Confused…Saturated or Unsaturated: Which Oils Are Best for You?
Who hasn’t been confused about which oils are healthy and which ones are not? I know I used to be as there is so much information available about what to eat and what not to eat. The right oils are not only good for you but they are important for the health of your brain, and body. My hope is to help simplify your decisions when choosing. Let’s begin with a little history and how we’ve arrived at the confusion we have today around these choices.
History of Fats
Up until the late 20th Century, fats were unrefined, meaning not processed. I remember growing up when we all ate the crispy chicken skin! To me, this was the best part of the chicken. These fats were and are still good for us today, as long as it’s not eaten in excess and the chicken was pasture-raised. This means the chicken ate what it was meant to eat, like insects, worms and grasses. Around 1990 inexpensive oils entered the mainstream food industry--soybean, corn and canola oils. These oils found their way into prepared foods found on store shelves. They were less costly to produce but also less healthy for our bodies. As a result, manufacturers increased their profits. These oils still exist in prepared foods today.
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, heart disease is the leading cause of death in the USA. Heart disease has many causes. Hereditary and dietary influences as well as a lack of exercise are a few contributing factors. Focusing on what we have control over is vital to good health. How we treat our body catches up with us as with age. Personally, I learned this the hard way as my body broke down with a cancer diagnosis. Prior to this diagnosis, I was clueless about which oils and fats were healthy. Frankly, it didn’t cross my mind that oils could be harmful and contribute to disease. Oils and fats have omega-3s and omega-6s in them. For ultimate health, you want to ingest higher levels of 3s than 6s. Too many omega-6s cause inflammation in your body. We know inflammation leads to disease. Disease can look different for everyone. It may be diabetes or heart disease or cancer, like it was for me. Are you adding inflammation or not based on what oils you consume?
Here are some additional causes of heart disease, and disease in general.
Deficiencies in Omega-3 fats (fish, pastured eggs, walnuts, flaxseed oil), folic acid, Vitamins B3, B6 and B12, antioxidants including CoQ10, Vitamins C and E
Sugar consumption
Eating trans fats including hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils
Excess omega-6 fats (polyunsaturated vegetable oils)
Inflammation from infection and eating foods that cause inflammation
The Importance of “Healthy” Fats in the Body
Keeps cell walls flexible and permeable
Assists brain health as 60% of the brain is fat
Increases prostaglandins, a sex hormone
Aids in digestion of protein and fat-soluble vitamins
Creates energy for when we move, we burn fat
Increases anti-inflammatory omega-3s
The right oils and fats will not add inflammation to your body. Start by learning what your options are. Choose from those recommended below and avoid those on the “Oils to Avoid” list. Here is a listing of those to avoid:
Oils to Avoid ~ Saturated & Unsaturated
These come in saturated and unsaturated forms. Let’s begin with the saturated options. Man-made fats are never healthy for your body. Hydrogenated are refined, processed oils that clog arteries and cause cardiac issues. Trans fats are particularly harmful. These include:
Butter spreads, like Earth Balance and I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter!
Hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils
Margarine
Unsaturated ones are highly processed and the least stable as they oxidize easily in light, air or heat. These also are not healthy for your body, cause inflammation and should be avoided.
Canola (rapeseed) oil
Soybean oil
Corn oil
Cottonseed oil
Grapeseed oil
Rice bran oil
Safflower oil
Sunflower oil
This topic can be confusing regarding what’s good and what’s not, and overwhelming. Start small by switching out one oil at a time. Just like with any dietary changes, whether you begin small or big, the important thing is to begin! Know the oils and fats that are best for your brain, body and ultimate health. Making informed choices will impact your health by lowering the amount of inflammation that contributes to disease. All food choices either work towards preventing or contributing to disease.
What Oils Should I Eat?
Unsaturated options, like olive oil, are good for cold uses and should be organic, extra-virgin and cold pressed. Naturally saturated fats like unrefined coconut oil actually raises the “friendly” HDL cholesterol in your body. Some are better for cooking and heating than others as you can see in the recommendations below. The degrees in Fahrenheit are recommended, maximum heating temperatures. Overheating oils create free radicals that harm the body. When choosing plant sources, buy organic and unrefined. And from animal sources, pasture-raised, grass-fed and organic are best. Ultimately, it’s buying the highest quality that fits within your budget. Here are your healthy fat and oil options:
Walnut oil, 320℉
Coconut oil, 350℉
Grass-fed cow butter, 350℉
Sesame oil, 350℉
Extra virgin olive oil, 375℉
Beef tallow, 400℉
Ghee aka clarified butter, 400-500℉
Avocado oil, 520℉