Seed Oils: A Hidden Ingredient in America’s Diet
Russian kids have no idea what fried chicken nuggets are.
Let me explain.
I was talking to a group of my teammates in my company about different ways in which the food system is structured in America.
They are Russian.
So, it was interesting for them to get a dose of perspective as to how different countries operate – and what it was like for me growing up in America.
It led to us talking about what I ate for lunch during my younger days of being in school.
They were absolutely shocked to hear that fried chicken nuggets were a staple to the cafeteria meal rotation.
Something that is fried?
It sounded like an alternate universe to them.
Well… because it was.
They usually ate meals, all of which were without salt and sugar, like soup, different types of meats (i.e. cutlets), chicken, goulash, buckwheat, rice, eggs, beans, fresh and baked cabbage, fruits, boiled berries or boiled dried fruits (i.e. kompot), porridge, lots of butter, bread, cheese, milk with cocoa, and more.
Even worse news, is that my school, and all schools in America, definitely used (and still use) seed oils as their oil of choice in their fryers. The significant negative effects of seed oils are alarming.
My perplexed, yet curious, teammates went on to explain that there are zero fryers within schools in Russia.
Zero.
Let me say it again.
0.
Having anything on the school lunch menu that was fried was non-existent for them growing up in Russia.
There is much America can learn from this.
But, as my teammate Paul wisely chimed in, schools need to opt for this method because of high labor cost and efficiency. Due to such a circumstance in the U.S, one cook, one fryer, and cheap seed oils as a cooking agent, can make enough nuggets to feed an entire school full of voraciously hungry young kids.
Sacrificing high-quality, healthy, nutritious food for convenience and efficiency is a blueprint that America has abided by since the turn of the 20th century.
A Call to Reevaluate Our Food Choices
Lately, I’ve been reflecting deeply about my American meals that I’ve eaten since I was first able to recollect memories as a kid.
Early morning breakfast with my brothers before my mom drove us to school.
Gathering with my family during a holiday meal.
Eating with long-lasting friends during a trip to my hometown.
Eating with my teammates during a lunch break.
Eating with my sportsmates during a practice break.
Fellowship with church members after Sunday service.
For the past 20+ years, as meaningful as these moments in life may be, what does it matter if what we’re eating during these gatherings is toxic to the body and determintelly unhealthy to our mind?
The immediate consequences of eating toxic foods can be a quick dash and long visit to the bathroom.
The long-term consequences can be chronic illness, disease, and an early deathbed.
The same goes with every health specialist in the world in their respective fields.
What does it matter if you sleep well, but you eat like crap?
What does it matter if you exercise well, but your nutrition is deficient?
What does it matter if you have all your health habits in check, yet your food is loaded with toxic ingredients?
There is something missing – especially in the Western world.
It’s not just the U.S that suffers from this. Many regions of the world do, as well.
Yet, when it comes to the purity of food and water, the U.S is currently at the bottom of the list.
It’s also to be noted that I’m not ungrateful for having easy access to food in America – just because I’m openly talking about America’s issues.
If your friend was doing something you didn’t like, wouldn’t you tell them?
I’m talking to you, America.
A Call to Reevaluate Our Food Choices
How is it that the U.S can spend more on health care, yet still have these staggering realities of being in the top percent of obesity rates, cancer screenings, and chronic conditions – in the world?
Look at obesity rates in the U.S – from a global, comparative perspective.
Look at cancer screening rates and adults with multiple chronic conditions, in the U.S.
Something is incredibly wrong.
It doesn’t take an economist, a scientist, a politician, or even a child, to know that.
The Deadly Root
The reality as to why this data shows what it does, stems from a slew of factors.
Let me name a few.
Agriculture and Its Influence on the American Diet
Farmers used to be the backbone and pride of America. Now, that same backbone is carrying a load that is not able to sustain the increasingly obese, convenient-focused America.
Look at how far we’ve negatively trailed since May 1862.
