Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025–2030 (Seed Oils Not an Only Option)

 The new version of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025-2030 offers a significant change from previous versions.  The core of the new guidelines is to go back to "real food", not "processed and packaged" food.  It encourages a commonsense focus on healthy eating rather than a set of "limits" or "maximums."  In this short series of articles, each week will will look at an overview of one of the recommendations.  This is an introduction to these guidelines, you will find the full version of the guidelines online at: https://realfood.gov/#resources.  These articles are sourced from an Epoch Times article: The Science Behind the New Dietary Guidelines. 

Seed Oils Not the Only Option for Cooking Oil

The new guidelines recommend oils and fats such as olive oil, butter, or beef tallow.  It does not include vegetable oils such as soybean oil and corn oil as options unlike past recommendations.  

Authors of the scientific reasoning report wrote that to recommend eating seed oils such as soybean, corn, canola, and cottonseed oil is based on flawed science.  They wrote that seed oils have more polyunsaturated fats which are more prone to oxidation when heated.  This can be harmful to people with metabolic disease.  Not to mention that seed oils undergo an extensive processing to make them shelf stable and neutral in flavor.

The guidelines state "when cooking with or adding fats to meals, prioritize oils with essential fatty acids, such as olive oil.  Other options can include butter or beef tallow." This indicates that of the healthy fats available, olive oil, butter, and beef tallow are suitable options for cooking.

But, again, these Dietary Guidelines are not rules to be followed, they are guidelines.  It is not intended that "only animal fat" is to be used, or the "seed oils" are to be avoided, it is guidance in making a wise decision.  As with all recommendations you should do your own research and make your own informed decisions.  For those who can't or won't do that, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025-2030 offer a stable foundation upon which to  build.

Next: Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025–2030 (Conclusion)

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