Guest guest Posted January 13, 2004 Report Share Posted January 13, 2004 Cooking Oil Carcinogenic? JoAnn Guest Jan 13, 2004 09:13 PST Question: I recently heard that heating cooking oil makes it carcinogenic. Can you tell me if this is true? Oxidation of fat -- which occurs when cooking oil is heated to high temperatures -- can produce carcinogenic compounds. For this reason alone, you should be very careful when using refined oils. Never reuse an oil that has been heated to high temperatures, and never heat oil to the point where it smokes. The smoke from overheated oil is highly carcinogenic -- even inhaling the vapors is dangerous. Stay away from places that smell of burning grease -- including your own, someone else's, or a restaurant's kitchen. (In addition, oil can go rancid quickly, so buy only small quantities at a time and throw away oils that smell or taste spoiled.) Most recently, a study from New Zealand found that heated cooking oil can be extra bad for your arteries, too. The results, published in the mrch 1999 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, demonstrated that used cooking oil from fast food restaurants impedes blood flow through your arteries. The researchers fed ten male volunteers three different meals (at different times). The first contained a whopping 64.4 grams of fat, and was cooked in oil that had been used and reused for deep frying in a fast food restaurant; the second meal was exactly the same as the first, but contained fresh oil; the third was a low-fat meal, containing 18.4 grams of fat. All the men had non-invasive arterial studies done before eating these meals -- and again, four hours after each meal, to measure blood flow through the brachial artery, the main artery supplying the arm. The researchers found significant restriction of blood flow four hours after the first meal, but not after the other two. On the basis of these findings, the team concluded that fats/oils used repeatedly, as in many fast food restaurants, impairs blood flow -- probably from toxic compounds created by heat and oxygen. If you aren't already avoiding unhealthy, high-fat fast-foods, this study gives you another powerful reason to steer clear of them. The extent of the danger becomes clear when you realize how much oil we use in this country -- more than five billion pounds per year for frying and baking. According to the Agriculture Department, fried snack foods account for about three billion pounds, and fast food restaurants account for the other two. That's billions -- with a " b. " http://www.drweil.com/app/cda/drw_cda.html-command=TodayQA-question _________________ --- Post subject: Frying Oils at High Temps. Create " Acrylamides " -- *Acrylamide* Study: FSA Study- Answers to questions you may have. What is the problem? Recent research from Sweden-(published 24 April 2002) shows that frying and baking creates high levels of acrylamide – (a potential cancer-causing chemical) –in a wide range of food. Acrylamide was not known to occur at these levels in food before this research. What is acrylamide? Acrylamide is a chemical that appears to be produced naturally in food as a result of frying. It is also likely to be produced by grilling and roasting food. -- What do we know about acrylamide and its *health risks*? On the basis of animal data and understanding of its biological effects, acrylamide is considered to be a probable human 'carcinogen'. It has caused nerve damage in people who have been exposed to it at work. In studies on male animals, acrylamide was shown to impair fertility. As acrylamide has only very recently been discovered in food at these levels, practically nothing is known about its effects on humans via the diet. The FSA believes that exposure to DNA damaging carcinogens such as acrylamide should be as low as reasonably practicable. What did the FSA do in response to the Swedish results? The FSA took these new and unexpected findings extremely seriously. We published a statement (24 April 2002) and commissioned our own study to see if we could replicate the Swedish finding on some UK foods. The UK results were very similar to the Swedish findings. What did the FSA research find? The research found significant levels of acrylamide in a range of commonly consumed foods home or in mass production. The Agency surveyed a limited range of chips, crisps, crispbreads and cereals. From the information available, it seems likely that acrylamide will also be found in other foods cooked in the same way. What does the research tell us? This research suggests that acrylamide is formed in foods when they are fried. No significant levels were found in raw, baked or boiled foods. However, little is known as yet about how or why this occurs. Is this a new risk? No. Acrylamide appears to be formed in food by common cooking practices and so people are likely to have been exposed to acrylamide through this route for some considerable time. How serious a risk is acrylamide to human health? Eating is not a completely risk-free activity. Why has it taken until now to identify its presence in food? It was not previously known that acrylamide could or would be produced during cooking. It was discovered as a result of a chance finding in Swedish studies on the health risks to workers who had been exposed at work to acrylamide, in a way that was unconnected to food. The control group for this study, who had not had been exposed to acrylamide at work, showed evidence of unexpectedly high levels of acrylamide in their bodies. This chance finding led Swedish researchers to undertake further work to look at the possibility of acrylamide being present in foods, something that had not been considered previously Are home-cooked rather than pre-cooked, packaged or processed foods safer? The Agency's work included both tests on pre-cooked, processed and packaged foods and chips that were prepared from potatoes and cooked by the researchers as part of the tests. High levels were found in home-cooked foods, as well as the pre- cooked, packaged and processed foods. Is acrylamide found in boiled food? As far as we know from the limited research to date, boiling food does not appear to contribute to the formation of acrylamide. http://www.foodstandards.gov.uk/multimedia/webpage/acrylamide_study_f aq --- Post subject: Cooking: Go Low and Slow! --- Cooking: Go Low and Slow! -By Susan Smith Jones Ph.D. High cooking temperatures destroy the healthy *properties* of biologically intact oils. High heat cooking becomes an unhealthy culinary practice. Not only are deadly *dienes*, *trienes* (newly discovered –you'll be hearing about this in the coming years) and other carcinogenic and destructive compounds created but dozens of other post- " oxidation " products (free-radicals) are made, which can be just as detrimental as " trans-fatty " acids. After 10, 20 or even 30 years of coping with transfats, these toxic substances accumulate and interfere with the normal biological " chemistry " of our bodies. These corrupted materials create *corrupted* organs and muscles. Cells lose their DNA reproductive *integrity*leading to degenerative disease, cancer and rapid aging. We do not recommend frying not only because of the fat damage but because it can turn *proteins* into *carcinogens* such as *acrolein*. It also destroys much of the *nutritional* value of all foods. In Udo Erasmus's book " Fats that Heal " , Fats that Kill " , he recommends using new varieties of high " oleic " oils. Damage occurs rapidly to *refined* unsaturated fats and even more rapidly to " essential-fatty " acids (EFAs) which tolerate heat quite poorly. The majority of " fast " food and even other restaurants fry foods in " hydrogenated " vegetable oils that have been kept at high temperatures for *days*. Oils that have undergone *thermal* " conversion " at 215 C (419 F) for 15 minutes or more-- -- have been implicated in the formation of *atherosclerosis* (blockages) when fed to lab animals in research experiments. Instead of frying, Susan likes to take traditional stir-fry vegetables and steam them for a few minutes. Susan then adds extra-virgin olive oil or flax seed oil that has had garlic pressed into it and allowed to marinate for about 15 minutes. Another " healthier " way of frying is to stir-fry with small amounts of water adding a little sesame oil or Extra-Virgin Olive oil later on. Keeping some water in with the oil keeps the temperature down to 100 C (212F), which is a *non-destructive* temperature. Food will retain more nutrients and taste better using this innovative method. For good results, we recommend expeller-expressed organic sesame oil or Extra-Virgin Olive oil for this lower temperature method. Organic oils are *pesticide* free and unrefined and make a better overall choice for healthier eating. *Refining* an oil takes away its natural flavor and compromises many of the nutrients --– --Phytosterol, beta-sistosterin, lecithin, carotene, tocopherols and EFAs, to name a few. 'Boiling' oil in *water* doesn't 'damage' even the most sensitive " EFA " rich oils. When baking use Extra Virgin olive oil to prevent sticking. The more polyunsaturated refined and damaged oils you consume, the more " antioxidants " you need in your diet to *neutralize* the production of excess " free radicals " that are formed by consuming these oils. Consuming large amounts of refined oil has been linked to cancer risks. The omega-6 component of refined oil when used in *excess* and without the proper ratio of omega-3 oils tend to suppress *immune* function. The more " refined " the fat is, the more likely it is to form " free radicals " . Free radicals are *unstable* molecules that can *disrupt* cellular functioning,encourage tumor formation and accelerate the aging process. " Free radicals " have also been implicated in " damaging " arterial walls. Damage to arterial walls is probably the *initiatory* step in " arteriosclerosis " and atheroma formation. The " free radical " causes an injury to the arterial wall cells and a cholesterol laden *plaque* forms, acting like a " bandage " over the injury. If this happens often enough, arteries will restrict blood flow, and close off causing strokes, heart attacks and vascular disease. The body will slowly *repair* and unclog these vessels if chronic damage by " free radicals " is stopped or slowed down. " Free radicals " *oxidize* " cholesterol " and " triglycerides " into a more deadly artery clogging form. The combination tends to form stiff, hard arteries with reduced blood flow, exacerbating hypertension and other coronary " clustered " diseases. Fortunately, " free radicals " can be neutralized by " free radical " scavengers (antioxidants) such as Vitamin E, beta-carotene, vitamin C, selenium and hundreds of other antioxidants found in *unrefined* oils (especially low temperature expeller pressed wheat-germ oil), extra-virgin olive oil,sesame oil and fresh vegetables, fruits,organic whole grains,lentils,legumes,raw nuts & seeds. Animal products are high in " free radicals " and almost totally *deficient* in antioxidants--- as the higher ordered *species* tend to suffer from the same *biological* stresses that we humans do. This material was taken from a pamphlet distributed by Spectrum Natural Oils. http://www.spectrumnaturals.com Susan Smith Jones, Ph.D. (Health Sciences)has been a fitness instructor at UCLA for 21 years. _________________ JoAnn Guest mrsjo- DietaryTi- http://www.geocities.com/mrsjoguest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 13, 2004 Report Share Posted January 13, 2004 , Bubba <bubba19482001> wrote: > So, > Buy a thermometer. Light oil such as peanut oil may be heated to 350 degrees without smoking. Interestingly, heavy fat, such as lard, will smoke at 350 degrees. However, we should be eating fried foods only about once a month, shouldn't we? > Bubba Hi Bubba, Once a month? How about, never. <LOL On a more serious note, it is possible to prepare 'fries' in the oven drizzled with extra virgin olive oil. I believe that baked fries are a better option for anyone who is recovering from heart disease or trying to lose a few extra pounds. This eliminates the need for any additional butter or margarine as well, which makes them even more healthy for us! Of course anything which is fried commercially is always made with the poorest quality oils and when held at high temps for days it becomes even more carcinogenic. It has been said that fast food restaurants are considering more healthy oils?? Actually even a very 'healthy' oil will turn carcinogenic when subject to prolonged high temperatures so their changes do not hold a lot of promise for those of us who are a bit more knowledable in these areas. Compromised oils lead to a host of health problems over time. Many of the illnesses that plague us here in the states are due to over use of unhealthy oils. Interestingly enough they say a huge number of people list fries as one of their 'five-a day' vegetables in some surveys. duh... Makes you wonder, really. Best Regards, JoAnn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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