Seed Oils and Health: What Science Says About Your Body

Discover what science really says about the health effects of seed oils and your body. Seed oils—such as soybean, corn, sunflower, and safflower oils—are common sources of polyunsaturated fats in modern diets. Science generally supports replacing saturated fats with unsaturated fats to help heart health, but the health effects of seed oils depend on context: the overall diet, how the oils are processed, and the balance with omega-3 fats. Inflammation and the gut microbiome can respond to dietary fats, and emerging evidence suggests the microbiome may mediate how seed oils affect the body. This page summarises what science says about the health effects of seed oils and offers practical tips you can apply today. Regarding heart health, randomized trials and meta-analyses indicate that when seed oils replace saturated fats, LDL cholesterol and cardiovascular risk can improve modestly. However, excessive processing and high-heat cooking can promote oxidation, potentially blunting benefits, so choosing high-quality, minimally processed varieties for dressings or low-heat uses is wise. On inflammation, the data are nuanced: omega-6 fatty acids from seed oils do not automatically trigger harmful inflammation in most people, particularly when omega-3 intake is adequate and the overall diet supports balance. The gut microbiome also plays a role: different fats can shift bacterial communities in ways that influence inflammatory metabolites and systemic health. From a practical nutrition perspective, diversify fat sources and favor oils that stay stable with your cooking methods. Use seed oils for flavor and light dressings, and pair them with fiber-rich foods and vegetables to support a healthy microbiome. Aim for a balanced omega-6 to omega-3 intake by including fatty fish or algae sources of omega-3s, and store oils in a cool, dark place to reduce oxidation. For personalized guidance that accounts for your unique gut microbiome, you can explore tailored insights from InnerBuddies that connect your dietary fats to microbiome shifts and health outcomes. Learn more about the consumer and testing options below. InnerBuddies offers a white-label Gut Health Operating System that companies can use to power their gut microbiome testing products, and these tools are also available directly to consumers. The platform provides a Gut Microbiome Health Index from 0 to 100, based on an exclusive IP deal with EAFIT University in Colombia, plus top-40 bacterial abundances to see how you compare to a healthy cohort. It also categorizes bacterial metabolic functions into positive or negative groups and shows where you stand on each pathway. With Target Group analyses—covering topics like Healthy Aging, Endurance Sport, and Skin & Hair Health—you can identify which pathways matter most for you, and receive personalized nutrition advice based on 3-day food diaries and stool samples, as well as personalized probiotic and prebiotic recommendations. To explore these consumer options, visit the microbiome test page InnerBuddies microbiome test and the gut health membership page InnerBuddies gut health membership. If you’re a business seeking partnerships, learn about the B2B program here: InnerBuddies B2B partner program.