Seed Oils

Setting the Record Straight

Not all seed oils are created equal

Seed oils have been getting a bad rap lately. Scroll through social media and you might think they’re the villain in every kitchen. But here’s the thing—not all seed oils are created equal. While there’s good reason to be cautious about heavily processed, chemical-laden oils, it’s time to set the record straight. Not all seed oils are bad and not all seed oils are created equal.

Sunflower oil, especially when cold-pressed and unrefined like Simply Sunflower Oil, offers numerous health benefits that are often overshadowed by generalizations. The Koelling family has been farming in Ord, Nebraska, for over 120 years, practicing regenerative agriculture long before it became a trend. Their commitment is to provide a pure, nutrient-rich oil that supports your health and culinary endeavors.

Are seed oils bad?

We hear it all the time. Because of the vast availability of processed food that utilizes cheaply made seed oils, there is much criticism on seed oils. This started the “seed-oil free” movement and social media is full of health claims regarding them, which don’t take into account the differences among seed oils.

Seed oils are widely used among most packaged foods, but most of those foods are heavily processed. They typically also use the least expensive type of sunflower oil to make it most cost-effective for their product and cooking. While the American Heart Association highly recommends sunflower oil as a heart-healthy oil for its amazingly low saturated fat content, many seed oils use high heat, refine, bleach, and deodorize their oil that ruins the beneficial nutrients in the process.

Simply Sunflower oil values quality over quantity. Instead of using high heat to get higher yields, we cold press once for sunflower oil and do not bleach, deodorize without destroying any of the nutrients in the process.

Though seed oils are highly debated, the real concern is how they are made and what goes into the oil. Not all seed oils are created equal.

Not all seed oils are bad. We are proud to say Simply Sunflower Oil is a great, healthy choice! Here’s the science that sets Simply Sunflower Oil apart.

The Truth about Seed Oils

Cold-Pressed vs High Heat and Chemical Extraction

The production process heavily affects the oil you buy from the grocery store. Many cooking oils are made through expeller pressing where raw materials, like seeds or olives, are crushed and squeezed under high pressure. Oftentimes high temperatures are used to speed up the extraction process and increase the amount of oil yielded. Extreme heat breaks down and removes naturally occurring vitamins and nutrients. Additionally, many conventional sunflower oils on the market are highly refined, often processed with chemical solvents, bleaches, and deodorizers that strip the oil of its natural antioxidants, vitamins, and flavor.

Cold-pressed sunflower oil retains its natural antioxidants and nutrients through pressing seeds at low temperatures. Many concerns about seed oils are based on highly processed, refined oils that are stripped of nutrients and made with chemical solvents like hexane. However, Simply Sunflower Oil is cold-pressed, unrefined, and made without any chemicals or additives—preserving the natural antioxidants and nutrients found in sunflower seeds.

Nebraska-Grown vs. Unknown Origins

Many oils are made with ingredients sourced from multiple regions and countries. You can often find the origin on the back label, with phrases like “Product of France, Argentina, Spain, or Ukraine,” typically listed near the nutrition facts. When oils are blended from many sources, freshness, consistency, and transparency can suffer—making it harder to know exactly where your food comes from.

At Simply Sunflower, we take a different approach. Our seeds are grown by a small network of neighboring farmers, all based in Nebraska, USA. The majority are grown on our founding family farm, where we’ve been farming for over 120 years and are still harvesting crops today—led by Farmer Al. Every bottle can be traced by its lot number back to the exact field where it was grown, ensuring full transparency, accountability, and quality from seed to shelf.

Healthy Fats vs Saturated Fats

Saturated fats (often found in high amounts in certain seed oils) can raise your "bad" cholesterol. It is often recommended to limit saturated fat intake for heart health and to avoid chronic disease. The American Heart Association recommends aiming for a dietary pattern that achieves less than 6% of total calories from saturated fat.

Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are considered “good” and “beneficial” fats. Polyunsaturated fats contain omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. According to Harvard Medical School, these fatty acids can reduce inflammation, boost protective HDL, and beneficial for the heart.

Simply Sunflower Oil is high in omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids and low in saturated fats. This is due to our cold-pressing and single ingredient process. We are a heart healthy cooking oil option unlike many other oils.

Simply put, oleic acid is monounsaturated fat. This type of fat can provide energy, ease inflammation, stabilize heart rhythms, improve blood cholesterol levels, and so much more. Similarly, linoleic acid is made up of polyunsaturated fats. Traditionally, sunflower oil falls into these two categories. The key difference is that high-oleic sunflower oil is predominantly monounsaturated fat rather than omega-6 polyunsaturated fat, making it much more stable when heated and less likely to generate harmful compounds. Additionally, oleic acid has been proven to benefit the body. (Most sunflower oils on the market are linoleic, but not us!)

Simply Sunflower Oil contains 8.9 grams of oleic acid per tablespoon, making it high oleic. Studies have shown that high oleic sunflower oil may help raise HDL (good) cholesterol, support heart health, and even reduce markers of inflammation when used in place of saturated fats (WebMD). Our oil is packed full of nutrients and beneficial to your health!

High Oleic vs Linoleic

The American Heart Association on Cooking Oil

As we said above, the American Heart Association recommends limiting dietary intake of unsaturated fats. In fact, studies show replacing saturated fats with unsaturated fats can “lower the risk for heart disease” (American Heart Association). Solid fats and tropical oils (coconut and palm) are high in saturated fats, whereas seed oils are high in unsaturated fats.

The AHA recommends cooking with seed oils, like sunflower oil! They are versatile, nutrient-dense, and full of “better-for-you fats”. Sunflower oil is a great option for those wanting a healthy cooking oil!

Not all sunflower oils are created equal. Simply Sunflower Oil stands apart as a wholesome, nutrient-dense option that is cold-pressed and naturally rich in healthy fats. We are committed to producing a cooking oil that supports both your health and your cooking.

Next time you are in the cooking aisle, remember that quality matters. Simply Sunflower Oil is made with no additives, no shortcuts, and nothing artificial, just clean, natural sunflower oil you can trust.