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Seed Oils or Animal Fats: What Is Healthiest to Cook With?

Learn about the controversy behind seed oils, and find out how consuming them influences human health compared to animal fats like butter and beef tallow.

Jack Knudson
ByJack Knudson
Image Credit: New Africa/Shutterstock

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When it comes time to whip up your favorite meal, one of the first items you'll grab is probably some form of vegetable oil or animal fat — like a jug of canola oil or a tub of butter. But have you ever stopped to think about what option is the healthiest way to kickstart a recipe? The choices may seem overwhelming, and now, many consumers are embroiled in a hot debate over growing suspicion of seed oils.

Critics of seed oils have claimed that the ingredients are toxic to the human body, influencing a slew of maladies from heart disease to weight gain. These arguments condemn the processing that the oils go through and tend to prop up animal fats like lard and beef tallow as better alternatives.

What to believe, then? See the full picture of seed oils and how they compare to animal fats in terms of ...

  • Jack Knudson

    Jack Knudson

    Jack Knudson is an assistant editor for Discover Magazine who writes articles on space, ancient humans, animals, and sustainability, and manages the Planet Earth column of the print issue.

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