Dr. Mehmet Oz, newly sworn in as Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), has exposed billions of dollars in fraud, waste, and abuse plaguing America’s healthcare safety nets.
Appearing on America’s Newsroom with Bill Hemmer, Dr. Oz laid out a clear and urgent mission: protect the most vulnerable — not enrich bureaucrats, fraudsters, and corrupt insiders.
“Right now, my main focus, without any question, is to wage a war on fraud, waste, and abuse — because that’s what’s required. All hands on deck,” Dr. Oz said.
Under President Trump’s directive to “love and cherish Medicare and Medicaid,” Dr. Oz has mobilized an aggressive “war room” to identify, track, and claw back fraudulent payments.
“It’s a massive issue — hundreds of billions of dollars potentially out there. Not all of it is going to be collected at once, but we’ve got a war room focused very much on things that are going to really bother you.”
“If you thought USAID was a problem, some of the issues we are discovering — some of the things CMS has been funding through Medicare, Medicaid, and the exchanges — will bring a little shiver to you,” Dr. Oz warned.
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In just a short time, the CMS team has flagged tens of billions of dollars in illicit spending. Among the jaw-dropping examples:
- $1 billion in Medicare funds went to individuals fraudulently registered in multiple states.
- $200 million spent on housekeeping services, unrelated to Medicaid’s core mission.
- $10 million diverted to student loan repayments, robbing funds from life-saving treatments like gene therapy for sickle cell anemia.
- $14 million squandered on DEI initiatives and labor union childcare benefits.
- 250,000 ineligible individuals registered in the marketplace, siphoning resources.
Oz emphasized these findings aren’t rounding errors — they’re the result of deliberate, organized criminal activity, sometimes even tied to foreign adversaries.
“The $31 million that I know of last week is a great example. We stopped that money — using new technology, modernizing how Medicare and Medicaid work — from even leaving the building because we knew something was fishy about the bills,” said Dr. Oz.
“These aren’t just small mistakes. These are organized criminal efforts to hurt our country, some launched by foreign countries. These are serious issues we are digging into — and that’s why we have this war room.”
Democrats, led by figures like Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, have accused the Trump administration and Dr. Oz of plotting to gut Medicare and Medicaid.
Schumer claimed the administration prioritizes “the billionaire class” over working Americans, while AOC alleged cuts to veterans’ benefits and Medicaid. Dr. Oz dismissed these attacks as baseless fearmongering.
“President Trump has been very clear with me — he said it publicly — he wants to love and cherish, I’m quoting him, Medicare and Medicaid, these programs,” Dr. Oz explained.
“We are focused on saving Medicaid. That’s what we have to do. The existential threat is spending it into the ground so we don’t have the resources to take care of our most vulnerable.”
Addressing concerns about program cuts, Dr. Oz reassured Americans that the core mission of Medicaid—supporting poor children, pregnant women, the elderly, and the disabled—remains untouched.
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The Facts About Seed Oils And Your Health
Every decade has a new food enemy. First, it was fat. Then, it was sugar. Now, seed oils are under fire—blamed for causing obesity and chronic disease.
They’re almost impossible to avoid. Seed oils are in everything—from salad dressings and fast food to protein bars and even baby formula. Critics claim they’re harmful, while supporters argue they’re safe, affordable, and even good for you.
However, the truth is more nuanced. The debate is often oversimplified. Even the term “seed oil” is misleading, lumping together oils that have been part of traditional diets for centuries with those created for large-scale food production.
At its core, the controversy isn’t just about whether seed oils are inherently good or bad—it’s about how they’re processed and consumed.
What Are Seed Oils, Really?
If you’ve been following health trends, you’ve probably heard claims that seed oils are toxic and should be avoided. What exactly are seed oils, and why do some people consider them harmful?
At their most basic, seed oils are extracted from seeds. This might seem harmless—after all, olive oil comes from olives, and coconut oil from coconuts.
