140: Inspire Health Podcast with Dr Jason Loken and nutrition expert Udo Erasmus140: Inspire Health Podcast with Dr Jason Loken and nutrition expert Udo Erasmus
UK Health Radio Podcast
Dr Jason Loken and Tay talk with nutrition expert Udo Erasmus about which fats support health, which can cause harm, and how oil processing changes everything. The conversation also touches on Udo’s pesticide poisoning experience and his push to create oils made with health as the priority.
40:05•23 Aug 2026
Fats That Heal, Fats That Kill: Udo Erasmus Breaks Down the Truth About Oils
Episode Overview
- Dietary fats can either support health or contribute to disease, depending on their type and how they are processed.
- Industrial processing and frying damage sensitive omega-3 and omega-6 fats, creating huge numbers of altered molecules in everyday oil servings.
- Omega-6 and omega-3 are essential nutrients; problems often arise from damaged oils and poor ratios, not from omega-6 itself.
- The claim that the body cannot convert plant omega-3 into EPA and DHA is challenged, with ratio and overall intake highlighted as key factors.
- Personal responsibility for health, including being critical of how food is produced, is emphasised through Udo’s experience with pesticide poisoning.
“We're doing something to ourselves that is more than a billion times worse for us than we think it might be.”
In this eye-opening episode, you'll learn about the surprising impact that everyday cooking oils can have on long-term health. UK Health Radio shares an instalment of the Inspire Health Podcast, where host Dr Jason Loken and co-host Tay welcome back renowned nutrition expert Udo Erasmus, author of "Fats That Heal, Fats That Kill" and "Your Body Needs an Oil Change".
The conversation centres on why fats are more confusing than vitamins or minerals, because, as Udo puts it, "you have fats that heal and you have fats that kill." He explains how industrial processing and frying can damage sensitive omega-3 and omega-6 fats, turning helpful nutrients into problematic molecules.
When he did the maths on a tablespoon of oil that’s just 1% damaged, he realised it can contain "more than a million damaged molecules for every one of your body's 60 trillion cells." Udo shares the personal turning point that pushed him into this work: severe pesticide poisoning from a summer job as a sprayer.
When his doctor told him, "we don't have anything for pesticide poisoning," he recognised that "my health is my responsibility" and dove into nutrition research. That journey eventually led him to design methods for making oils with health in mind and to champion undamaged, properly balanced omega-3 and omega-6 intake.
There’s lively back-and-forth as Dr Loken asks the questions many people have, such as whether flaxseed oil can really convert to EPA and DHA and what to make of the anti–seed oil rhetoric. Udo is clear that "the idea that the body can't convert is completely wrong" and argues that poor ratios and damaged oils are the real problem, not omega-6 itself.
If you’ve ever wondered what’s actually in that bottle of oil in your kitchen, this episode might have you rethinking what you put on your plate—and how much responsibility you’re ready to take for your own health choices.
Do you want to link to this podcast?
Get the buttons here!
More From This Show
The latest episodes from the same podcast.