Seed oils have become the latest nutrition boogeyman. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says they’ve “poisoned” Americans. Some restaurants have gone as far as removing them from their menus. Steak ’n Shake now sizzles its fries in vats of beef fat instead, promising to “Make frying oil tallow again.” But the fear over seed oils is baseless, according to Emily Oster, a professor of economics who specializes in picking apart complex health data. It’s true that there are studies out there showing that there is some association between consuming more omega-6 fatty acids — a type of unsaturated fat commonly found in seed oils — and negative health effects, like obesity. But the conclusion is flawed; it’s almost certainly not the case that seed oils themselves are bad for you. The problem is that seed oils are often used in food that’s otherwise unhealthy. And it’s not just seed oils. Studies that show associations but not cause and effect are pervasive in the field of nutrition research, Oster writes in an essay for Times Opinion today. So what’s the solution? “Scientists need to stop producing and amplifying so much flawed research,” Oster writes. “Journals should be more skeptical of publishing this research; media organizations should cover it less.” Instead, she argues, the National Institutes of Health should fund a large-scale, randomized controlled trial to evaluate the health effects of various diets. Such a study would be expensive, but unlike a lot of other nutrition research, it would actually tell us something useful. Emily Oster will be replying to comments on her essay today, Friday, Aug. 8, from noon E.T. to 1 p.m. E.T. Join the conversation here. Here’s what we’re focusing on today:
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