Toxic Seed Oils To Avoid For Menopausal Health

Toxic Seed Oils To Avoid For Menopausal Health.

If you’re navigating menopause and struggling with debilitating symptoms you can’t seem to get a handle on, the hormone-disrupting culprit may be hiding in plain sight—seed oils. 

These industrial oils, often labelled “heart-healthy,” have infiltrated nearly every aspect of our modern food system. 

What if everything we’ve been told about them is a lie?

For decades, we were told to avoid saturated fats like butter and embrace vegetable oils as the key to better health, but the truth is far more sinister. 

These highly processed oils were never meant for human consumption, they were first used as industrial lubricants before food manufacturers found a way to profit from them.

Big food companies, driven by profit rather than health, pushed these oils into our kitchens, replacing traditional, nourishing fats with cheap, unstable alternatives and it didn’t stop there. 

The infamous Ansel Keys and his manipulated research convinced an entire generation that polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs) were superior, fueling a dietary shift that has contributed to skyrocketing rates of obesity, metabolic disorders, and chronic disease.

The effects are particularly devastating for women in menopause as we have inadvertently been consuming these oils for most of our lives.

These oils disrupt our hormones, trigger inflammation, and contribute to the very symptoms we’re trying to manage, fatigue, brain fog, joint pain, and insulin resistance to name but a few. 

Worse, the same soy, corn, and flax used to fatten livestock are now fattening humans, wreaking havoc on our metabolism one cell at a time.

In this post, we’ll uncover the shocking history of seed oils, the truth behind their so-called health benefits, and the ways they silently sabotage our bodies. 

More importantly, I’ll show you how to identify and eliminate them from your diet, because reclaiming your health starts with what’s on your plate.

The Industrial Origins of Seed Oils

Before seed oils found their way into our kitchens, they had a very different purpose—industrial lubrication. 

In the late 19th century and early 1900s, cottonseed oil, one of the first industrial seed oils, was used to grease machinery and manufacture soap. 

It wasn’t considered food.

Early producers struggled to find a way to dispose of this waste byproduct of the cotton industry. 

However, where others saw waste, food manufacturers saw profit.

From Industrial Waste to Food Supply

At the turn of the 20th century, Procter & Gamble, originally a soap and candle company, discovered a way to hydrogenate cottonseed oil, transforming it into a solid fat that resembled lard. 

The result was Crisco, the first mass-produced vegetable shortening. 

It was marketed as a modern, clean, and economical alternative to traditional animal fats like butter, lard, and tallow. 

Housewives were sold the idea that Crisco was a superior choice for cooking, despite its unnatural origins.

The success of Crisco set the stage for other industrial seed oils—soybean, corn, canola, and sunflower oil—to flood the food supply. 

During World War II, animal fats became scarce, giving food manufacturers the perfect opportunity to push these cheap, highly processed oils as substitutes. 

What started as a necessity during wartime soon became the new normal, and by the 1950s, seed oils were everywhere.

The Role of Big Food in Pushing Seed Oils

Once the war ended, food companies had a problem, there was no longer a shortage of traditional fats. 

To keep the demand for seed oils high, they needed a new strategy. 

Enter the era of dietary propaganda. 

With the help of flawed science and aggressive marketing, the public was convinced that saturated fats from butter, eggs, and animal fats were dangerous, raising the risk of heart disease. 

Meanwhile, seed oils were promoted as the “heart-healthy” alternative but the real motivation behind this shift wasn’t public health it was profit. 

Seed oils were dirt cheap to produce compared to butter or lard. 

They had longer shelf lives, making them ideal for packaged and processed foods and because they were extracted from crops like soy and corn—crops heavily subsidised by the government—food manufacturers could produce them at an extremely low cost while maximising their profits.

By the 1980s and 90s, nearly every processed food on grocery store shelves contained seed oils. 

• Margarine replaced butter. 
• Low-fat salad dressings replaced olive oil. 
• Fried foods, snack foods, and even so-called health foods were loaded with these volatile, inflammatory oils and all the while, rates of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease continued to rise.

The shift from natural, nutrient-dense animal fats to chemically processed seed oils was not the result of better science or improved health outcomes, it was the result of a food industry that prioritised profits over people and the consequences have been devastating.

How Seed Oils Are Produced: From Industrial Waste to Your Plate

Unlike traditional fats like butter or olive oil, which are simply churned or pressed, seed oils undergo an intense industrial process to become “edible.” 

