First of all, let me start by stating that vegetable oils were  not present until the early 1900s. After the industrial revolution and the invention of some chemical processes, vegetable oils overtook the world by storm. They were the cheapest oils to produce.  

The process of making vegetable oils is anything but simple. Vegetable oils should not be called vegetable as they are made of grain seeds (most of them are genetically modified).  Vegetables oils (which are dark in nature) undergo heavy  processing to create presentable, smell free oils.  This unnatural process involves several steps:  degumming, bleaching, deodorizing, filtering and getting rid of saturates to make the oils more liquid.

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The Real Dangers of Vegetable Oils

• Vegetable Oil is not a health food (as many people present it to be).  People have been cooking with vegetable oil for several decades and the results are devastating – cancer and cardiovascular diseases are on the rise. Some might argue with me that full fat foods are to blame but it’s been nothing but a low fat culture for many years and the rate of cardiovascular disease and obesity have not gone down. (here)

• Vegetable oils such as soy, corn, safflower and canola are dangerous to cook with as they contain very high amounts of Omega-6. Omega-6 is only beneficial for our bodies if the ratio of Omega-6 and Omega-3 is 3 to 1.  Omega-3 sources include fatty fish and cod liver oil. As a nation, we do not consume enough of these. The current ratio in America is at 50:1.   Our culture is way to indulged in processed pre-packaged food, so adding foods cooked with vegetable oil make matters even worse.

• Vegetables Oils are really high in PUFA (polyunsaturated fats). The entire composition of our bodies is around 97% saturated and monounsaturated fat. In order to renew and rebuild our cells, our bodies require fat. And if we constantly give it unhealthy and unnatural fats, it will use them with the sad end results.  Vegetable Oils are dangerous for your health as they get oxidized right away when they are subjected to heat. This leads to creation of free radicals which, as we know, contribute to premature aging and many diseases. 

• Additionally, most vegetable oils are genetically modified. Almost 90 % of canola and corn oil in America is GMO. (here) 

• Most vegetable oils have BHA and BHT (Butylated Hydroxyanisole and Butylated Hydroxytoluene). These artificial additives are used  keep the food from spoiling too fast.

Avoid these oils –  canola oil, corn oil, grapeseed oil, cottonseed oil, soybean oil, safflower oil,  sunflower oil, rice bran oil, margarine.

The best oil to cook with is coconut oil (find the best quality – here). Coconut oil is made of Medium Chain Fatty Acids and Lauric Acid. It’s a superstar among all the saturated fats. Coconut oil does not oxidize easily when subjected to heat. There are many amazing ways to use coconut oil (here). 

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