Everything You Need To Know About SEED OILS (Including One Cool "Trick" To Make Them Less Damaging), With Dr. Nick Norwitz

Ben Greenfield

Dec 18, 2025

Episode description

Full Show Notes: BenGreenfieldLife.com/nicknorwitz

In this episode with Dr. Nick Norwitz, you’ll get to discover how a Harvard-trained MD/PhD used a simple, eyebrow-raising experiment with Oreos to challenge conventional thinking on cholesterol, metabolism, and the stories told about health.

We dive into his now-viral “Oreo experiment,” where adding Oreos to a ketogenic diet dropped his LDL cholesterol faster and more effectively than a high-intensity statin—an unexpected outcome that opens the door to deeper questions about lipid markers, risk factors, and how the body actually processes dietary fats.

Nick Norwitz MD PhD is a researcher-educator whose mission is to “Make Metabolic Health Mainstream.” He graduated Valedictorian from Dartmouth College, majoring in Cell Biology and Biochemistry, before completing his PhD in Metabolism at the University of Oxford and his MD at Harvard Medical School. Nick has made a name for himself as a clinical research and metabolic health educator, speaking and writing on topics ranging from brain health, the microbiome, mental health, muscle physiology, mitochondrial function, cholesterol and lipids, and so on.

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Episode description

Full Show Notes: BenGreenfieldLife.com/nicknorwitz

In this episode with Dr. Nick Norwitz, you’ll get to discover how a Harvard-trained MD/PhD used a simple, eyebrow-raising experiment with Oreos to challenge conventional thinking on cholesterol, metabolism, and the stories told about health.

We dive into his now-viral “Oreo experiment,” where adding Oreos to a ketogenic diet dropped his LDL cholesterol faster and more effectively than a high-intensity statin—an unexpected outcome that opens the door to deeper questions about lipid markers, risk factors, and how the body actually processes dietary fats.

Nick Norwitz MD PhD is a researcher-educator whose mission is to “Make Metabolic Health Mainstream.” He graduated Valedictorian from Dartmouth College, majoring in Cell Biology and Biochemistry, before completing his PhD in Metabolism at the University of Oxford and his MD at Harvard Medical School. Nick has made a name for himself as a clinical research and metabolic health educator, speaking and writing on topics ranging from brain health, the microbiome, mental health, muscle physiology, mitochondrial function, cholesterol and lipids, and so on.

Episode Sponsors:

CAROL Bike: The science is clear—CAROL Bike is your ticket to a healthier, more vibrant life. And for a limited time, you can get $100 off yours with the code BEN. Don't wait any longer, join over 25,000 riders and visit carolbike.com/ben today.

LVLUP Health: I trust and recommend LVLUP Health for your peptide needs as they third-party test every single batch of their peptides to ensure you’re getting exactly what you pay for and the results you’re after! Head over to lvluphealth.com/BGL and use code BEN15 for a special discount on their game-changing range of products.

Muse: Muse S Athena combines clinical-grade EEG and fNIRS technology to train your brain in real time while tracking sleep with 86% expert-level accuracy. Get 15% off at choosemuse.com/BENGREENFIELD or use code BENGREENFIELD at checkout.

LeelaQ: Not only do LeelaQ’s products neutralize EMFs, increase ATP production, optimize HRV, and improve blood flow, but they've been third-party proven to do so in placebo-controlled double-blind studies. Visit

Mindsip insights from this episode:

Incorporate Oreos to lower LDL cholesterol on ketogenic diet

In a lean person on a ketogenic diet, adding Oreo cookies can lower LDL cholesterol more effectively and faster than a high-intensity statin.

Monitor LDL cholesterol changes in lean individuals on low-carb diet

It is the lean and generally insulin-sensitive people, not those with obesity, who are most likely to see a dramatic increase in LDL cholesterol on a low-carb diet.

Boost cold resistance with a sardine-rich omega-3 diet

A diet extremely high in omega-3s from sources like sardines can lead to a bizarrely high level of resistance to cold.

Avoid heating high omega-6 oils to prevent oxidation

Avoid heating high omega-6 fats, as roasting walnuts can create 30 times more oxidized fats compared to roasting macadamia nuts under the same conditions.

Swap saturated fats for polyunsaturated oils to enhance ketone levels

Swapping saturated fats like butter for polyunsaturated fats from sources like walnuts or sesame seed oil can significantly boost your ketone levels.

Utilize toasted sesame oil for enhanced antioxidant protection

Unlike most omega-6 oils, toasted sesame oil is an outlier because heating it bio-transforms some of its antioxidants into even more protective forms.

Utilize cold exposure to convert omega-6 into heart-protective hormones

Lifestyle interventions like cold exposure can cause your metabolism to convert omega-6 fatty acids into cardio-protective signaling hormones.

Understand how metabolic health influences seed oil effects

The impact of omega-6 fatty acids depends on your metabolic health, as a healthy body uses them very differently than an unhealthy one.

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