56: Cooking Oil: Fact from Fiction

There is so much misinformation on the Interweb that leaves most people with no idea what oil is best to use in cooking. This podcast episode is about taking the confusion out of oils. One of the biggest bits misleading nutritional information that I have seen in my time is how good coconut oil is for you. Take a listen and get informed about what oils are best to have in your kitchen. If you don’t eat any oils then you do still want to be eating foods that contain fat and this is why ……

In this podcast I am talking all things oils and taking the 'mis' out of misinformation on what oil to have in the kitchen.

Why our body needs lipids

The different types of fats and their chemical structure 

What fats you can cook with and why 

What fats you can not cook with and why

Confusion about what oils to cook with 

Why seed oils have been given a bad rap and why people think you can’t cook with olive oil 

Links mentioned in the show

www.veets.com.au/56  for the relevant show notes

Please let me know what you think about the podcast – email me at 

info@veets.com.au

Have a beautiful week

With gratitude Veet 

https://www.veets.com.au/living-well-with-veet

Transcript

These are the reasons why our body needs fats 

They Provide Essential Fatty Acids

Your body cannot make certain fats, so they must come from food.

These include:

Omega-3 fatty acids 

Omega-6 fatty acids 

These fats are needed for brain function, nerve function, vision, cell membranes and growth and development. 

Oils that provide these are 

·     Flaxseed oil 

·     Walnut oil 

·     Sunflower oil 

·     Sesame oil 

 Help You Absorb Vitamins

Vitamin A,K,D and E are fat-soluble, so the body won’t absorb them if there isn’t fat available.

An example is carrots, they contain beta-carotene (a precursor of vitamin A). Adding a little oil to a salad or cooked vegetables can improve absorption of these nutrients. 

Form Cell Membranes

Every cell in your body is surrounded by a membrane made largely of fats. These membranes control what enters and leaves cells, allow cells to communicate, and help tissues in the body function properly. Without adequate dietary fat, cell structure and function would be impaired.

Support the Brain and Nervous System

The brain is rich in lipids, dietary fats help maintain nerve cell membranes, support neurotransmitter function and support cognitive function and development. 

Omega-3 fats are particularly important for the brain and retina.

Help Produce Signalling Molecules and Hormones

Certain fatty acids are used to make compounds involved in inflammation regulation, blood clotting, immune responses and blood vessel function .

Dietary fats also provide the building blocks needed for the production of many hormones.

Provide Energy

Fat supplies:

9 calories (37 kJ) per gram 

This is more than double the energy provided by:

Carbohydrates (4 calories/g) 

Protein (4 calories/g) 

Fat serves as a concentrated energy reserve.

Promote Satiety

Including some fat in a meal can slow stomach emptying, increase feelings of fullness and improve flavour and texture, which makes meals more filling and satisfying.

Some Oils Provide Antioxidants

Certain oils contain beneficial compounds beyond their fat content.

Extra virgin olive oil

Contains:

Polyphenols 

Vitamin E 

Sesame oil

Contains:

Sesamin 

Sesamol 

Antioxidant Support

Help reduce oxidative stress indirectly by influencing the body's antioxidant systems. 

Support the activity of antioxidant enzymes. 

Heart Health

May help support healthy cholesterol levels. 

May help support normal blood vessel function. 

Has been studied for its potential effects on blood pressure. 

Fat Metabolism

May influence how the liver metabolises fats. 

Has been investigated for possible effects on lipid metabolism. 

Anti-inflammatory Effects

Laboratory and human studies suggest sesamin may help regulate inflammatory pathways. 

Sesamol

Sesamol is a powerful antioxidant formed naturally from sesame compounds.

Antioxidant Protection

Its main role is as an antioxidant.

It helps protect oils from oxidation, protect cell membranes from oxidative damage and neutralise free radicals.  This is one reason sesame oil stores relatively well.

Anti-inflammatory Activity

Research suggests that sesamol may help regulate inflammatory processes.

Cardiovascular Research

Studies are investigating whether sesamol may help protect blood vessels and support cardiovascular health. 

Sunflower oil

Contains vitamin E  which helps protect cells from oxidative damage 

These compounds may help protect cells from oxidative damage.

Ok. Lets get to the nitty gritty 

Lets meet some saturated fats 

These foods are saturated fats

Animal Foods

·   Butter

·   Cream 

·   Cheese 

·    Full-fat milk 

·    Fatty cuts of beef 

·    Lamb 

·    Pork fat (lard) 

·    Chicken skin 

Plant Sources

·     Coconut oil 

·     Coconut cream 

·     Coconut milk 

·      Palm oil 

·      Cocoa butter (the fat in chocolate)

These are the fats that you really only want a very small amount of.

Then lets meet the MUFA’s and PUFA”S

MUFAs (monounsaturated fats) are the heart-healthy fats found mainly in olive oil and avocados, while PUFAs (polyunsaturated fats) include the essential omega-3 and omega-6 fats that every cell in the body needs for normal function.

What does MUFA and PUFA mean?

Saturated fats have no double carbon bonds so they are straight MUFAs, have one double bond and PUFA’s have two, I  think of them like roads 

Saturated fats -straight roads 

MUFAs  = one corner in the road 

PUFAs = several corners in the road

Why does the kink matter?

