed oil is made by extracting oil from cotton seeds. It is a common ingredient in margarine and many packaged snacks.
• Rice bran oil: Rice bran oil is made from the outer layer of rice. It is commonly used for baking and frying because of its high smoke point.

Seed oils have a higher smoke point than many other oils. They offer a mild or neutral flavor. This makes them great options for a variety of cooking methods and recipes. However, as you will learn, there are many problems with using seed oils.

The Problems with Seed Oils

Though seed oils seem like a convenient cooking, baking, and frying option, and they are often marked as healthy “vegetable oils.”  Many families believe these oils are healthy because they come from plants and are marked as healthy fats.  

The problem is that these oils are very high in omega 6, linoleic acid, highly processed and they are prone to oxidation and promote inflammation in the body.   In the next section, I will review these issues in detail.  

High in Linoleic Acid

One of the major health problems with seed oils is that they contain linoleic acid. Linoleic acid has a half-life. When you consume fats, your body uses fats for energy. Additionally, fats will also go into every cell of your body. In every cell membrane, we have a double lipid by layer in our body.

What does this mean, though? Having a double lipid by layer means that your cells have fat on the outside and the inside. The mitochondria within these cells also have two membranes, which are made up of fats as well.

The problem with linoleic acid is that it not only promotes inflammation in your body, but it also takes a very long time to break down. According to a 2023 research review published in Nutrients, the half-life of linolic acid is 680 days, based on a study published in the Journal of Lipid Research (1, 2). This is almost two years in the cell membranes of our body. 

Considering that linoleic acid is highly inflammatory and can attach to all your cell membranes, this poses an enormous health risk. The review also found that it can take up to six years to replace 95 percent of linoleic acid in the body with healthy fats (1). 

Fortunately, there are some strategies that can help your body detox from linoleic acid and seed oils faster than an average person. I will share these tips later in this article, but before that, let’s get into some other major problems with seed oils.

Ultra-Processed

Just think about how seed oils are made. They underdog extensive industrial processing. This includes the use of high-heat extraction, chemical solvents, such as hexane, bleaching, and deodorizing to remove any impurities. 

This process strips away all important natural nutrients from the seeds and their oil while also adding harmful byproducts, including trans fats and oxidized lipids. According to a 2011 review published in the Journal of Food Science and Technology, trans fats can increase the risk of obesity, cardiovascular disease, allergies, cancer, nervous system issues, shortening of pregnancy period, and the risks of preeclampsia (3).

These byproducts can contribute to mitochondrial dysfunction and various chronic and long-term health issues. I will get into the effects of seed oils on your mitochondria in a later section of this article.

All this processing leaves us with overly processed seed oils that are stripped of nutrients and loaded with harmful byproducts. Olive oil, butter, and other traditional fats and alls also go through some processing. However, they are a lot closer to their natural state and when choosing organic, they are free from chemicals. 

Seed oils are nowhere close to their natural state and potential benefits, yet they are a staple ingredient in most ultra-processed foods and can increase your risk of obesity, diabetes, metabolic diseases, and other chronic health conditions.

Easily Oxidized 

Another major issue with seed oils is that they are high in unstable polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs), including omega-6 fatty acids. Omega-6 fatty acids are not only inflammatory, but they are highly unstable fats. This means that they are prone to oxidation when exposed to heat, light, or air.

Oxidation of these oils can result in harmful free radicals and lipid peroxides, which can seriously damage your cells and tissues. According to a 2020 study published in Lipids and Health and Disease, repeated reheating of seed oils and oxidization can increase liver problems (4).

They may accelerate signs of aging and increase your risk of cardiovascular problems, neurodegenerative diseases, and various other chronic health conditions. While saturated fats found, for example, in butter, are stable fats, PUFAs in seed oils can become rancid easily, which can increase their toxic effects and potential harm when eaten. 

Increase Inflammation

Finally, consuming too much omega-6 acids can throw off a normal omega-3 and omega-6 ratio and create chronic inflammation and related health issues. This is a major issue. Omega-3 fatty acids are anti-inflammatory fatty acids, while omega-6 fatty acids can promote inflammation.

You need a delicate balance of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, with more omega-3s than 6s. Unfortunately, a seed oil-heavy and otherwise ultra-processed lifestyle is high in omega-6s and low in omega-3s.