But not all seed oils are the same. Some, like sesame and flaxseed oil, have been integral to traditional diets for centuries and are extracted through natural, cold-press methods that preserve their nutrients and antioxidants.
Others, however, are highly processed. Industrial seed oils—like soybean, corn, canola, sunflower, safflower, cottonseed, grapeseed, and rice bran—are mass-produced through high-heat extraction and chemical refining.
Manufacturers frequently use solvents like hexane to extract the maximum amount of oil. These oils are refined, bleached, and deodorized, earning them the label “RBD” oils. This process makes them neutral in taste and more shelf-stable, but it also removes beneficial compounds like vitamin E and antioxidants.
Many industrial seed oils were never intended for human consumption. Canola oil began as rapeseed oil, primarily used as a machine lubricant until Canadian scientists modified it in the 1970s to remove toxic compounds. The name itself—a blend of “Canada” and “oil”—was a marketing invention. “Vegetable oil” is another misleading term—it’s often a blend of industrial seed oils marketed to sound healthier than it is.
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Are Seed Oils Good or Bad for Your Health?
Seed oils’ health effects are hotly debated. Some experts say they’re a heart-healthy alternative to butter and other animal fats, while others believe they might contribute to inflammation and disease.
The Case for Seed Oils As a Heart-Healthy Alternative
For decades, scientists have debated the role of different fats in heart health. Research suggests that replacing saturated fats—found in butter and red meat—with polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs) from seed oils may offer cardiovascular benefits.
Advocates argue that the science is well-established.
“The research on seed oils is consistently positive,” Matthew Nagra, a naturopathic doctor, told The Epoch Times. “Numerous meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials have demonstrated that replacing saturated fat with seed oils rich in polyunsaturated fats can lower the risk of cardiovascular disease, America’s top killer, without any clear detriment.”
Large-scale studies support this claim. A 2021 study of more than 500,000 people found that those who replaced saturated fats with oils like canola, corn, and olive oil had a lower risk of heart disease and early death.
“Our findings support shifting the intake from solid fats to non-hydrogenated vegetable oils for cardiometabolic health and longevity,” the authors wrote. Examples of solid fats include butter and lard.
A 2025 JAMA Internal Medicine study reinforced these findings, showing that people who ate more plant-based oils—such as olive, soybean, and canola—lived longer and had lower heart disease and cancer rates. Meanwhile, those who ate more butter had a higher risk of early death. The researchers estimated that swapping butter for plant oils could reduce overall mortality risk by 17 percent, including a 17 percent drop in cancer-related deaths.
Because of this growing evidence, the American Heart Association (AHA) continues to recommend seed oils as part of a heart-healthy diet.
The Case Against Seed Oils: Oxidation and Inflammation
Not everyone agrees with the AHA’s endorsement of seed oils, and some experts question the research behind it.
“This study is of low quality,” Dr. Vinay Prasad, a hematologist-oncologist and professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at the University of California, San Francisco, told The Epoch Times in an email. “It lumps extra virgin olive oil with soybean and safflower oil, which is ridiculous.” He also criticized the study’s methodology, arguing that it fails to accurately measure butter consumption and instead relies on an imprecise estimation method. “This kind of nutritional epidemiology fuels dogma rather than providing clarity,” he said.
Beyond concerns about research methods, critics argue that the real issue with seed oil is oxidation.
Refining makes seed oils more resistant to spoilage, allowing them to last longer on store shelves. However, once exposed to heat, air, or light—especially during cooking—their chemical structure begins to break down.
Unlike traditional oils such as olive or sesame, which naturally contain antioxidants that help prevent degradation, industrial seed oils lose these stabilizing compounds during processing. As a result, they are more vulnerable to oxidation, a process that creates byproducts like aldehydes and free radicals. These compounds can damage cells, promote inflammation, and contribute to chronic disease.