May 1862 – 90% of Americans are farmers:
“President Lincoln signs legislation establishing the U.S. Department of Agriculture. He called it ‘the people’s department’ since 90% of Americans at the time were farmers.” 1
1870 – 47.7% of Americans are farmers:
“The 1870 census shows that farmers, for the first time, are in the minority. Of all employed persons, only 47.7% are farmers. As farming becomes more mechanized, farmers rely more on bank loans for land and equipment.” 2
2023 – “Only 2% are farmers.” 3
2%.
“When older growers exit the business, there are fewer younger growers to replace them. As a result, farm consolidation will be significant and quick, says Widmar. The consolidation will change farm dynamics to larger, more managerial complexities.
Farming will go ‘from a one-man show to something resembling a medium- to large-size business,’ as this thrive article says. 4
The Consequences for Soil and Food Quality
The degradation of soil health due to intensive farming practices has a direct impact on the nutritional quality of the food grown. Healthy, nutrient-rich soil is the foundation of a healthy food system, and without it, both the food we eat and the health of the population are at risk.
One could have the stance that it is good to be more efficient and utilize technological advancements to meet the demand of America’s feeding needs.
Yet, that’s such a bad excuse.
It’s been a bad excuse since the day we started to prioritize efficiency over health.
The data speaks for itself.
“Since World War 2, industrial agriculture has become the norm. Monocropping and intensive factory farming rely on fossil fuels, multinational companies, and artificial fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides to continually increase productivity and profitability — usually with little regard for long-term sustainability or ecological issues.” 5
Why sacrifice healthy farming techniques and properly investing in farmers, in people… for the flip side of having more efficient farming practices that are riddled with toxic chemicals that slowly poison our food supply, and eventually, our fellow citizens who rely on that food supply?
Is getting people sick, obese, and early to their death bed, a good way to build up the people of our nation?
It’s not helping the farmers either.
Right now, it’s a lose, lose.
From the soil and its farmers to the pantry and its family.
Talking about soil, let’s dig into that a bit.
Let me give you an example of the negative effects of focusing on using chemicals for mass reach on a large farm.
There is more demand for a growing population… thus more rapid farming systems to produce more (no matter how harmful)… thus more efficiency and output to create the supply.
“Fertilizers that have improved poor soils have also had unintended harmful consequences. The largest ever maritime “dead zone” was discovered in the Gulf of Mexico in 2022, the result of fertilizer and manure from the meat industry running off the land. Chemical fertilizers also contribute directly to climate change, through the greenhouse gas nitrous oxide, and to air pollution through ammonia.” 6
Furthermore, “….groundwater is one of the important sources of water for irrigation. From agricultural fields, nitrogenous fertilizers leach into the soil and finally contaminate groundwater.
When the nitrate level of groundwater exceeds 25 mg/l, they can cause a serious health hazard known as “Blue Baby Syndrome”, which affects mostly infants even leading to their death.” 7
⭐ SOLUTION: focus on sustaining good soil on America’s farmland. Lean into building up land with farmers that abide by, and understand, the practice of regenerative agriculture. Trash industrial agriculture methods.
Seed Oils: A Hidden Ingredient in America’s Diet
Working at The Food Company (which owns ZIKI and BIG-FARMA) has accelerated my education on seed oils.
Since we don’t use seed oils in any of our restaurants’ cooking procedures, you can incline as to the stance I have on such a topic by now.
Seed oils are refined vegetable oils where the oil comes from the seed of a plant, rather than the fruit itself. Common seed oils include:
“They contain inflammatory linoleic acid, which is associated with heart disease, cancer, dementia, and other health problems.” 8
The Health Risks of Seed Oils
Seed oils, particularly those high in linoleic acid, are linked to a range of health issues, including inflammation, heart disease, cancer, and even cognitive decline. Despite these risks, they continue to dominate the American food landscape, largely because of their cost-effectiveness and versatility in large-scale food production.
