The skinny on fats when it comes to vegetable oil

With such heated discussion these days on dietary fats – whether for health concerns, reversal or prevention of heart disease, or weight loss – you can often wonder where to turn, what to think…and what the heck to eat.

Don't get me wrong. I love my focaccia dipped in olio de olive and balsamic just as much as the next guy.  And I've had my share of sourdough drizzled with extra virgin.  And pizza on the streets of Rome senza formaggio…but with plenty of liquid gold – aka olive oil.

But no matter what way you cut it, and in spite of our deepest wishes otherwise (it's so tasty!), the fact of the matter is, vegetable oil is a highly processed product, devoid of fiber and extremely high in calories.

As a matter of fact, if you think about it, it seems odd and ironic that people who look down their noses at processed foods freely pour the extra virgin over their plates or spread coconut oil on their toast.

Free fats are…well, free fats

If one can "afford" the calories – meaning weight, or body fat composition and weight – are not concerns, does it matter what fat you eat?

Could be. For there still is powerful evidence that getting free oils out of the diet – along with a high percentage of any dietary calories coming from fats period – is important for prevention of and/or reversal of disease. Minimizing their place in the diet is optimal.

I'm going to borrow shamelessly from Dr. Jeff Novick, R.D.'s common sense summation of the brouhaha around dietary fats, particularly free oils, both saturated and un.  He has researched and written extensively on this topic.  Deep into the into archives of his writing I finally came across this simple passage that cuts right through the geek speak regarding free fats – oils – and simplifies the message.

1) The need for essential fats can be meet through whole natural foods without adding any concentrated sources.

2) Unsaturated fats are less harmful than saturated fats.

3) Hydrogenated Fats and Trans fats are probably the worst fats.

4) Substituting saturated fat with unsaturated fats, without adding additional calories, may lower cholesterol levels and the risk for CVD and some cancers… This is an "improvement", not an ideal recommendation and is a result of the "substitution" and not the "addition".

5) There is absolutely no evidence than adding either saturated fats, or
unsaturated fats to an otherwise optimal diet will improve the diet.

6) The Mediterranean diet was healthy not because of the olive oil, but in spite of
the olive oil. If the olive oil added any benefit, it was because of some phytonutrients in the olive oil, and not any specific fat or fatty acid.

7 ) Oils rich in PUFAs (polyunsaturated fatty acids) are more unstable than oils rich in MUFA (mono unsaturated fatty acids) and have been shown to increase growth rate (but not initiate) of some cancers in animals and possibly in humans, especially those which are high in Omega 6s.

I have never seen any conclusive evidence putting saturated fat in a "healthy"
light.

9) Focus your diet on and consume a variety of healthy unrefined unprocessed fresh fruit, veggies, starchy veggies, whole grains and legumes.

Where does this leave us in the debate about which oil to use?

Perhaps more important than which oil to use is whether to use, and to minimize them overall.

I know  [superemotions file="icon_cry.gif" title="Crying"].

© Lani Muelrath 2009 All Right