Coconut Oil & Health [Food]

[sumisu]

On A Mission To Heal My Mother - Why Green Salads are the Leading Cause of Disease

Samantha Gilbert, BA, CHNP, Holistic Nutritional Therapist



May 2, 2010

http://samantha-gilbert.blogspot.com/2010/05/on-mission-to-heal-my-mother-why-green.html


So you've made a decision to eat better and treat your body right. You've cleaned out your kitchen and restocked it with a variety of fresh, whole, raw foods. You prepare a big, beautiful salad for lunch and in order to add more flavor, reach for your "heart" healthy salad dressing.

What's wrong with this picture?

Your salad dressing may look and smell good, but is actually rancid and full of toxic breakdown products from intense processing and hydrogenation, even the so called "healthy oils" like canola.



We have read and heard the term hydrogenation or partially hydrogenated oil, but I find that most people I speak with have no idea what it means. Hydrogenation is the addition of hydrogen to a compound, especially to solidify an unsaturated fat or fatty acid. This is a really bad idea especially when dealing with a polyunsaturated or unprotected fat, as these types of fats are extremely fragile and turn rancid very quickly. As the public has become more aware of the dangers of polyunsaturated fats from corn and soy, a new kind of oil hit the market several years ago and continues to be hailed as "healthy" and is still a major ingredient in bottled salad dressings. This oil comes from rape seed, and through clever marketing, was renamed canola oil.

Let's look at a popular salad dressing from the company of a very talented actor who starred in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid:

Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing Ingredients: Vegetable Oil (Canola Oil and/or Soybean Oil, Extra Virgin Olive Oil), Water, Balsamic Vinegar, Salt, Sugar, Garlic, Distilled Vinegar, Spice, Onion, Red Bell Pepper, Xanthan Gum, Paprika (For Color).

This dressing has toxic brew written all over it. Because canola oil is high in omega-3 fatty acids, which easily become rancid and foul-smelling when subjected to oxygen and high temperatures, it must be deodorized. The standard deodorization process removes a large portion of the omega-3 fatty acids by turning them into trans fatty acids. The consumer is completely unaware of this because it is not written on the label. Scientists and doctors have endorsed canola oil as a "heart healthy" oil, low in saturated fat, high in monounsaturates, and a good source of omega-3 fatty acids.

Is it really?

All refined oils use solvents, usually hexane, during the extraction process that still remain in the finished product. No amount of refining will remove these harmful substances. Overabundance of oleic acid (the type of monounsaturated fatty acid in olive and canola oil) creates imbalances on the cellular level that can inhibit prostaglandin (any group of potent hormone-like substances that are produced in various tissues) production. In one study, higher monounsaturated fat consumption was associated with an increased risk of breast cancer. According to a 1998 report, mice fed a diet containing monounsaturated fats were more likely to develop atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) than mice fed a diet containing saturated fat. The first seed oil to be created through genetic manipulation, canola is also the focus of a variety of genetic engineering (GMO) projects.

Why waste your money on dead food? Especially on products that have undergone heavy processing to mask rancidity?



I recommend instead that you make your own dressing out of cold-pressed, organic, extra-virgin olive oil. Keep in mind that reliance on only monounsaturated fats (oleic) like olive oil should be used in moderation. They are composed of chains of carbon atoms that have one double bond between two carbons and therefore lack two hydrogens. They have a kink or bend at the position of the double bond so the molecules do not pack together as easily as saturated fatty acids. Monounsaturated oils tend to be liquid at room temperature but become solid when refrigerated. If you are trying to loose weight, saturated fats such as coconut oil are best because the body uses them for energy rather than storage.

Saturated fats (stearic) are composed of chains of carbon atoms that have hydrogen filling every bond. Because of their straight configuration, saturated fatty acids pack together easily and tend to be solid at room temperature. Saturated fats are stable and do not become rancid when subjected to heat, as in cooking. These fats protect our cells and are found in coconut oil.

We've been falsely lead to believe saturated fats are bad for us by an industry only interested in greed.



Polyunsaturated fats have two or more double bonds. As there is a bend or kink at each double bond, these fatty acids do not pack together easily and tend to be liquid, even when cold. Polyunsaturated oils are very fragile. They tend to develop harmful free radicals when subjected to heat and oxygen, as in cooking or processing.

Free radicals are like little knives stabbing away at our cells that rob us of our lifeforce.

Soybean oil, safflower oil, sunflower oil and flax oil are polyunsaturated oils. Omega-6 fatty acids have the first double bond at the 6th carbon from the end of the fatty acid chain. The most common omega-6 fatty acid is linoleic acid, which is called an essential fatty acid (EFA) because your body cannot make it. Omega-3 fatty acids have the first double bond at the 3rd carbon. The most common omega-3 fatty acid is the EFA alpha-linolenic acid.

The consensus among lipid experts is that the American diet is too high in omega-6 fatty acids (present in high amounts in commercial vegetable oils) and lacking in omega-3 fatty acids (which are present in organ meats, wild fish, pastured egg yolks, organic vegetables and flax oil). Surfeit of omega-6 fatty acids and deficiency in omega-3 fatty acids has been shown to depress immune system function, contribute to weight gain and cause inflammation.

The most toxic, polyunsaturated oils are responsible for cancer, heart disease, wrinkles and premature aging, immune system dysfunction, learning ability, liver damage, damage to reproductive organs and lungs, digestive disorders due to polymerization, and impaired growth.

Even though many salad dressings are made with so called "heart healthy" canola oil, most still contain additional soybean oil and all processed foods contain trans fatty acids. Trans means across and this is what is meant by a trans fatty acid. During the hydrogenation process, one of the hydrogen atoms is moved to the other side so that the hydrogen atoms are now across from each other. This is called the trans configuration. In our cell membranes, the trans fat has very different characteristics from a saturated fat or monounsaturated fat. Your body makes chemical reactions where there are electron clouds, but it cannot do this when the cell membrane contains lost of trans fatty acids. With a trans fatty acid, instead of an electron cloud, there is a dead spot.

The more partially hydrogenated oils containing trans fatty acids you eat, the more trans fats you will have in your cell membranes and the more chaos you will have at the cellular level.

I encourage everyone to always read labels. Know what you are putting into your body.

If you are dining at a restaurant, keep in mind that olive oil dressings are usually mixed with a polyunsaturated oil to cut down on costs. I always bring unrefined salt with me and ask for a side of pure olive oil, lemon wedges, or salsa to dress my salad. You have a right to ask questions, even if the server is less than pleasant about it.

Still think your salad dressing was a good choice?