Recently, I have begun to pay more attention to food: not just which foods I consume, but how they are made. Coming back to campus, I wanted to shed some light on the ingredients that are used to make the meals available to students. Everyone assumes most of them are unhealthy. While that may be the case if you eat at Summerfields and get so-called Summies tummy or opt for Pasta Tom’s mysterious sauces, there are ways for students to stay relatively healthy. 

Students have some power over changing the ways in which their food is made, at least in terms of the famous Mongolian Grill station at Usdan. When asking one of the workers recently, I discovered that all the food at the Mongolian Grill is cooked with seed oils. This may not matter to some, but I am here to shed light on why it isn’t bad at all.

Firstly, seed oils, like canola oil and corn oil, are used to cook food efficiently in dining halls and households across the world; it is the cheapest and fastest way to produce food. Recently, certain food media outlets have claimed these oils contain unhealthy fats. However, I am here to debunk these misconceptions. One major rumor is that seed oils can cause inflammation, blood clotting, and the deconstruction of blood cells. It turns out that this is false, since the body very rarely converts the acids found in seed oils into acids that would cause these negative health consequences. The American Heart Association concluded from a study on Omega-6 (which is the most common fat found in seed oils) that they actually reduce heart issues and heart disease.

Another argument against seed oils is the claim that they make your Omega-6 to Omega-3 scale unequal. For those who do not know, Omega-6 and Omega-3 are both fats that many say should be consumed equally. This is not the case. A diet higher in Omega-6 fats is typically just as healthy as one that balances the two. Studies done by the American Heart Association show that a diet high in Omega-6 fats can help lower cholesterol levels and blood sugar. In addition, the American Heart Association has begun to encourage individuals to consume Omega-6 fats in place of saturated fats (found in items like butter, coconut oil, and cheese) due to the benefits to our cardiovascular systems. This does not mean you should cut back on Omega-3, but rather that you should keep consuming regular amounts of Omega-6 and add in more Omega-3 to benefit your cardiovascular system. 

Due to this research, everyone should pay more attention to the way their food is being cooked. I see many students just consuming what is put in front of them. You must focus on not just the food you are consuming but also the things used to create it. Everything in life should be done in moderation and I think that seed oil is a perfect example. 

Aris Dashiell can be reached at adashiell@wesleyan.edu.