The Truth About Fats: Part 2

What’s Really Happening When We Eat Seed Oils

💀 Seed Oils: The Modern Culprit

You’ve read last month how oils made from seeds (think cottonseed, soybean, corn, sunflower) quietly replaced traditional fats like butter, lard and tallow in kitchens across America. But it’s not just the history we’re concerned with — it’s what happens when those oils become part of your day‑to‑day diet.

Many of these seed oils are highly processed and rich in what are called polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). While PUFAs are essential (our bodies cannot make all of them), the type, quantity and how they’re used matter a lot.

🔍 Inside the Body: What Really Happens

Here’s where things get more than just interesting — they get personal.

Oxidation & unstable fats: Because polyunsaturated fats have multiple double‐bonds in their chemical structure, they are more vulnerable to oxidation (i.e., damage from exposure to heat, light, and air). Some researchers suggest that when PUFAs are oxidized — either in the oil bottle or, more importantly, inside the body — they may form harmful compounds that interfere with cell membranes, promote free‑radicals, and even contribute to processes like inflammation or tissue damage.

Inflammation & metabolic impact: One argument is that high intake of certain seed oil PUFAs (especially omega‑6’s like linoleic acid) may tip the balance of inflammation in the body. While the research is mixed, the way many of us eat today — with abundant processed foods, repeated heating of oils, low fresh‑food intake — can create stress on our metabolism, hormone systems and even immune responses.

Generational and family effects: For a homeschooling family‑led ranch like ours, this matters deeply. Kids learning how to cook, mothers serving meal after meal, grandparents passing down the skillet — these unstable oils sneaking into our everyday meals may be quietly shaping how we feel, how we age, and even how our children thrive.

🥊 The War on Traditional Fats

You’ll remember from Part 1 how animal‑based fats — like butter, tallow and lard — were gradually cast aside in favor of “lighter,” cheaper seed oils. But here’s what’s worth remembering: those old‑style fats were stable. They oxidized less, held up under heat better, and have a long history of human use.

While seed oils can be part of a well‑balanced diet (and many studies show benefits if used properly), if the wide‑spread dietary context is filled with instability (too much heat, over‑processing, far from whole foods), then the risk of harm creeps in. In other words: it’s not just what fat you use — it’s how you use it and what else is going on around it.

For your family table, that means being intentional: choose fats that hold up under heat, that come from trustworthy sources, that support a kitchen culture of real food, not ultraprocessed meals.

🍳 Time to Make the Switch

Here at CT Ranch we’re committed to offering you those trustworthy fats: butter churned the old way, tallow from pasture‑raised animals, lard rendered slowly, and other pantry staples that align with a lifestyle of nourishing, nourishing deeply, and living with integrity.
Today is a good day to take a look at the fats in your kitchen:

• What’s in your skillet when you sauté or fry?
  
• What oils are you storing for baking or meal‑prep?
  
• Is your fat choice aligning with what you believe about your body, your food, your family?
  

Think of it as one more way to protect what matters most: your family’s health, your time around the table, the traditions you pass on.