Cooking Oils

 

Hey BA!

This week is all about oils. What to use, what to avoid, and most importantly WHY. Saturated fats were demonized in our not so distant past, giving rise to refined vegetable and seed oils. While originally thought to be a healthier alternative because they contain less calories per serving and don’t increase total cholesterol, these oils actually do more harm than good. The biggest issue is the amount of inflammation they generate in the body. Let’s take a look at a few reasons why -

Vegetable and seed oils are high in polyunsaturated fats, which means they are incredibly sensitive to light, heat, and other environmental factors. As a result, the high heat in the refinement process turns the oil rancid (from a chemical standpoint, not taste). It is essentially a bottle of free radicals that contributes to inflammation and oxidative damage to cells.

Highly refined vegetable and seed oils may be partially or fully hydrogenated, meaning they contain trans fatty acids. The body doesn’t know how to process trans fats and so they float around contributing to clogged arteries and systemic inflammation.

These oils are typically high in omega-6 fatty acids and low in omega-3s. While both play an important role in the body, it’s the ratio that needs to be watched. High omega-6, low omega-3 ratio contributes to inflammation and promotes belly fat.

There is a high risk of genetic modification in refined vegetable oils. Due to the mass production of these crops in the US, conventional farming tends to use genetically modified versions to meet demand.

Due to these factors, overconsumption of highly refined vegetable and seed oils contributes to systemic inflammation, oxidative damage, cardiovascular disease, obesity, diabetes, and certain types of cancers. I want to note the word overconsumption here though. That is key. While avoidance is best, you can’t always control what oils will be used when you go out to eat. No need to stress about that! Just swap out where you can control- your own kitchen!

Oils to avoid:

  • Canola

  • Safflower

  • Sunflower

  • Palm

  • Cottonseed

  • Soybean

  • Corn

  • Sesame

  • Peanut

  • Rice bran

  • Linseed

Replacements

  • Grass-fed butter/ghee

  • Extra virgin olive oil (ideally as dressing only, not for cooking as it has a lower smoke point)

  • Avocado oil

  • Cold-pressed and unrefined coconut oil

  • Cold-pressed and unrefined red palm oil

Favorite Brands

  • Kerrygold

  • Primal Kitchen

  • Bragg

  • Organic Valley

  • Nutiva

Why are these replacements better?

Olive and avocado oils are high in monounsaturated fats, which means they hold up better to environmental factors and have a better omega 6 to 3 ratio. That being said, it is still important to buy these oils in dark, glass bottles to avoid chemical disruption. Avocado oil has a higher smoke point than olive oil, which means it can sustain higher heat before turning rancid. Therefore, avocado is better to cook with than olive oil. Olive oil has amazing health benefits, but best if used cold as a dressing.

Saturated fats can typically sustain higher heats and are therefore great for cooking! Remember though, QUALITY MATTERS. Make sure to use grass-fed for butter/ghee and cold-pressed, unrefined for coconut and red palm. Saturated fats can have incredible health benefits and are a healthy fat source in moderation. The potential increase in total cholesterol is not nearly as problematic as the increase in inflammation generated by refined vegetable oils.

So, moving forward make sure to read those labels! Avoid the highly refined vegetable oils and stick to the replacements listed above. Your body will thank you!

 
Park Roberts