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A health expert has stunned Joe Rogan after making a controversial claim that a popular cooking ingredient could be causing cancer and dementia.
On a recent episode of The Joe Rogan Experience, the podcaster was left visibly shocked when biohacker and celebrity health coach Gary Brecka slammed a staple ingredient that you probably have in your pantry.
The wellness expert explained that the ingredient dominates supermarket shelves, yet is unsuitable for human consumption. They were of course speaking about rapeseed oil (otherwise known as canola oil) which has become a controversial hot topic in the health and wellness space.
Brecka, who claims to have Kendall Jenner and UFC boss Dana White in his A-list client book, started by saying he gets 'attacked a lot' for his opinion on seed oils but explained it's actually the 'process' that makes cooking oils allegedly toxic.
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"Please explain the process because it's so vile," Rogan urged to which Brecka said: "It's insane."
Brecka went on to explain how the plant is compressed into a gum-like consistency, mixed with hexane, which he says is a 'neurotoxin' to 'de-gum' it, and heated to 400 degrees which 'turns it rancid' and 'putrified.'
To eliminate the odor, it is deodorized with sodium hydroxide, a 'very powerful carcinogen.'
"And then in some cases, we bleach it and bottle it and put it on the shelf," he continued. "You ever go to the grocery store and see the entire aisle, it's all these oils but they're exactly the same color? Like they have that same beautiful clear hue."
He added that this 'pro-inflammatory process' is damaging to health for a whole host of reasons, from cholesterol and Alzheimer's to cancer, in a way he said is 'micro-poisoning' us.
"These aren't natural oils - they're industrial byproducts," Brecka said, according to Daily Mail. "They're full of neurotoxins that damage your brain and carcinogens that contribute to cancer. We're literally cooking our food in poison."
However, while some independent experts say there is some early evidence that seed oils could be linked to cancer, the research is not definitive and said Brecka's claims were a 'gross oversimplification.'
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute recognizes that some studies suggest a link between certain oils and cancer 'due to the formation of harmful compounds during high-heat cooking.'
Yet WebMD states canola oil is 'one of the best oils for heart health' and has a list of health benefits, like higher levels of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) when compared to any other oil which can help protect the heart.
However, it adds: "Canola oil is also highly refined. This means it goes through a process that uses heat and chemicals to extract the oil. This can reduce the amount of nutrients it has to offer."
Brecka, who has biology degrees but does not hold a medical license, also said he is drafting research on seed oils to present to Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr, who has joined calls to persuade companies and fast food restaurants to switch out the oils for beef tallow or animal fat.
Doctor David Rizik, an interventional cardiologist and medical director of the HonorHealth Heart Group in Arizona, told the news outlet that while beef tallow is 'less processed and lower in omega-6s' compared to seed oils, '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," he explained.