My mom sent me the podcast featuring Jessica Knurick. (I shared Sally Fallon’s book from the 90s with my mom and now she sends me any podcast about how vegetable oil is fine, and I give each of them a listen.) I listened to an hour and a half and I felt that was a plenty fair effort to hear out the points made.
As someone who has a science degree, I was very annoyed at how many times Jessica brings up research/evidence/data in an arm-floaty way. During the hour and a half that I listened to, not a single specific article was referenced to support any of her claims that “the science points to.” This prompted me to look up her background, and I found she has a business undergrad, masters in exercise, and then a 3y PhD in exercise and nutrition. It is fair to use the title that she earned, Dr., but I think she really inflates her STEM association.
When prompted about why many people are skeptical of today’s American medical industry, she says because doctors weren’t on social media. One of the reasons she gives for why vegetable oil isn’t unhealthy is because poor people can’t afford olive oil. She goes further and says there is nothing wrong with vegetable oils and that they are more heart protective than saturated fats, with no sources given.
There was a lot of “I sympathize with these poor, misguided people who are avoiding vegetable oil for no reason,” which I found to be condescending, especially considering the lack of evidence provided for why vegetable oil is fine.
I was hoping for a podcast that cuts through at least some of the noise around health and wellness, and instead this one contributes to it, desperately wanting health to be a red vs. blue issue. Such a shame, I don’t consider myself either red or blue and I think we all should just work together for a healthier future for ourselves and our loved ones.
