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Why Huel Contains Seeds Oils

Flax seed oil in a small glass bowl next to loose flaxseeds

Claims that the consumption of seed oils are linked to chronic diseases such as heart disease, stroke, cancer and diabetes have become widespread on social media and podcasts, sometimes from seemingly credible people who appear to cite science to back their assertions. Where have these claims come from? Is there any truth to them? And why are seed oils present in some Huel products?

What Are Seed Oils?

When people talk about seed oils, they typically mean sunflower, rapeseed (canola), safflower, corn and soybean oil. These oils are widely used in processed foods, restaurant meals and home kitchens due to their versatility and affordability. They’re high in omega-6 fatty acids, particularly linoleic acid (LA). LA is one of two essential fatty acids that our bodies can’t produce on its own, the other being alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), an omega-3. Both LA and ALA belong to a group called polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). Since our bodies need these fats to stay healthy we must get them from our diets. In the absence of dietary LA, children will fail to grow and adults may experience fatty liver, skin lesions, reproductive failure and, eventually, death. Most seed oils are also high in monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) like oleic acid, a high intake of which has been shown to improve blood cholesterol profiles [1].

Are Seed Oils Really Harmful?

Despite the emotive claims about seed oils, there’s no evidence that there’s anything inherently hazardous about them. Most of the negativity stems from the assumption that, as humans have only been consuming seed oils for around 100 years, we have not evolved the ability to “process” them and, consequently, they have “toxic” effects. The evidence, however, disagrees, clearly showing that seed oil consumption is not only not harmful, but, relative to intake of other fats, might even offer health benefits. For example, a 2010 systematic review and meta-analysis concluded that increased PUFA consumption in place of saturated fatty acid (SFA) significantly reduced rates of heart disease [2]. A 2018 meta-analysis that looked at 54 controlled studies showed all types of vegetable oil to be more effective at improving blood markers when compared to butter [3].

From one perspective, it’s understandable why people are concerned about seed oils: there is indeed a correlation between their consumption and chronic disease. Over the past few decades, seed oil consumption in the West has gone up, and, at the same time, incidences of diseases linked to lifestyle have also risen. There are three reasons that might help to explain this link:

1. Oxidation and Chemical Changes

The fats they contain are prone to oxidation, and their presence in some foods involves them being heated-cooled-reheated several times which damages them. Being rich in MUFAs and PUFAs, seed oils are prone to oxidation. Vegetable oils that have been repeatedly heated and cooled may well have undergone chemical alterations which in large amounts could damage cells [4].

2. Calorie Overconsumption

Due to their prevalence in highly palatable convenience foods, they can contribute to calorie overconsumption. As oils are calorie-dense and common ingredients in junk foods, they will have contributed to increased calorie consumption in Western diets.

3. Poor Diet Quality

Seed oil consumption can be a marker for overall poor diet quality: diets habitually high in damaged oils are also typically high in fat, sugar and salt, and low in fibre and micronutrients.

Despite these explanations, there is no evidence that there is anything unique and inherent about seed oils that haven’t been heated, cooled and reheated several times being linked to disease risk. If you’re someone who wants to dig deeper into the details, check out the articles by Registered Nutritionist and Huel’s Chief Sustainable Nutrition Officer:

Why Have Seed Oils in Huel?

If seed oils are getting a bad rap – irrespective of whether there’s any grounds to the claims or not – why do we bother including them in Huel products at all? If their presence on the label is putting some people off, wouldn’t we be wise to just omit them?

Sunflower oil powder and rapeseed/canola oil have been in Huel Powders and Huel Ready-to-drink respectively since their concept which pre-dates the trend of misinformation about seed oils on social media. The simple reason is: we need them.

Huel products are nutritionally complete so they need to provide all essential nutrients and LA is an essential nutrient. Some people claim that, as LA is plentiful in the Western diet, there’s no need for any additional. This, however, is irrelevant because without it, Huel products wouldn’t be nutritionally complete. It would be like buying a puzzle with pieces missing: without LA, you aren’t getting the full picture.

Moreover, not only does rapeseed/canola oil provide essential LA (19%), it also provides essential omega-3 ALA (9%), as well as being rich in the MUFA oleic acid (62%), the very same fatty acid that gives olive oil its health benefits.

Now you know why Huel products contain seed oils. Science will always be at the core of what we do, rather than opinions from those who haven’t looked at the totality of the evidence.

Read more:

References:

  1. (a) Allman-Farinelli, M. A. et al. (2005) ‘A Diet Rich in High-Oleic-Acid Sunflower Oil Favorably Alters Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol, Triglycerides, and Factor VII Coagulant Activity’, Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 105(7), 1071-9; (b) Natali, F. et al. (2007) ‘Oleic Acid Is a Potent Inhibitor of Fatty Acid and Cholesterol Synthesis in C6 Glioma Cells’, Journal of Lipid Research, 48(9), 1966-75; (c) EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies (2011) ‘Scientific Opinion on the Substantiation of Health Claims Related to Oleic Acid Intended to Replace Saturated Fatty Acids (SFAs) in Foods or Diets and Maintenance of Normal Blood LDL-Cholesterol Concentrations (ID 673, 728, 729, 1302, 4334) and Maintenance of Normal (Fasting) Blood Concentrations of Triglycerides (ID 673, 4334) Pursuant to Article 13(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006’, EFSA Journal, 9(4), 2043.

  2. Mozaffarian, D. et al. (2010) ‘Effects on Coronary Heart Disease of Increasing Polyunsaturated Fat in Place of Saturated Fat: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials’, PLoS Med, 7(3), e1000252.

  3. Schwingshackl, L. et al. (2018) ‘Effects of Oils and Solid Fats on Blood Lipids: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis’, Journal of Lipid Research, 59(9), 1771-82.

  4. (a) Leopold, J. A. and Loscalzo, J. (2009) ‘Oxidative Risk for Atherothrombotic Cardiovascular Disease’, Free Radical Biology and Medicine, 47(12), 1673-706; (b) Kummerow, F. A. (2013) ‘Interaction Between Sphingomyelin and Oxysterols Contributes to Atherosclerosis and Sudden Death’, American Journal of Cardiovascular Disease, 3(1), 17-26; (c) Saha, S. K. et al. (2017) ‘Correlation Between Oxidative Stress, Nutrition, and Cancer Initiation’, International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 18(7), 1544; (d) Liguori, I. et al. (2018) ‘Oxidative Stress, Aging, and Diseases’, Clinical Interventions in Aging, 13, 757-72.