How Malinformation Tricks Your Brain

Anti–seed oil sentiment is common on social media. Fitness and health influencers warn of their supposed dangers, often going so far as to recommend viewers instead use tallow and lard, which have actually been linked to higher risks of heart disease.² In reality, studies have consistently shown that seed-derived fats can have positive effects on heart health, cholesterol levels, and inflammation.³

Opponents of seed oils often cite facts that are true in isolation but do not prove their loaded point. They claim, for instance, that canola oil is often used in unhealthy processed snacks. This is correct, but those snacks are generally considered unhealthy because of their high fat and sugar content, not because of the type of fat they use.⁴ Another argument centers on the chemical processing required to produce canola products. Yes, canola oil is more heavily processed than olive oil, but food processing is not inherently harmful. Pasteurization, pressure cooking, and vitamin fortification are all forms of processing that improve foods rather than degrade them.

As we explored in the previous installment, true information deprived of context can lead us to false conclusions. “Malinformation,” as it’s called, is true information presented in a way that distorts understanding, distinct from misinformation (falsehoods shared unwittingly) and disinformation (falsehoods shared deliberately). Malinformation sits in a subtler, more treacherous space: it’s clothed in correctness, feels credible, and is difficult to refute without sounding pedantic. This is what makes it so dangerous and so effective.

If we are to understand our place in a world of decontextualized information, we need to figure out why malinformation is so persuasive and how we can resist it.