The healthy ratio of omega 6 to omega 3 is between 1:1 and 4:1. However, today, we see 10:1, 20:1, or even high ratios due to too much seed oils and ultra-processed food products. According to 2021 research published in Missouri Medicine, keeping a healthy omega-6 to omega-3 ratio is critical for reducing autoimmunity, allergies, asthma, and other health issues (5).

Too much omega-6 fatty acids in your diet can lead to the increased production of pro-inflammatory compounds, including arachidonic acid and inflammatory cytokines. These inflammatory compounds can increase your risk of autoimmune diseases, heart disease, arthritis, and other chronic conditions. 

Since chronic inflammation is one of the, if not the top driving factors of chronic health issues in our modern world, reducing your exposure to seed oils and detoxifying your body from them is critical, you don’t want to fuel systemic inflammation by consuming seed oils on a regular basis.

How Seed Oils Impact Mitochondrial Health 

Seed oils can also negatively important your mitochondrial health. The mitochondria are the powerhouse of the cell, responsible for producing ATP, the energy currency essential for cellular function and survival.

Mitochondrial health and efficiency are important for energy production, healthy metabolism, optimal physiological performance, lowering the risk of disease, slowing down signs of aging, and overall health.

Linoleic acid can get into the double membrane of your mitochondria. Cardiolipin is a phospholipid in the inner membrane of the mitochondria. It is synthesized from fatty acids from your diet.

According to a 2023 research review published in Nutrients, the overconsumption of linoleic acid through a seed oil-heavy diet can impact the formation of the inner mitochondrial membrane, cristae, and complex IV and affect your mitochondrial health (1). 

The Impact of Poor Mitochondrial Health

The specific impact of linoleic acid and cardiolipin will depend on the organ the mitochondrial is found in. However, in short, if cardiolipin has one or more linoleic acid molecules, it can get highly susceptible to oxidative stress. This means that it can rust and break down faster than normal.

Oxidation can impact mitophagy, autophagy, apoptosis, and other important cellular functions in your body. This can all be impacted.

According to the review, mitochondrial lipid peroxidation can impact mitochondrial structure and mitochondrial functions, including respiratory metabolism for ATP generation, protein transport, mitochondrial dynamics, and mitophagy.

This can result in serious mitochondrial damage. Your mitochondria won’t be able to burn fat and produce cellular energy as it should. Your body will get stuck in a sugar-burning mode. Your insulin levels end up going up.

Your body won’t be able to produce enough energy. This can lead to brain fog, fatigue, sleep issues, inflammation, and all kinds of chronic health complaints. 

How to Detox Seed Oils 

We have all been exposed to seed oils at one point in our lives. Even the most conscious individuals have consumed processed food products made with seed oils or have used seed oils in their kitchens at one point. Most individuals have consumed a lot of seed oils as the Standard American Diet (SAD) is loaded with it.

This means that detoxing from seed oils is critical for all of us. Whether you are still eating a SAD diet or eating a healthy, nutrient-dense diet, you need to consider these tips on how to detox seed oils from your body. Linoleic acid’s half-life is 680 days. This means that detoxing from it can take years.

Eat a Real Food Diet 

First, I recommend eating a real food diet with no seed oils. Avoid seed oils completely. This includes removing processed foods with seed oils, including chips, crackers, fried foods, frozen meals and TV dinners, cookies, muffins, cakes, other baked goods, vegetable-bases spreads, margarine, salad dressing, store-bought sauces, flavored nuts, bottled coffee, microwave popcorn, pre-packaged soups, instant noodles, processed deli meat, fried foods, and fast food.

Focus on real food. Eat lots of organic, grass-fed animal products, which will be high in healthy omega-3 fatty acids, such as EPA and DHA, that your cell membrane needs. They are also rich in saturated fats, which are stable fats that can reduce oxidative stress.

These are the kind of fats you want in the cardiolipen in your mitochondria’s inner membrane. Grass-fat butter, ghee, pasture-raised eggs, and Greek yogurt are great sources of healthy animal fats you want to use.

Animal fats that come from ruminant animals, such as cows, lamb, bison, and elk, are great. These animals eat grass, which they break down and turn into DHA and EPA. You can get the lowest amount of linoleic acid and the highest amounts of healthy saturated fats this way.

