Vegetable oils are the most consumed food in the world second only to rice and wheat. Cooking oil now accounts for 20% of our daily calories, representing the greatest increase in the sources of calories since the globalization era.

Today, cooking oils are a staple in our diets, with canola, sunflower, soy, peanut, and palm oil being the most consumed. A growing number of studies demonstrate that many vegetable oils are pro-inflammatory and linked to disease. Research has shown that they are particularly harmful when heated or consumed in large quantities.

Our guest this episode is Jeff Nobbs a food and technology entrepreneur. Jeff is the co-founder and CEO of Zero Acre Farms, a company producing cooking oils made by fermentation, called “cultured oil.”

In this episode, we explore the best and worst oils for health, as well as other important considerations like taste, smoke-point, and sustainability.

Jeff discusses the challenges of conventional oils and the exciting possibilities of cultured oils. Dr. Weil explains why certain oils are pro-inflammatory and carcinogenic. Dr. Maizes points to food policy to understand why these vegetable oils dominates commercial food production. We discuss the good oils, the emerging world of cultured oils, and which oils to avoid.