We are inundated with information about what is good and what
isn't and it changes daily it seems.
Lots of us grew up thinking vegetable oil was the healthy way and now we
hear olive oil and canola oil and palm oils.
I found myself quite confused!
Which oils are good for cooking and more importantly, which ones are
good for human consumption? So I did a little investigating and for more
information I turned to Joan Palmer, MS owner
www.realfoodmatters.net
for clarification, and this is what I found out.
In summary – All fats have a purpose and when from healthy
sources and used in moderation are good for us. We should use fats from whole
sources – not component parts that have been broken down (i.e. hydrogenated
fats). We need the whole source because
all the components work together and do the job right. Start breaking bits out and using them in
another form and you're trying to one up one on mother nature. The science lab won't win. So here is a brief
overview of fats and what's good about each.
Saturated fats:
Saturated basically means there are no double bonds. These fats are very stable at room
temperature – meaning they won't go rancid or turn into liquid form. They won't cause inflammation and give
stiffness to cell membranes – and that's a good thing. Saturated fats incorporate calcium into
bones, they enhance our immune system and lower lipoprotein levels (Lpa), the
small ones that clog our arteries. Saturated fats create the large lipoproteins
in the blood that are good for us. The small lipoprotiens are known to be the
number one cause for heart disease and coronary plaque. So I'll say that again
– saturated fats lower bad lpa levels!
Saturated fats do have cholesterol – but did you know that
cholesterol acts as a healing agent that our bodies use for repairing our veins
and arteries? So wait – stop – this
contradicts everything we previously believed.
Heart disease rarely existed prior to the 1920's. So what changed? Hydrogenated processed fats is what
happened. People started using processed
vegetable fats like margarine and shortening and refined oils. Saturated fats from healthy sources are good
for our immune system and protect our livers from certain toxins. Leave the hydrogenated processed products on
the shelf and use certain animal fats and tropical oils. They are great for cooking at high heats.
What to watch out for:
•
Pasteurized saturated fats: the pasteurization process kills everything
we want and leaves the bad stuff.
•
Homogenized fats breaks the fat down so the
cream isn't separated. The bad news
about that is that it goes directly through to our stomachs without absorption
of the helpful enzymes
•
Hydrogenated
•
Cold-processed – not to be confused with
cold-pressed which is good
So what do you want to use for a good source of saturated
fats:
•
Coconut oil – it is great for cooking and baking
– it is a medium chain saturated fat and a monolauric fatty acid. It is great for our immune systems and is
anti-microbial. Try coconut butters on
toast – make sure you stir it first though.
Opt for raw products. Do you remember when milk was not homogenized and
was delivered to our homes. The cream
would rise to the top. That is the fat
separating and rising to the top. The
cream (fat) on top protects the more fragile milk we want underneath. Raw foods are in their whole form and are
therefore, a complete food. Organics are
another blog topic all together but lets
suffice it to say that milk and butter should be organic and grass fed.
•
Lard and Ghee are other great cooking
options. Ghee can be found in health
food stores and when used with coconut oil you won't get the nutty flavor
coconut oil can give.
Mono-saturated Fats:
Olive Oil is an example of a mono-saturated fat. They are high in antioxidants and increase
our immunity. These fats are relatively stable and are good for cooking at
medium heats – but not high heat. They
are less stable than saturated fats and will liquify at room temperature.
Other examples include: peanut oil and avocado oil.
Polyunsaturated Fats:
These fats are unstable at room temperature and will go
rancid. These fats should be kept refrigerated and are not good for
cooking. Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids
fall into this group. These fats should be consumed in moderation and should
never be refined or processed. Corn,
Soybean, and Canola oils are highly processed and refined. They are to be avoided as they have high
pesticide levels and are made from genetically modified corn and soy. There are
many good sources. Flax seeds are a great source of Omega fatty acids. You
should grind them yourself and keep refrigerate as they will go rancid. Salmon, cod, tuna, grass fed animal products,
walnuts and almonds are also good sources of the essential fatty acids we
need.
Oils you should never cook with:
Vegetable – should never be used.
Canola – should never be used.
Hemp
Sunflower
Grapeseed
When shopping for your oils remember these simple rules:
Saturated fats for cooking – good examples Ghee (Indian
Butter) and coconut oil
Monosaturated fats – like olive oil are good for medium heat
cooking
Poly-unsaturated fats – are for salad dressings and homemade
mayonnaise.
Use in moderation – a little is all you need.
Healthy fats will decrease appetites, assist in enzyme and
mineral absorption, nourish all the
cells in our body, are anti-inflammatory, aid in digestion, and provide long
lasting energy.
For more on Essential Fatty Acids – Omega 3 & Omega 6 see
our Saporito Blog post June 2013.
Submitted by Health Coach - Linda Iovanna
