Are Vegetable Oils Healthy?

 

Today I just want to talk a little bit about fats, primarily vegetable oils since we are exposed to them all the time and probably have some in the pantry.  This article is from a previous article posted back in January titled "Healthy" Vegetable Oils?  with some added info.  When most of us think of vegetable oils we think "well its made from vegetables, so it must be healthy."  Not true.  Lets take a closer look.

There are several different types of fats.  There are saturated, monounsaturated, polyunsaturated and trans fats (bad stuff).  Vegetable oils, which are mostly industrialized seed oils, are very high in polyunsaturated fats also known as PUFA’s (poly unsaturated fatty acids) which are extremely high in Omega-6's.  It’s important to understand that these types of oils are new to the human diet.  We have only been eating these oils for a little over 100 years.  Oddly enough cardio vascular disease(CVD) and other degenerative diseases, which are all related to the inflammatory processes of the body, have dramatically increased in the last 100 years...hmmmm.

The first recorded death in the US from CVD happened in 1912 and, within 40 years, became the number 1 killer in the US.   PUFA’s are liquids at room temperature and saturated fats (animal fats) are solid at room temperature.  Saturated fats were the primary, and in many cases, only source of fats consumed by humans until recently. Saturated fat consumption has actually decreased in the last 100 years while PUFA consumption has almost tripled. Yet CVD has increased almost 400%.  Wait a second, I thought saturated fats caused CVD because the have cholesterol, right?….wrong.  Cholesterol consumption has only increased about 1% yet CVD continues to rise.  These numbers don't add up if animal fats are the culprit and PUFA's are healthy.  The numbers indicate quite the opposite.

Ok, I know what you’re thinking, that can’t be true.  Well it is.  First, let’s understand the history of PUFA’s.  They were initially used in paints and varnishes since they oxidize and harden rapidly once exposed to oxygen…kinda like the oxygen in our arteries…hmmm.  As synthetic chemicals began to replace them, they started being used in animal feed.  Once farmers figured out that it was killing their animals too soon, it was decided to use them for human consumption.  Crazy, I know. 

Here is a short article on PUFA’s and Saturated fats:

History of PUFA's

 

Saturated fats are absolutely critical for cell membrane formation, cell integrity, healthy immune system, brain function and hormone production.   Our bodies are designed to use them. Our body uses sunlight to convert cholesterol into Vit-D, also critical for brain function and calcium retention. Cholesterol is also used in the production of all of our hormones and neurotransmitters.  PUFA’s are loaded with Omega-6’s, which are essential and only needed in small amounts, that actually up-regulate our immune system and the inflammatory processes of the body. To top it off, they oxidize and harden very easily and break down under heat where saturated fats do not and are stable under high heats.   Plus almost all processed vegetable oils, by the time they reach the shelf, are already rancid and contain toxic constituents.   To make them, they are exposed to very high heats, carcinogenic chemicals and have to be bleached and deodorized before they can be bottled…otherwise we would gag if we tried to eat them or just smelled them.  So basically by the time we buy whatever vegetable oil it is that we use, it already rancid and very high in Omega-6's, any vitamins or anti-oxidants that might have been there are destroyed and then we cook with it which breaks it down further.  Pretty nasty.

Here is a short article on just how vegetable oils are processed:

Refining Vegetable Oils

The message is get rid of vegetable oils, unless they are cold pressed.  If they are cold pressed, they have some health benefit, but they are still loaded with Omega-6's and break down under heat, so don't cook with them or use too much.  I won’t get started on hydrogenated oils and trans fats…really bad stuff…but throw any of that out too.  Consider using saturated fats.  Grassfed butter, lard (yes I said it) and coconut oil are great options.  Cold pressed coconut oil is awesome and very healthy, plus it can handle high heat.  I’m sure I will have a post on coconut oil too.  Extra virgin olive oil is great because it is cold pressed and loaded with monounsaturated fats and anti-oxidants but doesn’t handle heat well, so don’t cook at high temperatures with it.  Monunsatured fats actually elevated HDL (high-density lipoprotein) which is a good thing. 

Processed vegetable oils are bad news guys.  I will revisit this topic again and expound more on it along with the effects of certain fatty acids and LDL and HDL.  But until then, look it up, do some research or you can just trust me.  One of the guys responsible for this trend was Ancel Keys who proposed the famous “Lipid Hypothesis” that was used to develop dietary guidelines….its a HYPOTHESIS!! Its not even a theory!!  Anyway, that’s another story too.  If you want to know more about it and the truth about saturated fats and cholesterol, check out this article.

All we use in the house is coconut oil, butter (organic and grassfed when we can get it) and extra virgin olive oil for salads or low heat items.  Remember, if you have any questions, send me an email or post em.   Here is where I get my coconut oil from. 

Tropical Traditions Coconut Oil