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Are you confused about seed oils? Avoiding seed oil is essential for creating great health and wellness. But why? What are seed oils? Is fat bad for us? If we are a avoiding seed oils, what fats should we use and why? In this article, I would like to address some of these issues.

The Problem

This is an extensive topic which is why I will address this topic in two parts. I will discuss some of the most common concerns and offer suggestions as to what I use and why. As you probably know, there is much confusing and conflicting information available on the internet regarding this subject. I always suggest to people that they consider the source of who is offering the information and what the author may have to gain from persuading you to believe their information. It takes great discernment and critical thinking to decide what the truth really is. Many people just don’t want to take the time to do research. Make sure you have trusted sources and also keep in mind that the field of nutrition is advancing rapidly!

So back to avoiding seed oil. Seed oils or sometimes called vegetable oils are NOT healthy despite the recommendations of some well-known organizations. They are extremely high processed industrial oils extracted from the seeds of plants. And, the processing of these oils can generate disease-causing toxins Then we cook with them which can generate even more toxins. There is much compelling evidence that cooking with these toxins, in particular HNE, are linked to all chronic diseases such as metabolic dysfunction, diabetes, obesity, dementia, and even cancer.

So what does the processing of seed oil look like? Producers use solvents on the plants (i.e., soybeans, corn and sunflowers.) One of these solvents is hexane, a petrochemical, and then they use desolvents at a very high heat, using steam and pressure to remove the solvents afterwards. The interim product created during this process is literally a poison and is not edible. This product is then refined. Some of the most common refining processes used are bleaching, degumming, winterizing, neutralizing, deodorizing and dewaxing. Does all this sound like it should be in your food?

Just when you thought it couldn’t get worse, restaurants (even fine dining) reuse these seed oils multiple times, which causes even further break down and releases more toxic byproducts. The cascading events of all this toxin formation settles in our body and is stored in our fat cells.

Linoleic Acid

Let’s back up a bit and discuss the two biggest issues with cooking fats and oils–the amount of linoleic acid (LA) and the amount of processing. LA is an omega-6 fatty acid, a polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) that we must get out of our diet. Our bodies only need a very small amount of LA for building and maintaining cell structure. The recommended amount is only 1% of our caloric intake with a max of 2%. Here is a bit of history. In the early 1900’s in the U.S., our caloric intake of LA was only about 5 grams per day or about 2% of our caloric intake. In 2008, our LA consumption went up to 29 grams/day. That equates to 11.8% of our caloric intake. That is a 6-fold increase and sadly, that number is rising.

Linoleic acid is very unstable and oxidizes or breaks down easily. That is where the trouble begins. LA breaks down into oxic molecules known as aldehydes. The most well-known one is 4-hydroxynonenal (HNE) which is the most abundant cytotoxic (cell-killing) lipid product. It can create an aggressive inflammatory response in the body. Our body has a hard time getting rid of LA and its byproducts as they accumulate in our fat cells. This causes the fat cells to grow larger, break down, and fail as an important endocrine (signalling) organ. This can lead to obesity and chronic disease.

The type of fat we eat matters! Our mitochondria loves stable fats such as saturated and monounsaturated fats. But when we eat too much LA, our mitochondria becomes impaired and dysfunctional–ultimately leading to disease.

It is so important to limit the use of these oils. If you have seed oils in your kitchen, I strongly suggest you throw them out. Your body and your family will thank you.

Fats: The 3 Main Types

Saturated Fats are solid at room temperature and are the most stable of all fats. Stable means how easily the fat breaks down into potentially toxic byproducts caused by oxidation. Oxidation means that oxygen mixes with the fat, essentially attacking it. This creates free radicals, which are not bad in and of themselves. However, if there are too many free radicals and not enough antioxidants to neutralize the free radicals, bad things happen. Saturated fats are healthy despite many of the misguided recommendations from fancy institutions. Saturated fats provide us with easily absorbable vitamins (A,D,E and K2), which are not found in other oils. The vitamins found in saturated fats are more easily utilized (bioavailable) than any vitamin from a supplement. They also contain stearic acid, which our mitochondria (the energy factory of the cell) love to burn for clean energy. I cook almost everything in ghee and if you are dairy sensitive, ghee is not considered dairy!

Examples of saturated fats include tallow, ghee, butter and coconut oil.

Monounsaturated Fats are liquid at room temperature. There is only one double bond in the carbon chain. This double bond creates a “kink” in the long C chain. In other words, they can’t pack in as close as saturated fats. While they are less stable than saturated fats, they are still considered stable and nutritious to consume. They are also an deal source of energy for the mitochondria.

Examples of monounsaturated fats are extra-virgin olive oil and unrefined avocado oil.

Keep in mind, there is much adulteration of olive oils and avocado oils. They are often mixed with seed oils and are not regulated well. Do your research on your olive oil as much of it is fake. Three brands of avocado oil that are pure are Chosen Avocado Oil, Avohass and Organic Nutiva. Olive Oil should not be used for cooking as heating it changes the molecule and the liver has a difficult time processing it. It is wonderful to enjoy at room temperature and I feel it is a very important part of a healthy diet!

Polyunsaturated fats or PUFAs are liquid at room temperature. All industrial seed oils are loaded with this type of fat. They have 2 or more double bonds, which make them the most unstable of the fats. They are referred to as Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids. PUFAs contain a boat load of unstable linoleic acid which is susceptible to breakdown (oxidation) or the formation of toxic byproducts. If you start reading labels of processed foods, you will more than likely see some sort of seed oil being used! Check your crackers! The only one I found that does not contain seed oil is Mary’s Original Seed Crackers–not all of Mary’s products are free of seed oils.

Examples of polyunsaturated fats are sunflower, safflower, grape seed, canola, corn and soybean oil.

PART TWO OF THIS ARTICLE WILL COVER

• Replacing Seed Oils with Ancestral Fats
• Seed Oils in Processed Foods
• Healthy Fats on a Budget
• Oils for Additional Consideration
• What about Nut Oils?
• Saturated Fat is Brain Food

A special thank you to mysuperherofoods.com for their wonderful research in providing this information. I highly recommend their book “The Ultimate Guide to Avoiding Seed Oil in Your Kitchen.”

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