Dr. Tina Storage on Seed Oils and Gut Health: A Fair Check
Last reviewed October 18, 2026 · Part of our series What health influencers get right and wrong
In plain words: Dr. Storage, a gastroenterologist, deserves credit for openly saying the studies on seed oils and leaky gut "are not gonna be great." We agree: we found no human trials showing seed oils cause leaky gut. Her suggestion of unrefined coconut oil and ghee is fine for flavor, but coconut oil raises LDL cholesterol more than liquid vegetable oils.
Who is Dr. Tina Storage?
Dr. Tina Storage is a gastroenterologist (gut specialist) in Glendale, California, who shares gut-health advice on her podcast.
How we checked
We collected claims from this person's own website, podcast transcripts or show pages, and checked each quote at the source in October 2026. When we couldn't find a claim in their own words, we left it out or say so. Then we compared each claim with human studies, large reviews and the positions of food-safety agencies like the FDA and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). We grade the claim, never the person. Many popular voices mix good advice with ideas that go further than the evidence, and that's true here too.
Claim by claim
| What Dr. Storage says | Our verdict | Read more |
|---|---|---|
| Seed oils may induce leaky gut and "feed the wrong bacteria" (while noting "they're not gonna be great, great studies") (podcast ep. 86) | Not supported | Seed Oils (Soybean, Canola, Corn and More) |
| Cook with unrefined coconut oil and ghee instead (podcast ep. 86) | Partly supported | Coconut Oil |
Where Dr. Storage gets it right
- Honesty about the evidence. She flags that the seed-oil studies are weak. That kind of hedge is rare and valuable.
- Paying attention to the gut. Gut health is real and important; our Emulsifiers and thickeners guide covers some additives with early gut evidence.
Where the evidence points another way
- Seed oils and leaky gut. We found no human trial of seed oils and gut permeability. Trials that did look at inflammation found none from more linoleic acid.1
- Coconut oil as the healthier choice. A meta-analysis of trials found coconut oil raised LDL cholesterol by about 10.5 mg/dL compared with nontropical vegetable oils.2
Good to know
- She also lists supplements with "natural flavors and citric acid" as things to watch for. She doesn't claim they're harmful; the popular "citric acid is made from black mold" claim comes from elsewhere. See Citric Acid and Natural Flavors.
- We checked only claims we could verify in her own words, which is why this page is short.
The takeaway for families
If you enjoy coconut oil or ghee, use them for flavor, not as health foods. For gut health, fiber-rich foods have much better evidence than avoiding any single oil.
Frequently asked questions
Do seed oils cause leaky gut?
We found no human trials showing that. Dr. Storage herself says the studies aren't great.
Is coconut oil better than vegetable oil?
Not for cholesterol. Trials show coconut oil raises LDL more than nontropical vegetable oils.
Sources
- Effect of dietary linoleic acid on markers of inflammation in healthy persons: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials. J Acad Nutr Diet, 2012. PubMed 22889633 · doi:10.1016/j.jand.2012.03.029
- The Effect of Coconut Oil Consumption on Cardiovascular Risk Factors: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Clinical Trials. Circulation, 2020. PubMed 31928080 · doi:10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.119.043052
This guide is for general education. It is not medical advice and does not replace advice from your doctor, pediatrician, allergist or registered dietitian. If you think you or your child reacted to a food, talk to a health professional. Research changes; we review these pages when new evidence or rules come out. Last reviewed October 18, 2026. Spotted an error? Email [email protected].