New Zealand study reveals Cooking Oils Carcinogenic

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Cooking Oil Carcinogenic?

JoAnn Guest

Jan 13, 2004 09:13 PST

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Q.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 harmful. Avoid places that smell of burning

grease -- including your own, someone else's, or a restaurants

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 may be harmful for your arteries as well.

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,however there was none 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

(oxidation).

 

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

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Post subject: Frying Oils at High Temps. Create " Acrylamides "

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Acrylamide Study: FSA *Acrylamide* Study

 

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 apparently produced by

grilling and roasting food.

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What do we know about acrylamides and their *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 very little 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.

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 refined cereals. From the information available, it seems likely

that acrylamide will also be found in other foods cooked in the same

way. The research suggests that acrylamide is formed in foods when

they are " fried " .

 

No significant levels were found in raw 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 to acrylamides. 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

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Cooking: Go Low and Slow!

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Cooking: Go Low and Slow!

By Susan Smith Jones Ph.D.

 

High cooking temperatures destroy the " healthy properties " of

biologically intact oils. The more unsaturated the bonds of the oil

and the higher the ratio of essential fatty acids (EFAs),

--the greater the *polymerization*(or plasticizing) of the oil.

 

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 our food.

 

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* 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. Refined Oils are carcinogenic.

Consuming large amounts of refined oils have been linked to cancer.

 

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

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