OILS - THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE VERY BAD
Saturated fats, unsaturated fats, trans-fats, and rancid fats - are you confused? Fat free, moderate fats, solid fats, oily fats, butter, margarine, cream, milk. -- what is good for you?
Finally, after years of discussion, the trans-fats , which are the very bad fats, are being removed from packaged foods and from restaurants. BUT, are they being replaced, as I heard on the news, by fats that are almost as bad --soy oil, an Omega 6 oil? You need to wear your reading glasses to the grocery store. You will be surprised to find soy oil and soy protein in many if not most packaged foods. That is because it is a very inexpensive oil that quietly has found its way into many, many foods. Another big problem is that vegetable oils, which should be refrigerated, when they have been opened, sit for months on pantry shelves gradually turning rancid.
70 years ago, The Omega 3 oils and the Omega 6 oils were at a 1 to 1 ratio. The Omega 3 oils come from fish oils and flaxseed oil, and the Omega 6 oils come from seed oils. Omega 3's are called essential fatty acids. They are essential to good health, and are anti-inflammatory. Doctors now are recommending them for all who want to be healthy.
But the Omega 6 fatty acids cause inflammation and now that they are being used more and more in foods, they are causing many illnesses. Unfortunately, the public, in general, is uninformed about the Omega 3's and the Omega 6's. The Omega 9's are found in avocado and certain safflower oils.
Butter and margarine will be discussed in my next articles. Any fat that is solid at room temperature is suspect to being a trans-fat. Butter is not a trans-fat, nor is lard, but shortening that is used in baking is. Any oil can become rancid when exposed to air and is not refrigerated. It tastes bad and is loaded with free radicals. Oils that are used over and over again in deep fat frying are full of free radicals,. "Fries" are reputed to be the most commonly ordered vegetable. Does anyone worry about the fat they are cooked in?
Butter is back on the table again. It is slightly higher in saturated fats at 8 grams, compared to 5 grams for margarine. It should be used sparingly. It does increase the absorption of many nutrients in other foods, and it enhances the flavor of foods. Butter has been used for centuries whereas margarine has been around for less than 100 years.
Butter must be kept refrigerated to prevent rancidity.
To learn more about Omega 3 and 6 oils, access my site below.
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