July 10, 2025

#217 The Pantry Ingredient Damaging Your Brain, Gut, & Slowly Destroying Your Health (Dark Calories & Seed Oils) | Dr. Cate Shanahan @Deep Nutrition

50 minutes

Still trusting labels like “heart-healthy” or “cold-pressed”?

Seed oils quietly erode gut health, brain function, & energy regulation. Dr. Cate Shanahan unpacks why they’re worse than sugar, what your mitochondria actually need, & which ancestral fats support real biosynergy. This episode brings clarity on the biggest dietary villain hiding in plain sight and how to kick it for good.

Meet our guest

Dr. Cate Shanahan is a widely respected physician & author whose work has sparked major movements around ancestral nutrition, seed oil elimination, & traditional eating. Her book Deep Nutrition and nutrition strategies have influenced top health leaders, professional athletes like Kobe Bryant & Aaron Judge, and millions worldwide.

Known for exposing the metabolic damage caused by seed oils, she’s helped shift public discourse on nutrition from obscurity to mainstream awareness. Dr. Cate’s mission is to empower people of all backgrounds to reclaim their health through food not pharmaceuticals.

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Key takeaways

Eating a large serving of fries from a restaurant is said to deliver the equivalent toxicity of smoking an entire pack of cigarettes

Oils can take up to six years to fully remove from the body

The “Hateful Eight” seed oils Dr. Shanahan warns against include common household staples linked to chronic health issues

Most seed oils were originally industrial lubricants; factory processing introduces toxins harmful to human health

Labeling seed oils as “plant-based” misleads consumers into thinking they're safe, despite harmful effects

Factory refining & heating oxidize fats, creates toxic byproducts that damage cells & contribute to disease

Neutral or flavorless oils lack nutrients; strong-flavored oils often contain more beneficial compounds

Seed oils trigger gut inflammation, leading to symptoms like bloating, heartburn, & IBS

Oxidative stress from damaged fats accelerates aging, damages mitochondria, & drives chronic illness

Detoxing seed oils supports taste reset, reduces sugar cravings, & rebuilds metabolic health

Soy oil makes up 80% to 90% of all the seed oils being sold

Episode Highlights

00:00 The Dangers of Seed Oils

05:10 What Are the Hateful Eight & Why They’re Toxic

09:10 The Seed Oil Takeover: Industry & Influence

12:55 How “Healthier” Labels Mislead People

23:25 The Fish Oil & Cholesterol Myths

28:37 Practical Fixes for Everyday Health

Links

Watch it on YouTube: https://youtu.be/JhPT5utza9E

Full episode show notes: outliyr.com/217

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