Heat accelerates this process. Studies show that repeatedly heating vegetable oils—such as those used in restaurant fryers—can generate oxidative byproducts linked to tissue damage and increased cholesterol levels in lab animals. Some research has also found oxidized linoleic acid, a degraded form of omega-6 fat, accumulating in human fat tissue and artery plaques, raising concerns about long-term health effects.
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Seed Oils: Are They Actually Toxic?
These common cooking oils are often found in ultra-processed foods and can contribute to inflammation in your body
Have you heard the claim that seed oils are “toxic”? Some social media users blame them for everything, from acne and weight gain to cancer and infertility. But as is so often the case, the truth is a lot more nuanced than TikTok typically reveals.
Registered dietitian Julia Zumpano, RD, LD, explains what seed oils are, what they can do to your body, and whether you need to cut them out entirely or just try to focus on a healthy, balanced diet. (Hint: It’s the latter.)
What are seed oils?
Seed oils first emerged in the late 1900s as an alternative to partially hydrogenated oils. They’re plant-based cooking oils made from — you guessed it — the seeds of various plants.
These seeds are turned into oils that have become extremely common in both cooking and baking.
- Home cooking. You might put a few tablespoons of canola oil in a healthy muffin recipe or use it to pan-fry potato pancakes.
- Fried foods. These oils are also frequently used in restaurants and fast-food spots, where canola oil is the oil of choice for deep-frying.
- Processed and ultra-processed foods. Seed oils can be found in all kinds of packaged foods, including some frozen foods and even chocolate. They’re also sometimes added to foods marketed as “healthy,” including whole-grain crackers and breads, protein shakes, dressings and sauces.
But seeds themselves can be a really healthy addition to your diet. So, shouldn’t the same be true of oil made from seeds? Not quite.
“Seed oils are made through a chemical process where they’re bleached, refined and heated in order to be usable,” Zumpano explains. That process strips the seeds of their nutrients.”
Seed oils list: Which oils are we talking about?
Here are the eight seed oils most commonly used and discussed:
- Canola oil (aka rapeseed oil)
- Corn oil
- Cottonseed
- Grapeseed oil
- Soybean oil
- Sunflower oil
- Safflower oil
- Rice bran oil
- Peanut oil
You might hear this group of seed oils referred to as the “hateful eight,” a reference to some people’s belief that they’re toxic and should be completely removed from your diet.
But is the problem with seed oils themselves? Or is the problem the way they’re used? Let’s dig in.
Potential health risks of seed oils
“Seed oils have high levels of omega-6 fats, which can lead to inflammation,” Zumpano says, “and they’re mostly used to make processed and ultra-processed foods, which causes inflammation in the body.”
To better understand what all of that means for your health, Zumpano breaks down the issues with seed oils and how they’re used.
They’re chemically processed
Some seed oils would be high in vitamin E and phenols, if not for the refining process itself. But they’re typically very processed to help with taste, color and shelf life.
“Seed oils are chemically processed, which may include cleaning, pressing, bleaching, deodorizing, refining and, in some cases, adding a chemical solvent hexane for oil extraction,” Zumpano explains. “The processing of these oils strips the seeds of their nutrients and could potentially add harmful ingredients.”
The end result is oils with no real health benefits — though, this downside isn’t unique to seed oil. Other types of oil can be very processed and refined, too, so it’s always important to pay attention to what you’re buying.
They’re often used in unhealthy foods
Seed oils aren’t necessarily good for you. But the real reason they’re considered so bad for you is related to how they’re most often used: in processed foods and ultra-processed foods.
“Most seed oils are utilized in the form of packaged foods, fast foods and eating out,” Zumpano says, “and that’s where most of the danger lies.”
But you’re most likely to consume seed oils when you’re eating something that’s already pretty bad for your health — something that’s also full of fat, sugar and sodium.