If we eliminated seed oils from our diet, most of America’s long list of health issues would disappear. It would be a huge effort to do so. It would cause many companies to go out of business. Consumers would need to be more educated on the negatives of seed oil consumption, as well.
A stroll down your local supermarket grocery aisle in trying to find a non-seed oil product, is like trying to find a needle in a haystack.
Why is it that one can eat a load of pasta as their regular diet in Italy and stay lean? However, do the same thing in America and it won’t be a fun experience.
The Kitavans (people of the Kitava Island) in Papua New Guinea are also a direct example of this.
The Kitavans get nearly 70% of their calories from carbs (sweet potatoes, etc.) and they stay remarkably lean. No seed oils.
Similarly, the Inuits in Greenland’s diet consisted of pure meat and fat (blubber). But they stay just as lean. No seed oils. 9
Lastly, insight can come from the Tsimane Tribe in Bolivia’s Amazon rainforest.
“This tribe is renowned by cardiologists around the world for how clean their arteries are. No plaque buildup, no stiffening, etc. Studies have shown that an average 80-year-old Tsimane has the vascular health of an average American in their mid-50s. They hardly have access to linoleic acid rich vegetable oils. Instead they eat fiber-rich carbohydrates like rice and plantains, supplemented by wild game and fish.” 10
⭐ SOLUTION: Stop consuming seed oils. Shop at your local farmers market. Talk to your local rancher. Talk to your local farmer. Educate yourself on eating healthy, the negatives of seed oils, eat at restaurants that don’t use seed oils in their menu, and build up a rolodex of local shops that sell healthy, non-seed oil containing foods.
Glyphosate
“Glyphosate is a herbicide. It is applied to the leaves of plants to kill both broadleaf plants and grasses.” 11
This one is tough, since glyphosate is on basically everything. It might even be in your bloodstream at this time too.
Glyphosate quick facts:
Banned in EU + 28 countries
U.S allowable limit in tap water is 7000x more than other countries
Found in 93% of American blood samples
Recent study found in 100% of cereals
Linked to cancer, inflammation, infertility
Before you have a panic attack, don’t worry. Here are some solutions.
⭐ SOLUTION: Here are some things you can do to stay away from glyphosate. (1) Look for glyphosate residue free labels when your procuring foods, (2) buy organic whenever possible, (3) wash your fruits and veggies DEEPLY before consuming them, (4) build a good relationship with growers, pickers, and farmers around you
Toxins
Toxins is a commonly used word nowadays.
For Americans, it’s not just a trend word, like the word “rizz” when it became the 2023 Oxford English Dictionary word of the year.
For Americans, it’s been a reality of our food system for many years.
Toxins quick facts:
92% of Americans have measurable phthalates in their blood stream (linked to 24-34% decrease in testosterone)
97% of Americans have PFAS in their blood (linked to cancer, infertility, neurological conditions)
PFAS in 93% of water sources
The highest cancer rates are for parts of the body that accumulate exposures (breasts, testes/prostate, lungs)
⭐ SOLUTION: Get a reverse-osmosis filter.
I Long For…
Although these facts are continually looking more and more stark, it is a blessing to have such information at our fingertips.
If one cares so much about what they input into their mind (others thoughts, forms of media, etc.), shouldn’t it be the same as what we put into our bodies?
Because, until the U.S farming practices get healthier, the U.S water supply is more pure, and seed oils are abolished, the best form of defense against these things is to vote with your dollar by every purchase you make.
When you become an educated citizen and inform yourself with the truth, that is a weapon on the offensive towards combating evil and poisonous food and beverages.
I long for the day where it’s a common habit for Americans, and all people, to look twice at the ingredient label of foods as much as they do the likes on their social media posts…
I long for the day where healthy eating is common at fellowship gatherings…
I long for the day when I don’t need to long for these things anymore…
HUGE thanks to
,
, and Ben Ferguson, for all of the help with this essay. Iteration after iteration, they helped tremendously.
Check out there publications here
and
.