Without double bonds, fatty acids are straight and pack together tightly.

With one or more double bonds, they become bent and cannot pack together as closely.

This affects:

Fluidity of cell membranes

Your cell membranes are made largely of fats.

The kinks created by unsaturated fats help keep membranes flexible, fluid and functional. 

Cells need membrane fluidity to communicate, transport nutrients, receive hormone signals, and move substances in and out. 

Blood cholesterol

When unsaturated fats replace saturated fats in the diet, they generally help lower LDL cholesterol.

The exact mechanisms are complex, but changes in liver metabolism and cholesterol transport play important roles.

Essential biological functions

Many PUFAs are used to produce signalling molecules that regulate inflammation, blood clotting, immune responses and blood vessel function. 

Why aren't PUFAs always considered "better" than MUFAs?

PUFAs have more double bonds, but those extra double bonds make them more chemically reactive.

That means they are more prone to oxidation, they can become damaged more easily during storage, they are less heat-stable than many MUFAs. 

For example:

Fat Type               Stability 

Saturated Fat      Most stable
MUFA                    Moderately stable
PUFA                     Least stable

This is one reason olive oil is often praised, it's rich in MUFAs,  reasonably heat stable, 

and contains protective antioxidants. 

Olive oil has actually had two very different reputations over time.

Historically, in parts of Europe, especially around the Mediterranean, olive oil was an everyday peasant food used by ordinary families. Wealthier northern Europeans often preferred:

·   butter, 

·   cream, 

·   animal fats. 

Olive oil was sometimes viewed as rustic or old-fashioned.

The low-fat era (1970s–1990s)

This is probably the biggest reason olive oil got a bad reputation in modern nutrition.

During the low-fat movement, many people heard:

Fat is bad

Olive oil is almost 100% fat, so it was often grouped together with:

butter, 

lard, 

dripping, 

other animal fats. 

The detail that different fats have different effects was often lost in public messaging.

Later research showed that:

monounsaturated fats, 

polyunsaturated fats, 

generally affect health differently from large amounts of saturated fat. 

Confusion about cooking with olive oil

For years people were told you can’t cook with olive oil and it became widespread. The truth is, extra virgin olive oil is reasonably heat stable, its antioxidants help protect the oil, it is commonly used for cooking throughout Mediterranean countries. 

People often confused smoke point, oxidation, flavour changes, and these ideas became oversimplified into "olive oil burns easily."

5. Recent social media backlash

In the last few years, some online nutrition influencers have argued that animal fats are better for you, seed oils are harmful and olive oil is overrated. 

However, most mainstream nutrition researchers still consider Extra virgin olive oil as one of the best-studied dietary fats, particularly in relation to Mediterranean dietary patterns and cardiovascular health. 

The irony

Olive oil went through a strange cycle:

Traditional food, criticised because it was fat, praised as a healthy fat, criticised again on parts of social media.

The evidence today is that olive oil is not a wonder food, but it is has had so much research done on it, more than any other oil and is consistently associated with positive health outcomes when used as part of a balanced diet.

Other MUFAs are: 

Extra virgin olive oil 

Avocado 

Almonds 

Macadamias 

Hazelnuts 

And their oils

PUFA  

The body cannot make some PUFAs, so they are considered essential fats.

Types of PUFAs

Omega-3 fats

Important for:

Brain function 

Nervous system health 

Vision 

Heart health 

Anti-inflammatory processes 

Sources:

Flaxseeds 

Chia seeds 

Walnuts 

Hemp seeds 

Fatty fish 

Omega-6 fats

Important for:

Cell membranes 

Growth 

Skin health 

Immune function 

Sources:

Sunflower oil 

Sesame oil 

Safflower oil 

Soybean oil 

Nuts and seeds 

To sum it up is; stay away from animal fats and other saturated fats including coconut oil or have them very minimally. Use avocado and nut oils for frying in, sunflower and sesame oil are good too. Olive oil you can cook with. I wouldn’t do heavy frying with it, but using it to fry onions etc. is great, and putting in pasta sauces etc. is fabulous, and as a dressing too. 

Seed oils like flax, chia and hemp seeds are essential for our bodies and are best not cooked. Sunflower and sesame seed oils are the exception, they are fine to cook with.

If you are not eating oil at all then be sure to include all the wholefoods in your diet that we make oil from. Olives, avocado, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, nuts, flax, chia and hemp seeds.

Now I have a beautiful recipe to share  

Recipe 

Salsa Verde 

1 to 2 tbsp olive oil 

1 to 2 tbsp flax seed or avocado oil 

2 to 4 tbsp lemon juice or vinegar of choice 

Massive handful or two of herbs of your choice ( mint, basil, coriander, parsley, dill)

Chop up the herbs till they are small and mix with the oil and lemon juice, add salt and pepper to taste.

If not using oil you can mash up an avocado or cut up some olives with the herbs instead.

FCT (fun cooking tip) 

Buy yourself an oil dispenser so you can regulate how much oil you are using, so you can drizzle over salads etc.

#####Note always use organic oil. 

Always