CHERIE CALBOM:THE JUICE LADY ON WHAT IS MAKING US SICK

CHERIE CALBOM:THE JUICE LADY ON WHAT IS MAKING US SICK

From Fell Into Food Podcast by Jeff Fell

May 11, 2026 · 40 min · Episode 70

About this episode

Cherie Calbom discusses the health impacts of seed oils and their historical context in American cooking.

Cherie Calbom — known as The Juice Lady — holds a Master of Science in Nutrition, has authored 36 books with over 3.5 million copies sold, and has spent decades studying the connection between what we eat and how we feel. Her latest book, The Truth About Seed Oils , digs into how "heart-healthy" vegetable oils became the default in the American kitchen — and what that's quietly done to our health. The story of seed oils doesn't start in a kitchen. It starts with cotton waste rotting in piles at the turn of the 20th century. A dark, smelly oil originally used to lubricate machinery was refined, deodorized, bleached, and rebranded as a modern American cooking staple. World War II did the rest — when ships carrying coconut oil couldn't get through the waters, seed oil manufacturers filled the gap, hired cookbook authors, lobbied hard, and told home cooks this was the healthier, more modern choice. Heart disease went up anyway. It's still the number one killer. In this episode, Cherie breaks down the lipid hypothesis, the influence of Ancel Keys, what actually happens inside a seed oil refinery (hexane, bleaching agents, degumming — not pretty), why the omega-6 to omega-3 imbalance…

People in this episode

Host: Jeff Fell

Guest: Cherie Calbom

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Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: The Juice Lady, JAMA

Books & works: The Truth About Seed Oils

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