MYTH: Vegetable Oils are good for you because they are polyunsaturated!
MYTH BUSTED: Polyunsaturated oils are not intrinsically better for you than monounsaturated or saturated fats…all three types have different functions in the body and can be good for health. Conversely all three types can also become damaged by heat and processing which renders them pro-inflammatory and unsuitable for consumption.
So why the big fuss about polyunsaturated oils being so healthy?
In recent history saturated fat was unfairly demonized after preliminary research suggested it was responsible for clogging arteries. Thankfully new science has overturned this opinion, but in the interim seed oil marketing efforts stepped in to convince the public and the medical establishment that seed oils…aka polyunsaturated ‘vegetable’ oils, were healthy because they were the ‘opposite’to saturated fat. This opinion has taken deep root and thus the myth persists to this day.
Continued on web and microsite…
The vast majority of vegetable oil sold today is extracted from seeds like canola, sunflower, safflower, soya beans and corn using high heat and chemicals. Since this oil is predominantly polyunsaturated it is volatile and very susceptible to oxidization by heat and light thus they are already oxidized before consumption. This presents a dual problem to the body after ingestion, namely it contributes to creating an unhealthy excess of omega 6 over omega 3, and secondly the oil is damaged by heat and processing.
Both of these points independently contribute to excess cellular inflammation making them very unhealthy for the body and may even contribute to heart disease according to a review of data
carried out for the British Medical Journal.
Saturated fat on the other hand is much more stable when exposed to heat and light and thus is less prone to oxidation and rancidity making it more suitable for cooking and consumption than polyunsaturated oils.