Filmmaker Jeff Hays joined Chicago’s Morning Answer with Dan Proft and Amy Jacobson to discuss his new documentary Toxic Nation, which explores the substances hidden in America’s water, food, and medicine cabinets — and the corporate and governmental interests behind them. The wide-ranging conversation focused on fluoride in drinking water, seed oils, ultra-processed foods, and the growing movement to reclaim control over public health.
The documentary, endorsed by independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., is part of the Maha film series and is currently streaming for free at MahaFilms.com. Hays described Toxic Nation as the first in a four-part project aimed at unpacking the systemic causes of declining American health.
“Fluoride in the water may be the most controversial topic we cover,” Hays said. “The science shows connections to lower IQ and other risks, but the bigger issue is that we’re medicating entire populations without their direct consent.”
Hays noted that while fluoride can be found in most toothpastes — and consumers have a choice whether to use it — the version introduced into public water supplies is not pharmaceutical-grade sodium fluoride. Instead, it is often an industrial byproduct. He questioned the logic of delivering a chemical to every cell in the body simply to treat teeth.
He pointed to Utah as a state leading the way in removing fluoride from municipal water systems, applauding their choice to let residents decide for themselves how to protect their dental health.
The conversation then shifted to seed oils, which Hays called the number one toxin in the American diet. According to Hays, the average American consumes seed oils in up to 30% of their daily calorie intake, largely due to their widespread use in processed foods. Originally developed as a substitute for animal fats like lard and tallow, seed oils such as canola, soybean, and sunflower oil have been marketed as “healthy alternatives” for decades — a narrative Hays rejects.
“These oils are industrial chemicals,” he said. “They go through nine stages of processing before they’re even consumable. Our bodies don’t know what to do with them.”
The result, he warned, is a population suffering from chronic inflammation, weight gain, and sugar cravings. He applauded companies like Steak ‘n Shake for returning to beef tallow for frying, a move championed by Kennedy as an example of food companies reclaiming health-focused practices.
The third leg of Toxic Nation focuses on ultra-processed foods — a topic less controversial but no less urgent, Hays said. He cited the rise in diabetes and obesity, particularly among children, as a direct result of highly addictive, artificially engineered products that dominate supermarket shelves.
“We’re poisoning ourselves with our food supply,” Hays said. “Our grandparents didn’t eat like this. If you look at photos from the early 20th century, everyone is thin. Now, it’s a different world.”
The underlying thread across all these issues, according to Hays, is corporate profit. He traced the rise of addictive foods to the 1980s, when tobacco companies like RJR acquired major food manufacturers and applied their knowledge of consumer addiction to snacks and packaged meals. That, he believes, was a tipping point that has reshaped the American diet — and American health — for the worse.
Though the outlook may seem grim, Hays is optimistic that change is possible. He’s hopeful that awareness, coupled with a grassroots movement around food freedom and medical transparency, can spark a national reckoning with the toxins many Americans consume daily — often without knowing it.
Hays emphasized that he’s not a medical expert but a storyteller who has interviewed more than 130 health professionals and researchers. His goal is to make the science accessible and start conversations that empower people to reclaim control over what they eat and drink.
“Toxic Nation” is available to watch for free at MahaFilms.com. Hays says the remaining films in the series will cover medicine, agriculture, and trauma — all part of what he calls the broader project of helping Americans reconnect with “the way God made food, and the way we were meant to live.”