Ruminant animals also contain something called carnosine, which is a powerful di-peptide compound that acts as an antioxidant that can help to protect your body from advanced lipid end products and oxidative stress. It can protect from the damaging effects of these.

In addition to these animal products, you can add other healthy fats, such as avocadoes, olives, extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil, and coconut meat. Don’t forget about adding lots of organic greens, vegetables, sprouts, herbs, spices, and low-glycemic index fruits.

Intermittent & Extended Fasting 

Intermittent fasting is another great way to detox from seed oils and linolic acid. According to a 2023 study published in Advances in Nutrition, intermittent fasting can increase autophagy (6). It is one of the best strategies to get rid of damaged cells, damaged fats in the cells, and damaged protein is a time-restricting window. 

Intermittent fasting is a great way to stabilize your blood sugar. It can help your body to undergo autophagy, which can help to break down and remove damaged and old mitochondria with cardiolipin. It can recycle it and produce more healthy mitochondria with healthy fats.

You want to condense your eating window ideally to 6 to 8 hours. If you are new to intermittent fasting, you may want to start with a 12-hour eating window and a 12-hour overnight fast.

Gradually increase your fasting window until you reach 16-20 hours of fasting. For example, if you stop eating dinner after 7 pm, you will be ready to eat the next day at 11 am if you are doing a 16-hour fast or at 1 pm if you are on a 20-hour fast. 

During your eating window, you want to focus on eating three high-protein, nutrient-dense meals and meeting your caloric needs. You can learn more about the best intermittent fasting strategies from this article.

Regular Movement & Exercise

Regular movement and exercise are critical for detoxification, keeping inflammation levels low, fighting zombie cells, and staying healthy. Incorporate regular movement into your day. You may begin your day with some stretching, yoga, rebounding, or a short walk. Set your alarm, and make sure to get up to move around and stretch at least once an hour. 

Even if you have an office job, you can stretch a little, try some seated yoga moves, take a brief walk to the break room, or walk in place. You may even try a walking pad or standing desk instead of sitting all day. Additionally, you can go for a walk during lunch, take a bike ride or walk instead of driving short distances, play with your kids or pets, or try a short, fun dance session.

Additionally, I recommend working out at least five times a week combining strength training and cardiovascular workouts. Some fantastic options I recommend for strength and resistance training include bodyweight exercises, weightlifting, weight machines, kettlebell training, CrossFit, and TRX.   I also recommend getting 10,000+ steps in each day to improve circulation and oxygenation and keep your lymphatic system moving properly.  

Additionally, I recommend that you finish your fast with exercise. According to 2017 research published in Autophagy-Dependent Beneficial Effects of Exercise, exercise is a great way to improve autophagy (7). It may also increase stress resilience. Fasting and exercise are the best ways to increase autophagy, and fasted exercise combines both.

Good Sleeping Habits

Good sleeping habits are also critical for reducing chronic inflammation, supporting cellular recycling and renewal, and healing. According to a 2018 review published in Life Sciences, sleep supports tissue regeneration, cellular renewal, and stem cell formation (8). It’s the best way time to heal. 

During the day, you get sunlight, but in the evening, you want to support your circadian rhythm by reducing blue light exposure at night. Dim your lights, reduce or avoid electronics, and use blue light-blocking glasses. This will help to improve your melatonin production and support your mitochondria.

I recommend getting 7 to 9 hours of restorative at night. In addition to electronics, avoid sugar, alcohol, eating, and stress in the evening. Create calm and relaxation with the right activities, including calm family time, listening to music, reading, crossword puzzles, journaling, light stretching, taking healing baths, sipping on herbal tea, and meditation. 

Support your sleep with a supportive mattress, comfortable pillows, and bedding. Ensure that your bedroom is a safe and calming sanctuary with calming colors, essential oils, and anything you need for a safe and relaxing space.

Sauna Therapy

Sauna therapy is another fantastic way to detox your body from seed oils. Heat therapy is a great way to support cellular renewal, energy levels, and overall health. According to a 2018 review published in the Journal of Applied Physiology, heat therapy can improve autophagy (9). It can support detoxification processes through sweating, reduce stress, and lower chronic inflammation and chronic symptoms. 

Sauna therapy, including infrared saunas and high-heat dry saunas, can create heat-shock proteins that can break down these damaged cells. Your body can then recycle them and create new young cells.

