Are Seed Oils Bad For You?

For years, social media influencers and authors of fad diets have been pushing the idea that seed oils are harmful to our health. It should be no surprise that there is not a whole lot of science behind these claims.

Seed oils, such as canola, soybean, sunflower and corn oil have been shown to be quite healthy in the research literature. They contain healthy fats, vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals. They are nutrition powerhouses.

The fats in these oils include omega 6 polyunsaturated fat, omega 3 polyunsaturated fat and monounsaturated fat. These oils have been shown in the research literature to have a beneficial impact on blood lipids, inflammation, glucose and insulin levels. 

Ignore the influencers and feel free to include seed oils in your diet often.

Vegan Diet And Muscle Loss

The Study

A concern for those consuming a vegan diet is a reduction in protein intake. This interesting study attempts to find out whether initiating a vegan diet can impact muscle mass.

This study took place in the Netherlands. Seventy-two healthy adults over the age of 65 were randomly assigned to follow a vegan diet or their usual diet for 12 weeks. Thigh muscle volume and body fat distribution were taken at baseline and at the end of follow-up with MRI and DEXA scans. Muscle protein synthesis was also assessed by a deuterium oxide protocol.

The results were striking:

-The self-selected vegan diet group reduced protein intake by an average of 23 grams per day.

-Compared to the control group that consumed their usual diet, thigh muscle volume was significantly reduced in the vegan group.

-Compared to the control group that consumed their usual diet, muscle protein synthesis was significantly reduced in the vegan group.

American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2026;124:101416

Take Home Message

If you are following a vegan diet, pay very close attention to the amount of protein you are eating each day. Much of the loss of function with older age is directly due to the loss of muscle. You do not want your diet negatively impacting your muscle mass.

Dietary Patterns And Risk Of Anxiety And Depression

The Study

In this interesting investigation, diet was measured by means of a food frequency questionnaire in 6,967 men and women from a cohort in the Netherlands. Subjects were followed for incidence of depression and anxiety. Several dietary patterns emerged in this group of subjects. One of the patterns was labeled “high fast food and sugar”. This pattern consisted of high amounts of fast foods, sugar, fried potatoes, sugar sweetened-beverages and refined grains.

Subjects adhering to this dietary pattern had more than twice the risk of being diagnosed with anxiety. They also had more than twice the risk of being diagnosed with depression.

American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2026;124:101415.

Take Home Message

Anxiety and depression are very common in today’s world, especially among our children. It is important to keep in mind that diet often plays a large role in the development and treatment of these mental health disorders.

Organic Produce And Cancer Risk

Organically grown fruits and vegetables are much more expensive than conventionally grown. Many spend this extra money in an effort to limit exposure to pesticides, which in theory should reduce the risk of cancer. Is this the case? This interesting study tried to find out (Reference 1).

The Study

Over 31,000 French men and women had their diets measured and were followed for a cancer diagnosis for an average of 7 years.  

Here are some of the most important results:

Substituting 100 grams (about a serving) of conventional produce with organic produce each day did not reduce risk of cancer.

When comparing subjects who substituted the most conventional produce with subjects substituting the least, there was no significant reduction in risk of cancer.

The researchers also looked at individual cancers. Subjects substituting the most conventional produce with organic produce showed a lower risk of post-menopausal breast cancer and skin cancer, but a higher risk of prostate and colorectal cancer. The only result that reached statistical significance was the reduction in post-menopausal breast cancer.

Conclusions And Recommendations

The results of this investigation are consistent with the research literature that I have come across. Although much more expensive, there does not appear to be much of a nutritional or health advantage to organically grown produce. 

Learning this during my doctoral years was a pretty big surprise to me. I just assumed organic would be healthier. The research has not shown this to be true with any consistency. If you are interested in diving a bit deeper, you can find an earlier blog post here that summarizes previous research on organic produce and health outcomes.

If you like organic produce and can afford it, there is no reason to stop buying it. If you are mainly doing it to improve your health, the research literature hasn’t shown us much to support this idea.

References

1) Berlivet J, G. Meyer, E. Alles, B et al.  Consumption of organic compared with conventional fruits and vegetables in relation to cancer risk. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2026; 101284.

 

 

 

Is Full Fat Dairy Healthy?

The choice between low fat and full fat dairy products has become the latest nutrition controversy. There is some emerging evidence that the saturated fat in dairy is less harmful than other sources of saturated fat.

However, randomized trials show that substituting low fat for high fat diary reduces LDL cholesterol by 5 to 10%. 

Furthermore, observational research has shown that substituting 5% of unsaturated fat with dairy fat increases risk of cardiovascular disease by 10 to 25%.

While dairy fat may not be as harmful as originally thought, there are much better choices.

It is better to go with low fat/fat free dairy and add to your meal a plant-based fat such as nuts, nut butter, avocado or olive oil. The health benefits of these fats have been shown clearly and consistently in the research literature.

Lifestyle Choices And Risk Of Hypertension

The Study

Hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, is strongly associated with heart disease, stroke and kidney disease. Nearly 50% of U.S. adults are hypertensive. In this interesting study, Harvard researchers wanted to find out how many of these cases could be prevented by healthy lifestyle choices.

This investigation pooled subjects from the Nurses’ Health Study, the Nurses’ Health Study II and the Health Professional Follow-up Study. Over 50,000 men and women had their lifestyle measured and were watched for over 27 years to see if they developed hypertension. 

Here are the healthy lifestyle behaviors used in this study:

A BMI under 25.

Greater than 2.5 hours of moderate to vigorous physical activity each week.

Top 40 percentile adherence to the DASH diet.

No more than one alcohol containing drink per day.

The population attributable risk when following all of these factors was 44%. This means that if everyone in the cohort followed these habits, almost half of the cases of hypertension would not have happened.

European Journal Of Medicine 2025;132:55-56

Take Home Message

It appears that healthy lifestyle choices can prevent a very significant amount of hypertension risk. Eating right, exercising and maintaining a healthy weight is not always easy, but the payoff is tremendous. 

Dietary Patterns And Weight Gain During Menopause

The Study

A common characteristic of menopause is weight gain. In this interesting study, over 38,000 women from Harvard’s Nurses’ Health Study II cohort had their diets and weight measured for 12 years during their transition to menopause. The goal was to see how different dietary patterns impacted menopausal weight gain. Eleven dietary patterns were evaluated in this research.

Here are some of the most important results:

-Mean weight gain averaged about 2 lbs. per year.

-Diets that are considered healthy, such as the DASH diet and the Mediterranean diet were actually associated with weight loss.

-Unhealthy diets, such as animal based low carb diets and patterns containing a lot of ultra-processed foods were associated with greater weight gain during menopause.

Regardless of dietary pattern, red and processed meats, sodium, potatoes and French fries were associated with weight gain. Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and legumes were associated with weight loss.

JAMA Network Open. 2026;9(5):e2613102.

Take Home Message

Weight gain during menopause is not a certain guarantee. With a healthy lifestyle, including the right dietary choices, weight gain during this transition can be minimized or even eliminated.