These oils are extracted from crops like soybeans, corn, rapeseed/canola, and sunflower seeds—plants never historically used as dietary fat sources. 

These seeds contain very little natural oil and must be processed using high temperatures, chemical solvents like hexane (a petroleum byproduct), and industrial refining techniques. 

This extreme refining process damages the oils, creating harmful byproducts such as trans fats and oxidised polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) both of which drive inflammation and metabolic dysfunction in the body. 

To mask their rancid smell and unappetising colour, these oils are then deodorised and bleached before being bottled and sold as “heart-healthy”  cooking oils but the reality is, that these oils are anything but healthy, they are highly unstable, inflammatory, and contribute to a wide range of chronic diseases.

How Seed Oils Are Destroying Your Metabolic Health—One Cell at a Time

Seed oils don’t just lurk in our food, they infiltrate our bodies at a cellular level, wreaking havoc on our metabolism, hormones, and overall health. 

While they’ve been marketed as a healthier alternative to saturated fats, the truth is they are some of the most damaging substances in the modern diet.

PUFAs and Metabolic Dysfunction

Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in seed oils are highly unstable and prone to oxidation, especially when exposed to heat. 

This instability leads to the production of toxic byproducts, like aldehydes, which cause oxidative stress and inflammation in the body. 

Chronic inflammation is a major driver of metabolic disorders, including:

• Insulin resistance – PUFAs disrupt insulin signalling, making it harder for your cells to absorb glucose. This leads to higher blood sugar levels, increased fat storage, and eventually type 2 diabetes.
• Obesity – These oils alter how our bodies store fat, making it easier to gain weight and harder to lose it. The same way soy, corn, and flax are used to fatten livestock is the same way they fatten humans.
• Thyroid dysfunction – PUFAs suppress thyroid function, slowing metabolism and contributing to symptoms like weight gain, fatigue, and brain fog—issues that many menopausal women struggle with.

The Impact on Hormones and Inflammation

For women going through menopause, hormonal balance is everything. 

Yet seed oils actively disrupt this balance by:

• Raising estrogen levels – Excess estrogen (often fueled by environmental toxins and diet) is a major driver of estrogen dominance, which worsens menopausal symptoms like weight gain, mood swings, and heavy periods.
• Lowering progesterone – A healthy balance of progesterone helps regulate the menstrual cycle and supports a calm, steady mood. PUFAs disrupt progesterone levels, leading to increased anxiety, poor sleep, and worsened PMS symptoms.
• Increasing inflammation – Chronic, low-grade inflammation is the root cause of many menopausal symptoms, from joint pain to brain fog. The oxidation of seed oils creates a firestorm of inflammation in the body, making it nearly impossible to feel balanced and energised.

Seed Oils and Mitochondrial Damage

Mitochondria are the powerhouses of our cells, responsible for producing energy. 

When damaged, our energy production slows down, leading to fatigue, sluggish metabolism, and poor cellular function. 

Seed oils directly damage mitochondrial function by increasing oxidative stress, making it harder for our bodies to generate the energy we need to thrive.

This explains why so many women feel constantly tired, struggle to lose weight, and experience brain fog—seed oils are literally draining their energy at a cellular level.

The Silent Accumulation of Seed Oils in Our Bodies

Unlike other fats, PUFAs don’t just pass through the body quickly, they get stored in our fat cells, lingering for months or even years. 

This means that even if you stop consuming them today, your body may still be dealing with the effects of past seed oil consumption. 

Over time, this accumulation disrupts metabolism, increases inflammation, and accelerates aging.

Seed oils are more than just a cheap ingredient in processed food—they are a metabolic poison. 

They interfere with how our bodies regulate hormones, burn fat, and produce energy, making menopause symptoms worse and long-term health harder to maintain. 

The good news? 

You can reverse the damage by removing them from your diet and replacing them with stable, nourishing fats that support metabolic health.

Where Seed Oils Are Hiding And How to Ditch Them for Good

Seed oils aren’t just in the obvious places like bottles of rapeseed or soybean oil. 

They’ve infiltrated nearly every aisle of the grocery store, lurking in packaged foods, restaurant meals, and even so-called “healthy” products. 

If you want to reclaim your health, you need to become a label detective and take back control of your food choices.

