The Surprising Toxic Effects of Vegetable Oils

[Guest guest]

The Surprising Toxic Effects of Vegetable Oils

http://www.mercola.com/2005/jun/28/vegetable_oils.htm

 

When it comes to knowing which vegetable oil is best and safest to cook with,

many restaurants and so-called health experts don't seem to understand basic

biochemistry. That's because even the " safe " vegetable oils used by

restaurants and recommended by experts convert to seriously damaged breakdown

products

that have been linked to heart disease and neurological disorders.

 

These include the fatty acid-derived toxin 4-hydroxy-trans-2-nonenal (HNE).

According to researchers, HNE collects in high amounts in polyunsaturated oils

that have linoleic acid, which include:

 

Corn

Canola

Soybean

Sunflower

 

HNE's Effect on the Body

 

The toxin certainly holds a fatal future for humans. Many studies have linked

HNE consumption to increased risks for cardiovascular disease, stroke,

Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, Huntington's disease, liver problems

and

cancer.

 

Researchers explain that HNE's toxicity stems from the fact that it reacts

extremely energetically with biomolecules once it is absorbed into the body by

way of food. Also, it reacts with the various kinds of amino groups--proteins,

DNA, RNA--affecting basic cellular processes.

 

Based on these findings, a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association

recommended that if a person is worried about the health aspects of HNE, they

should refrain from heating any oil to the point of smoking and should never

reuse the same oil when cooking at home.

 

One of the most important recommendations, however, would be to avoid eating

fried foods at restaurants, as there are no industry-wide rules that govern

the choice and maintenance of cooking oils used in restaurants.

 

Health Central May 6, 2005

http://www.healthcentral.com/newsdetail/408/525569.html

 

 

--

 

Dr. Mercola's Comment:

 

Of all the destructive foods

http://www.mercola.com/2005/jun/4/junk_food_usa.htm available to us, those made

with heated vegetable oils are some of the

worst. Make no mistake about it--vegetable oil is not the health food

http://www.mercola.com/2005/jun/4/junk_food_usa.htm that you were lead to

believe it was.

 

 

There are a number of reasons for this, but the primary one is that modern

cultures are consuming these largely omega-6 vegetable oils at levels up to 100X

greater than levels previously.

 

We clearly know that anything that is good for us that is consumed or used in

excess can cause a " reverse " effect and actually cause disease. The evidence

for this effect seems fairly strong even in lifestyle activities like

exercise. http://www.mercola.com/blog/2005/jun/21/you_can_exercise_too_much

 

 

At the turn of the century (a time when heart attacks were a rarity), the

average American consumed only 1 pound of vegetable oil per year, while today

that amount can exceed 75 pounds. Your Paleolithic ancestors, people who were

robustly healthy and suffered little to no chronic disease

http://www.mercola.com/article/carbohydrates/paleolithic_diet.htm , did not

consume liquid

vegetable oil at all.

 

Excessive consumption of vegetable oil can also contribute to:

 

Asthma

Blindness

Heart disease

Cancer

 

This is largely due to the fact that they are highly processed foods and when

consumed in massive amounts, as they are by most of us, they seriously

distort the important omega-6:3 ratio.

 

So what's the best oil to cook with?

 

Hint: It is not olive oil, although olive oil is one of the best oils to use,

is especially high in monounsaturated fats and is a great source of squalene

and a host of other cardio-protective nutrients.

http://www.mercola.com/2004/nov/17/olive_oil.htm

 

That said, olive oil should be reserved for your salad, and if you choose to

cook your food I would strongly suggest you seriously consider the healthier

option, coconut oil http://www.mercola.com/2003/oct/15/cooking_oil.htm .

Coconut oil is far less damaged by heat than olive oil and seems to be the ideal

choice for cooking.

 

Related Articles:

 

Secrets of the Edible Oil Industry

http://www.mercola.com/2001/aug/1/oil.htm

 

The Great Con-ola

http://www.mercola.com/2002/aug/14/con_ola1.htm

 

The Great Con-ola

http://www.westonaprice.org/knowyourfats/conola.html

 

The Truth About Coconut Oil: Why it Got a Bad Rep When it's Actually Good

http://www.mercola.com/2003/sep/13/coconut_oil.htm

 

Coconut Oil: You Want a Food Loaded with Real Health Benefits? You Want

Coconut Oil

http://www.mercola.com/2001/mar/24/coconut_oil.htm

 

The Latest Studies on Coconut Oil

http://www.westonaprice.org/knowyourfats/coconut-oil-studies.html

 

Olive Oil Good for Health but Not for Cooking

http://www.mercola.com/2003/sep/27/olive_oil_health.htm

 

Trans Fat Much Worse for You Than Saturated

http://www.mercola.com/2001/jul/21/trans_fat.htm

 

Are Saturated Fats Really Dangerous For You?

http://www.mercola.com/2002/feb/23/vegetarianism_myths_06.htm

 

Trans Fats, NOT Saturated Fats, Increase Diabetes Risk

http://www.mercola.com/2001/jun/16/diabetes.htm

 

Know Your Fats

http://www.westonaprice.org/knowyourfats/index.html

 

Confused About Fats?

http://www.westonaprice.org/knowyourfats/index.html

 

The Skinny on Fats

http://www.westonaprice.org/knowyourfats/skinny.html

 

More Good News on Coconut Oil

http://www.westonaprice.org/knowyourfats/coconut-antimicrobial.html

 

The Importance of Saturated Fats for Biological Functions

http://www.westonaprice.org/knowyourfats/import_sat_fat.html

 

Saturated Fats and the Kidneys

http://www.westonaprice.org/knowyourfats/kidneys_fats.html

 

The Oiling of America

http://www.westonaprice.org/knowyourfats/oiling.html