Joe Rogan horrified as health guru claims cooking oils may trigger cancer and dementia: ‘So vile’
Joe Rogan was left visibly disturbed after a wellness influencer claimed that common cooking oils could be silently fueling cancer and dementia.
On a recent episode of The Joe Rogan Experience, biohacker and celebrity health coach Gary Brecka tore into seed oils like sunflower, canola, corn, and grapeseed oil, calling them ‘chemically altered toxins’ that don’t belong in the human body.
‘These aren’t natural oils — they’re industrial byproducts,’ Brecka warned. ‘They’re full of neurotoxins that damage your brain and carcinogens that contribute to cancer. We’re literally cooking our food in poison.’
Rogan, visibly repulsed, responded: ‘That process is so vile.’
Brecka — who counts Kendall Jenner and UFC boss Dana White among his clients — claimed that these oils may be contributing to the rise in Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative conditions, citing their pro-inflammatory effects on the brain.
He described the production method as a ‘chemical nightmare’ involving high-heat extraction and solvents like hexane, which, he said, leave behind residues that could be wreaking long-term havoc on the body.
Independent experts said that while there is some emerging evidence that seed oils may be linked to cancer, the research is not definitive and Brecka’s links between the oils and chronic diseases was a ‘gross oversimplification.’
Brecka also said he is drafting research on seed oils to present to Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr, who has claimed Americans are being ‘unknowingly poisoned’ by seed oils.
Gary Brecka, a wellness influencer and biohacker, revealed the ‘inflammatory’ risks of seed oils on Joe Rogan’s podcast
Rogan, pictured here, reacted with shock and claimed the process ‘is so vile’
Both Brecka and Kennedy have called for companies and fast food restaurants to use beef tallow, or animal fat, as an alternative to seed oils.
Steak ‘n Shake has already switched out its fry recipe in all 400 of its restaurants.
However, heart health and cancer authorities have said there is no evidence seed oils can cause conditions like heart disease when consumed in moderation.
Brecka has also been the subject of controversy after doctors accused him of peddling bogus cancer cures for up to $134,000, despite evidence supporting them being ‘weak at best.’
These include amino acid suppmenents, tablets meant to ‘boost oxygen flow’ and hydrogen supplements.
Brecka has degrees in biology but does not hold a medical license.
Health authorities frequently recommend seed oils in place of butter to cut down on saturated fats, which have been directly tied to heart disease.
A recent study from Harvard University, for example, suggested swapping less than a tablespoon of butter for the same amount of oil lowered the overall risk of death by 17 percent.
The average American consumes almost 100 pounds of seed oils per year, according to some estimates, which is up about 1,000-fold compared to the 1950s. They became popular in the US after WW2 thanks to agricultural advances.
Brecka claimed vegetables used to make seed oils are not inherently harmful.
He told Rogan: ‘Very often it’s not the food but the distance from the food to the table. It’s not necessarily the plant but what we’re doing to process these plants to get them on the table.’
He explained that canola oil, for example, are put into a commercial press and then extracted with hexane, a chemical solvent.
According to Massachusetts General Hospital, most hexane evaporates on its own, though there may be trace amounts left behind.
Few studies have looked at hexane’s toxicity in humans or animals.
But Stuart Tomc, a nutritional health expert specializing in omega fatty acids and former consultant to the World Health Organization, estimated about 0.01 to 0.1 micrograms per kilogram of hexane is leftover in seed oils.
‘This is significantly lower than the one milligram per kilogram limit set by the European union,’ he told this website.
Brecka also pointed to sodium hydroxide, which is used to eliminate the harsh smell from seed oils, referring to it as a carcinogen.
However, sodium hydroxide is not classified as carcinogenic to humans by the EPA or the International Agency on Research on Cancer (IARC).
It has been linked in some reports to esophageal cancer, though this was for amounts high enough to irritate the esophagus, through industrial exposures.
Seed oils have been criticized for causing inflammation, though health authorities claim the evidence is limited in terms of moderate amounts
Tomc also noted any levels of sodium hydroxide used in these oils is likely fall less than the levels needed to cause adverse health effects like cancer.
Tomc said blaming hexane and sodium hydroxide as ‘the missing links’ could be seen as a ‘gross oversimplification.’
Brecka said this ‘chemically controlled process’ of manufacturing seed oils is ‘pro-inflammatory’ in that it causes ‘inflammation of our arterial wall’ which signals cholesterol.
He compared cholesterol to a firefighter that gets called to a fire to put it out rather than starting the fire itself.
He said cholesterol is often blamed for causing inflammation linked to conditions like heart disease when seed oils should be to blame instead.
Brecka said: ‘So the theory that if we push down the firemen that were called to the site of inflammation, meaning we reduce the cholesterol which was called to the site of inflammation to cause the repair rather than ask what started it, that notion is about to be, I think, blown out of the water by Big Data.
Seed oils have been blamed for inflammation because the contain omega-6 fatty acids.
In large amounts, the omega-6 fatty acids in plant oils like safflower and sunflower oil can convert into molecules called prostaglandins, which can lead to inflammation.
However, American Heart Association and American Cancer Society have both said there is no evidence moderate amounts of seed oils cause chronic conditions or increase the risk of death.
And the American Heart Association also suggests there is no evidence that seed oils in moderate amounts cause inflammation.
Brecka claimed there is ‘no question we have the capacity to produce foods’ without seed oils, recommending the use of beef tallow instead.
Dr David Rizik, an interventional cardiologist and medical director of the HonorHealth Heart Group in Arizona, told DailyMail.com: ‘While it’s true [beef tallow] is less processed and lower in omega-6s, recommending saturated fats as a blanket substitute is overly simplistic.
‘My recommendation would be whole-food sources of healthy fats like olive oil, avocados, fatty fish and reducing overall intake of ultra-processed foods, which is where most seed oils are hidden.’
Tomc also stressed omega-6s ‘have their place’ in health, as they have been shown to support healthy cell function and metabolism.
However, like Dr Riznik, he emphasized maintaining a higher ratio of omega-3s, which are found in avocados, olive oil and fatty fish like salmon.
Additionally, Tomc suggested seeking out omega-6 fatty acids in foods like nuts, avocados, seeds and animal products like eggs and poultry.
Dr Michael Ednie, founder and CEO of Food is Health MD, told DailyMail.com: ‘Rather than completely avoiding or embracing seed oils, a balanced approach makes the most sense. Use a variety of cooking oils, focus on minimally processed foods, and remember that no single food component determines your overall health.
‘By making thoughtful choices about your entire dietary pattern, you can support your heart health and reduce chronic disease risk while still enjoying flavorful meals.’