Infrared sauna therapy is my personal favorite form of sauna therapy. It uses infrared heaters that release infrared lights you experience as heat as it gets absorbed through the surface of the skin. Infrared sauna therapy uses Far Infrared Technology (FIR), which is a non-invasive light therapy that can penetrate your body as much as three inches. 

The heat from an infrared sauna penetrates deeply into your skin without heating up the room first, like a traditional sauna. It directly acts on your body and may be more effective than regular saunas.

You can even by easy-to-store small infrared sauna devices to use in a small space from the comfort of your home. You may learn more about infrared saunas for detoxification and immune support by reading this article.

Cold Showers and Cold Plunges

Cold showers and cold plunges are another great option for detoxifying from seed oils. This will activate cold-chock proteins.

Just like heat shock proteins, cold shock proteins can break down and get rid of damaged cells and allow space for new, healthy cells. According to 2021 research published in iScience, cold exposure can increase autophagy and mitochondrial turnover (10).

You may try a cold shower or just finish your shower with a one to three-minute cold shower. You can take a cold plunge by immersing yourself in a cold tub or jumping into a cold body of water. You can combine heat and cold therapy, but finish a hot shower with a cold one, alternating between hot and cold water, or jumping into a cold plunge after your sauna session.

Final Thoughts

Though seed oils are a popular oil used in most kitchens and are found in most packaged, processed foods, fried food, and fast foods, they come with a lot of risks and can severely compromise your health.

Avoiding seed oils and detoxing seed oils from your body is critical for your health. I recommend that you follow my tips on detoxing from seed oils to improve chronic symptoms, reduce your health risks, and support your overall well-being.

If you want to work with a functional health coach, I recommend this article with tips on how to find a great coach.  On our website, we offer long-distance functional health coaching programs. For further support with your health goals, just reach out and our fantastic coaches are here to support your journey.

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Sources in This Article Include:

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2. Dayton, S., Hashimoto, S., Dixon, W., & Morton Lee Pearce. (1966). Composition of lipids in human serum and adipose tissue during prolonged feeding of a diet high in unsaturated fat. Journal of Lipid Research, 7(1), 103–111. Link Here

3. Dhaka, V., Gulia, N., Ahlawat, K. S., & Khatkar, B. S. (2011). Trans fats-sources, health risks and alternative approach – A review. Journal of food science and technology, 48(5), 534–541. Link Here

4. Ambreen, G., Siddiq, A. & Hussain, K. Association of long-term consumption of repeatedly heated mix vegetable oils in different doses and hepatic toxicity through fat accumulation. Lipids Health Dis 19, 69 (2020).  Link  Here

5. DiNicolantonio, J. J., & O’Keefe, J. (2021). The Importance of Maintaining a Low Omega-6/Omega-3 Ratio for Reducing the Risk of Autoimmune Diseases, Asthma, and Allergies. Missouri medicine, 118(5), 453–459. Link Here

6. Shabkhizan, R., Haiaty, S., Moslehian, M. S., Bazmani, A., Sadeghsoltani, F., Saghaei Bagheri, H., Rahbarghazi, R., & Sakhinia, E. (2023). The Beneficial and Adverse Effects of Autophagic Response to Caloric Restriction and Fasting. Advances in nutrition (Bethesda, Md.), 14(5), 1211–1225.Link Here

7. Halling, J. F., & Pilegaard, H. (2017). Autophagy-Dependent Beneficial Effects of Exercise. Cold Spring Harbor perspectives in medicine, 7(8), a029777. Link Here

8. Elkhenany, H., AlOkda, A., El-Badawy, A., & El-Badri, N. (2018). Tissue regeneration: Impact of sleep on stem cell regenerative capacity. Life sciences, 214, 51–61. Link Here

9. McCormick, J. J., Dokladny, K., Moseley, P. L., & Kenny, G. P. (2021). Autophagy and heat: a potential role for heat therapy to improve autophagic function in health and disease. Journal of Applied Physiology, 130(1), 1–9. Link Here

10. Yau, W. W., Wong, K. A., Zhou, J., Thimmukonda, N. K., Wu, Y., Bay, B. H., Singh, B. K., & Yen, P. M. (2021). Chronic cold exposure induces autophagy to promote fatty acid oxidation, mitochondrial turnover, and thermogenesis in brown adipose tissue. iScience, 24(5), 102434. Link Here