Simple Changes: ‘Oils ain’t oils’
Q: So, what are the simple changes you can make toward your health?
A: Start with the basics – use the right oil
Firstly, it is important to understand fats are vital for optimal health. However, for decades we have been lead to believe otherwise. Fads in the food industry glorified ‘lite’ and ‘fat free’ alternatives, instilling within our psyches a fear of fat, which we are still trying to shake. It is time to let that go.
Oils and fats are used every day for cooking and it’s important to get it right.
What to prioritise
Beef tallow, lard, duck fat, ghee, coconut oil, extra virgin olive oil, macadamia oil
What to fry and bake with
Preferably rendered fats like beef tallow and lard
Coconut oil
What to sautée with
Extra virgin olive oil
Coconut oil
Macadamia oil
Butter
What to use raw
Extra virgin olive oil
What to eliminate
Safflower, sunflower, cottonseed, corn, soybean, canola, rice bran oil
Structure dictates function
Oils and fats all vary in their chemical composition. A different structure will produce a different outcome in the body.
The main types of fatty acids include;
Saturated fatty acids
Monounsaturated fatty acids
Polyunsaturated fatty acids
Trans fats (natural and artificial)
Depending on the level of saturation, they can be either more stable or more fragile to light, heat and oxygen.
The level of saturation determines whether they are solid or liquid at room temperature, and also determines their smoke point.
Smoke point
A smoke point refers to the level in which you can heat an oil or fat before the nutritional components start to break down and oxidize, creating harmful byproducts. These are detrimental to our health and contribute to numerous diseases.
A note on extra virgin olive oil
There is some confusion surrounding extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) and whether it is safe to cook with. Given it is a monounsaturated fatty acid it is stable under moderate heat. Having said this, recent research has shown that the phenolic compounds and tocopherols in EVOO are so great that they provide further antioxidant support, preventing the oil from oxidation under higher heat than originally once thought. Some studies have shown the oil has retained most of its nutritional properties under heat of 180 degrees.
What to steer clear of and why
Artificial trans fatty acids
Artificial trans fatty acids are produced by partial hydrogenation of vegetables oils to produce hard fats, creating a more versatile product that benefits the food industry greatly but does not benefit our health at all. They are present in such products as margarine, ice cream, convenience foods and some oils. In 2013, The World Health Organisation called for the elimination of trans fats from the global food supply due to the correlation with noncommunicable diseases.
Eliminate (limit) oils high in omega 6 (seed and vegetable oils)
For optimal health there needs to be the correct balance between your intake of omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids to your intake of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. Ideally it should be 3:1, however today it is more like 20:1, in favour of omega-6. This is due to the industrialisation of the food industry with an abundance of vegetable oils in cooking, in processed and packaged foods, and a decrease in the consumption of cold-water wild fish. This combination is associated with an overall increase in inflammatory diseases. Oils that are high in omega 6 should be limited and include the following;
Safflower
Sunflower
Corn
Cottonseed
Soybean
Canola
A note on flaxseed and walnut oil
Flaxseed and walnut oil are polyunsaturated fatty acids and should only ever be consumed raw (not heated) and stored in the fridge. Due to the fragility of the oil, it is important to be aware of the processing methods and the handling the oil has undergone before arriving in your fridge. Ideally crack flaxseeds fresh and eat walnuts whole to reduce oxidative damage.
These oils contain the short chain omega-3 – alpha linoleic acid (ALA), flaxseed more so than walnut, which often gets confused with the long chain omega-3 – eicosapentaenic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which are found solely from marine sources. ALA can be converted to EPA and DHA within the body; however, the conversion is low, differs from person to person and is strongly influenced by your overall intake of omega-6, which reduces its conversion. ALA then becomes more pro-inflammatory. Moderate your intake of flaxseed products, especially if you do not consume wild cold water fish.
Storage
Keep all oils in airtight bottles in a cool and dark area of your kitchen or fridge.
Always buy and keep flaxseed oil in the fridge.
Make sure you are using the right oil or fat for the right purpose. The simple changes you decide to make today will impact your health greatly over the long-term. Eat liberally traditional fats (grass-fed butter, ghee, rendered animal fats), extra-virgin olive oil and include fattier cuts of meat in your cooking.
Allouche, Y., Jimenez, A., Gaforio, J, J., Uceda, M. & Beltran, G. (2007). How Heating Affects Extra Virgin Olive Oil Quality Indexes and Chemical Composition. Journal of Argricultural and Food Chemistry 55(23), 9646-9654.
Kris-Etherton, PM, Taylor, S, D., Yu-Poth, S., Huth, P., Moriarty, K., Fishell, V., Hargrove, L, R., Zhao, G. & Etherton, D, T. (2000). Polyunsaturated fatty acids in the food chain in the United States. American Society for Clinical Nutrition 71(1), 1795-1885. Retreived from http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/71/1/179S.full?ijkey=5c7af875f3dc71a303f7df78c52145e8b7c31643
Mozaffarian, D., Aro, A. & Willett, C, W. (2009). Health effects of trans-fatty acids: experimental and observational evidence. European Jounral of Clinical Nutrition 63, 5-21. Retreived from http://www.nature.com/ejcn/journal/v63/n2s/full/1602973a.html
Velasco, J. & Dobarganes, C. 2002. Oxidative stability of virgin olive oil. European Journal of Lipid Science and Technology 104(9), 661-676.
World Health Organisation. April 2013: Evidence piles up for banning trans fats. Retrived from http://www.who.int/bulletin/releases/NFM0413/en/