A review of 45 studies on ultra-processed foods found that greater exposure to these types of foods is associated with a higher risk of negative outcomes, especially cardiometabolic disorders and mental health concerns. (We’ll talk about those shortly.)
They contribute to inflammation
Seed oils are high in linoleic acid, a type of omega-6 fatty acids, which are themselves a type of polyunsaturated fatty acid. Your body needs small amounts of these polyunsaturated fats, which are good for your cholesterol and help protect you from heart disease.
But “a small amount” is the key phrase here. A diet that’s too high in omega-6s is also a diet that’s typically too low in omega-3 fatty acids. The ideal omega-6 to omega-3 ratio is 2:1 or 1:1, but for most people in the U.S., the ratio is actually a whopping 10:1 or even 20:1.
This type of imbalance is thought to lead to inflammation in the body. While a little bit of inflammation is a good thing (it’s your body’s way of healing cell damage), chronic inflammation is definitely not. It’s linked to conditions like:
Again, this doesn’t mean seed oils cause chronic conditions, per se. But a diet high in seed oils can play a role in skewing your body’s delicate balance of omega-6s and omega-3s. This can then contribute to inflammation, which can lead to chronic conditions. So, it’s important to try to keep your diet in balance, on the whole.
“Omega-3s are so important for overall health that we really need to make the effort to get them into our diets,” Zumpano notes. “Omega-6s, on the other hand, are already in abundance in Western diets. So, if a certain food is high in oils that contain a lot of omega-6s, you really want to try to eat them only in moderation.”
Should you avoid seed oils?
Occasionally frying your breakfast potatoes in a little bit of sunflower oil isn’t going to throw your body into disarray. But there are some caveats.
“It’s important to note that these oils shouldn’t be cooked at high temperatures or reused,” Zumpano cautions. “That really worsens their negative effects.”
And if you want to stop consuming seed oils entirely, she says there are no downsides to doing so.
“When people say they’re cutting seed oils from their diet, what they really end up doing is cutting out many processed foods,” she continues. “I think that’s why we often hear about seed oils as being so bad for your health. But the reality is that it’s less about the seed oils themselves and more about the fact that they’re so often found in ultra-processed foods.”
Alternatives to seed oils
Instead of using seed oils at home, Zumpano suggests doing most of your home cooking with oils that are high in heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids instead of piling on the omega-6s:
- Extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO) for low-heat cooking
- Avocado oil for high-heat cooking
“Both of these oils are clinically shown to have higher monounsaturated fats,” Zumpano shares. “They’re not seed-based, and they don’t go through the same type of processing, so they’re very unrefined and even have a lot of nutritional benefits.”
But what about using seed oils at home? Should you throw away that bottle of sunflower oil on your shelf? Experts have varied opinions, but Zumpano believes they should be limited in home cooking.
“They’re not necessarily the greatest choice in oil,” she states. “But when used in moderation in home cooking, they’re not nearly as bad for you as when you’re getting them in ultra-processed foods, fast foods and fried foods.”
If you do want to cook with seed oils at home, try to use them infrequently and in small amounts. Buy versions that are pure and unrefined, which aren’t as processed and still have some of their nutrients.
In conclusion: Limit your oil use, in general
In general, it’s best to take it easy on oils, both seed and otherwise. This is especially true when you go out to eat, as most restaurants use cheaper cooking oils — which is to say, refined cooking oils.
But instead of specifically focusing on banishing seed oils from your diet, Zumpano reiterates that your first step should be trying to cut out ultra-processed foods as much as you can.
“Eating whole, unprocessed foods at home gives you a little bit of a buffer when you go out to eat,” she encourages. “If you’re able to maintain and manage what you eat most of the time, then the other times won’t have as big of an impact on your health.”
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The Worst Ingredient in the World: Interview with Dr. Chris Knobbe
Did you know about 30% of your calories come from seed oils? Check out this interview with Dr. Chris Knobbe about his fascinating research on seed oils.
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