The Top Culprits: Where Seed Oils Hide

Many people unknowingly consume seed oils every single day because they are disguised in ultra-processed and processed foods. 

Here’s where they are most commonly found:

1. Processed & Packaged Foods

• Crisps, crackers, and snack bars
• Cookies, cakes, and pastries
• Store-bought bread and tortillas
• Cereals and granola
• Salad dressings and condiments (yes, even “healthy” ones!)
• Coleslaw and pasta salads, even olives are sitting in seed oil!

2. Restaurant & Fast Food Meals

• Fried foods (French fries, chicken nuggets, tempura)
• Sauces, marinades, and dips
• Most restaurant-cooked meals (even “grilled” meats are often coated in seed oil)

3. ‘Healthy’ Plant-Based Alternatives

• Vegan butter and margarine
• Plant-based meat substitutes
• Dairy-free creamers and nut milk – love your creamy oat milk, check the ingredients!
• Protein bars and energy drinks

4. Your Kitchen Cupboards

• Vegetable oil
• Rapeseed/Canola oil
• Soybean oil
• Corn oil
• Sunflower and safflower oil
• Margarine and shortening

If you see any of these oils on a label, put the product back on the shelf!

How We Got Here: The Loss of Home Cooking

It only took two generations for us to lose the skill of cooking from scratch. 

When food corporations encouraged women to enter the workforce, they positioned their ready-made meals as a way to “help” the busy housewife. 

Frozen dinners, boxed meals, and convenience foods became the norm but what they really did was strip families of their connection to real food. 

Instead of meals made with whole, nourishing ingredients, families were fed lab-created, highly processed junk laced with seed oils. 

The result? 

Chronic disease, obesity, and a generation disconnected from the power of home-cooked meals.

Reclaiming Your Health: How to Ditch Seed Oils

Eliminating seed oils may feel overwhelming at first, but it all starts with small, intentional changes:

1. Read Every Label

My clients curse me at first, “Sue, my food shop took soooo long”, and “I don’t know what to eat anymore!” but they quickly find more than acceptable alternatives and more importantly start to feel better, so;

• If a product contains seed oils, find an alternative.
• Look for brands that use olive oil, avocado oil, butter, or ghee instead.
• Beware of misleading labels—many products labelled “heart-healthy” or “organic” still contain toxic oils.

2. Cook More at Home

• Cooking at home is the only way to control what’s in your food.
• Focus on simple meals made with real ingredients.
• Swap seed oils for nourishing fats like butter, tallow, ghee, olive oil, and coconut oil.

3. Choose the Right Cooking Oils

Not all oils are bad! 

Here’s what to use instead:
✅ Best options: Butter, ghee, beef tallow, lard, coconut oil
✅ Good for cold use: Extra virgin olive oil, avocado oil

❌ Avoid: Rapeseed/canola, soybean, corn, sunflower, safflower sesame oil, grapeseed oil

4. Take Back Your Kitchen

• Replace processed foods with real, whole ingredients.
• Batch cook simple meals to avoid relying on takeout.
• Get your family involved—teaching the next generation to cook is one of the greatest gifts for long-term health.

The Bottom Line

For decades, the food industry has conditioned us to believe that cooking is too time-consuming, that fast foods are a necessity, and that industrially processed seed oils are “heart-healthy.” 

None of this is true. 

These narratives weren’t created for our well-being they were designed to increase corporate profits at the expense of our health.

Now, we know better.

By becoming label detectives, questioning the messages we’ve been fed, and making small changes and conscious choices about what we eat, we can break free from this cycle. 

This isn’t about following another health trend it’s about undoing decades of misinformation and reclaiming the power of real food.

Shifting back to whole, traditional foods isn’t just about avoiding disease it’s about restoring energy, balancing hormones, and reconnecting with the way our bodies are meant to thrive. 

When we take control of our food choices, we take control of our health, our families, and our future.

If you’re struggling to navigate menopause symptoms, hormone imbalance, or just don’t know where to start, you don’t have to do this alone. 

Whether you need a Menopause Symptom Relief Strategy Session, a 28-day Hormone Harmony Reset, or full support with my signature 12-week Menopause SHIFT Program, I’m here to guide you. Find out more HERE.

My unique SHIFT system will help you take the guesswork out of menopause and show you exactly where to focus for real, lasting relief.

Download my free ebook and discover which real foods will support you to build a long-term healthy menopause experience.