Recent research has raised concerns that cooking oils, but Professor - Dr. Timothy Yeatman, working at the Cancer Institute of the University of South Florida and Tampa General Hospital (USA), affirmed that the research results do not show that cooking oils, including seed oils, can cause cancer.

And what Timothy Yeatman is concerned about is the high consumption of seed oils - from ultra-processed foods.

Supplement foods containing omega-3

Research has shown that the problem comes from the fact that seed oils are high in omega-6 fatty acids, some of which can promote inflammation in the body. And inflammation can contribute to certain types of cancer, like colon cancer.

For his research, Dr. Yeatman said: Excessive omega-6 consumption leads to excess inflammatory mediators, which creates an immunosuppressive environment for colon cancer. And I think that allows the tumor to grow and spread.

To remedy this situation, according to Dr. Yeatman, supplementing enough omega-3 fatty acids has anti-inflammatory effects, which can curb the harmful effects of omega-6. According to Mount Sinai Hospital (USA), general nutritional guidelines recommend a ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 in the diet of 2:1 to 4:1.

When consumed in the right proportions, both omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids are unsaturated fats, which are beneficial for heart health. That's why the American Heart Association says nut oils can be part of a healthy diet. Omega-6s are also found in nuts, which are considered healthy. Omega-3s are commonly found in fish like salmon and some nuts.

Consume cooking oil in moderation

You shouldn't stop eating cooking oils, or even seed oils, Dr. Yeatman asserted, according to the science magazine The Conversation.

In fact, olive oil has many health benefits and is a staple of the Mediterranean diet, consistently shown to be the healthiest diet. Avocado oil is also beneficial for heart and eye health, Dr. Yeatman points out.

Dr Yeatman insists that eating nut oils in moderation is healthy. He says: “I don’t consider nut oils to be harmful. But don’t eat too much of them, they will build up and that’s a problem. Like all foods, moderation is key.”

Avoid ultra-processed foods

The problem, however, is that seed oils are also often used in ultra-processed foods, which are known to increase cancer risk.

Dr. Nate Wood, director of culinary medicine at Yale School of Medicine (USA), emphasized that research shows that it is the seed oils found in ultra-processed foods that cause the inflammatory response that leads to colon cancer and other cancers, not the problem of cooking with seed oils.

Dr. Suneel Kumath, a gastrointestinal oncologist at the Cleveland Clinic (USA), also agreed with Dr. Yeatman and Dr. Wood that the main result of the study is to recommend consuming less processed foods.

In fact, the recent rise in colon cancer in young people is consistent with a dramatic increase in consumption of processed foods, which are loaded with unhealthy ingredients, says Dr. Yeatman.

Dr. Wood reiterated: I'm not concerned about cooking with seed oils. I'm concerned about ultra-processed foods that contain seed oils, according to Today.

Limit frying at too hot temperatures, reuse oil

Professor Yeatman also notes: Heating seed oils at high temperatures, as in deep frying, can increase toxin levels.

Dr. Catherine Shanahan, an expert on how to use healthy cooking oils in the US, also noted: The big problem is heating cooking oil at high temperatures and then reusing it many times, because the level of toxic compounds can accumulate, and reusing leftover oil for frying will form more toxins.

Again, it's important to note that cooking oils themselves are not harmful to health if consumed in moderation, but the problem is from ultra-processed foods, according to The Conversation.