SPOILER ALERT, YES!
Consumers have been duped into believing that vegetable oils are necessary for a healthy diet. Many of these “fats” have been around for less than 100 years, and their impact on our health and waistline is still unknown. Despite their limited history and dubious health claims, their use continues to grow. Since 2003, consumption of all vegetable oils has increased by 157% in the United States (USDA).
WHAT IS VEGETABLE OIL MADE OF
Most vegetable oils are actually seed oils (sunflower, rapeseed, safflower, etc.). They’re called vegetable oils, so manufacturers can use whatever blends of plant oils they like (cheapest) and still call it vegetable oil. Heck, it has vegetable in the name–it must be good for me!
These oils are heavily processed to extract the maximum oil from the seed and produce a relatively tasteless oil for the end-user. Another category for these oils is RBD, which is refined, bleached, and deodorized. Does that sound like something you should be putting into your body?
HOW IS VEGETABLE OIL MADE
Manufacturers use hexane to extract the oil from the seed. (Hexane is a carcinogen and small amounts remain in the final product.) The oil is then heated at high temperatures and injected with hydrogen, which can affect the stability of the oil’s molecules, turn it rancid, destroy the omega-3s, and create trans fats. This leads to an oil that contributes to general toxicity, ill health, metabolic disruption, and unwanted weight gain. [1]
DESPITE THE EVIDENCE, THESE FATS REMAIN POPULAR
Numerous sources still recommend vegetable oil as a healthy alternative to naturally occurring saturated fats in meat, dairy, and eggs. But ask yourself, does it make sense to use something that has been around for less than 100 years and requires chemicals to be produced?
Heart disease was relatively rare in the early 20th century, even though copious amounts of saturated fat were consumed. During the roaring ’20s, Americans ate 72 sticks of butter per year! [2] People should have been clutching their chests on every street corner, but heart disease didn’t rear its ugly head until the ‘50s.
Numerous studies have not shown a link between saturated fat and heart disease or cholesterol for that matter, but government recommendations to restrict saturated fat still exist.
OMEGA 3 TO 6 RATIO
These chemically processed oils are almost entirely made up of omega-6 fats. We need omega-6 fats in our diet, but they currently swamp omega-3 to the tune of 16:1. The optimal ratio is closer to 1:1.
HEALTHY FOOD WITH HIGH CALORIES
Like other nutrition advice in the Nutrition Master Plan Reset program, you should be consuming unprocessed fats that are closest to their natural state. These foods are high in calories, but they are also very healthy, providing the fat your body needs and keeping you satisfied for hours. Most of them also provide high omega 3 counts as well. These include:
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Butter (grass-fed is higher in omega 3)
- Avocado Oil
- Ghee
- Coconut Oil
- Meat (pasture-raised & grass-fed is higher in Omega 3)
- Fish (especially cold-water fish)
- Full-fat dairy (you guessed it, grass-fed!)
You can read more about the benefits of these fats HERE.
When cooking on high heat, use avocado oil or ghee. For medium heat, EVOO (extra virgin olive oil), butter, and coconut oil can be used. No fat should ever be heated past its smoking point—not only is it bad for your health, but it won't taste good either.
MAN-MADE FATS DO NOT BELONG IN OUR DIET
Don’t be part of the science experiment. Stay away from processed foods and snacks (including meat substitutes) and cook with natural fats.
PS-Check out THIS ARTICLE IN THE ATLANTIC to learn more about how vegetable oils displaced animal fats in our food supply.
Here are two excerpts to give you an idea of the messed up process:
An issue of Popular Science from the era sums up the evolution of cottonseed nicely: "What was garbage in 1860 was fertilizer in 1870, cattle feed in 1880, and table food and many things else in 1890." But it entered our food supply slowly. It wasn't until a new food-processing invention of hydrogenation that cottonseed oil found its way into the kitchens of America's restaurants and homes.
The unprecedented product rollout resulted in the sales of 2.6 million pounds of Crisco in 1912 and 60 million pounds just four years later. This new food bolstered the bottom line of a company whose other products were Ivory Soap, Lenox Soap, White Naphtha Laundry Soap, and Star Soap. It also helped usher in the age of margarine as well as low-fat foods.