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Cooking oils and health ... I'm still confused


Jingthing

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I like olive oil for its nutty flavour….but there are some real scams going on….many oil labels are suspected to lie about the content and origin of their olive oil on their labels…e.g. bertolli.

Also use virgin unrefined coconut oil and mustard oil sometimes for fish dishes. Sesame oil is great too, for dressings

what is wrong with bertolli? Actually this is the brand I always buy.....thought it is italian so it is good....

If you really want the lowdown on this try and read Extra Virginity - The sublime and scandalous world of extra virgin olive oil by Tom Mueller.

This link is also interesting….the point is where there is smoke there is usually fire.

http://www.foodrenegade.com/your-extravirgin-olive-oil-fake/

Even The New Yorker carried an article decrying the scams in the olive oil business…they would not run a story that did not check out.

Plus Bertolli is a Unilever brand…nuff said.

article is complete nonsense....which doesn't mean that Bertolli is OK....

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I like olive oil for its nutty flavour.but there are some real scams going on.many oil labels are suspected to lie about the content and origin of their olive oil on their labelse.g. bertolli.

Also use virgin unrefined coconut oil and mustard oil sometimes for fish dishes. Sesame oil is great too, for dressings

Ive heard that before about Bertolli so I changed to Sabroso. However neither of them pass the fridge test. Good olive oil should emulsify in the fridge.

Every Bertolli oil get hard in my fridge. but it need a while maybe 1 month

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I don't use much so cost isn't much of a factor. Deep frying uses a lot of oil but I don't deep fry anything. Some oils are very high priced, such as avocado oil. Curious about coconut oil. The kind I buy is very expensive. Can't imagine deep frying in that. Assume you buy a cheaper kind.

Change your avatar!!

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I don't use much so cost isn't much of a factor. Deep frying uses a lot of oil but I don't deep fry anything. Some oils are very high priced, such as avocado oil. Curious about coconut oil. The kind I buy is very expensive. Can't imagine deep frying in that. Assume you buy a cheaper kind.

Change your avatar!!

No!!

post-37101-0-68937600-1447051367_thumb.g

Edited by Jingthing
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I like olive oil for its nutty flavour….but there are some real scams going on….many oil labels are suspected to lie about the content and origin of their olive oil on their labels…e.g. bertolli.

Also use virgin unrefined coconut oil and mustard oil sometimes for fish dishes. Sesame oil is great too, for dressings

what is wrong with bertolli? Actually this is the brand I always buy.....thought it is italian so it is good....

If you really want the lowdown on this try and read Extra Virginity - The sublime and scandalous world of extra virgin olive oil by Tom Mueller.

This link is also interesting….the point is where there is smoke there is usually fire.

http://www.foodrenegade.com/your-extravirgin-olive-oil-fake/

Even The New Yorker carried an article decrying the scams in the olive oil business…they would not run a story that did not check out.

Plus Bertolli is a Unilever brand…nuff said.

article is complete nonsense....which doesn't mean that Bertolli is OK....

Its 'complete nonsense' to you but that doesn't mean it really is nonsense. It makes a lot of sense to me.

There really is some sort of con young on with people trying to label any shit as extra virgin and charging a premium for it.

Carry on with ur bertolli…..who cares?

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what is wrong with bertolli? Actually this is the brand I always buy.....thought it is italian so it is good....

If you really want the lowdown on this try and read Extra Virginity - The sublime and scandalous world of extra virgin olive oil by Tom Mueller.

This link is also interesting….the point is where there is smoke there is usually fire.

http://www.foodrenegade.com/your-extravirgin-olive-oil-fake/

Even The New Yorker carried an article decrying the scams in the olive oil business…they would not run a story that did not check out.

Plus Bertolli is a Unilever brand…nuff said.

article is complete nonsense....which doesn't mean that Bertolli is OK....

Its 'complete nonsense' to you but that doesn't mean it really is nonsense. It makes a lot of sense to me.

There really is some sort of con young on with people trying to label any shit as extra virgin and charging a premium for it.

Carry on with ur bertolli…..who cares?

Did you read the article yourself?

"Second, extra-virgin olive oil ought to be flammable enough to keep an oil lamp burning. Again, this isn’t a fail-proof test, and for the same reasons. But, it is certain that if your so-called “extra virgin olive oil” doesn’t keep a wick burning, it isn’t extra-virgin at all, but instead contains refined oils."

pure nonsense.....

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From mine, the mainstream recommended ones such as vegetable,canola etc. burn/evaporate so quick you have to use three times as much, even if just frying off onions.

That makes it a lot more expensive and probably means you are digesting a lot more fat and a lot of the nasties as well.

Considering the fumes they give off when overheated, akin to plastic bags burning, cannot be so good for you.

Edited by ozzieovaseas
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The question of which cooking oils (and fats in general) are best to use is so predictably contentious that perhaps the cliche

Opening a can of worms

needs to be changed to

Opening a bottle of cooking oil. coffee1.gif

Not so. Only rice bran, olive, almond and safflower are healthy oils for cooking. The rest are toxic junk. It is all about the flashpoint. Almond is too expensive and safflower is hard to find here. That leaves only olive and rice bran, remaining in the discussion. Both are great. I prefer rice bran due to flavor. Olive is great for cooking vegetables.

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The question of which cooking oils (and fats in general) are best to use is so predictably contentious that perhaps the cliche

Opening a can of worms

needs to be changed to

Opening a bottle of cooking oil. coffee1.gif

Not so. Only rice bran, olive, almond and safflower are healthy oils for cooking. The rest are toxic junk. It is all about the flashpoint. Almond is too expensive and safflower is hard to find here. That leaves only olive and rice bran, remaining in the discussion. Both are great. I prefer rice bran due to flavor. Olive is great for cooking vegetables.

lard?

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what is wrong with bertolli? Actually this is the brand I always buy.....thought it is italian so it is good....

Did you read the article yourself?

"Second, extra-virgin olive oil ought to be flammable enough to keep an oil lamp burning. Again, this isn’t a fail-proof test, and for the same reasons. But, it is certain that if your so-called “extra virgin olive oil” doesn’t keep a wick burning, it isn’t extra-virgin at all, but instead contains refined oils."

pure nonsense.....

I didn't give much credence to these so-called 'tests'….read the better investigated stuff:

http://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/olive-oils-dark-side

http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2007/08/13/slippery-business

Your denial is certainly understandable…it's like the farang who thought that Bertolli was a nice thai girl but now it turns out she's just another walking street ho.

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At least with lard you can do it yourself and you know what your getting. Its surprising how much you can render down from a reasonable sized piece of pork belly.

It burns way longer than any of the others mentioned, so you don't use as much and you cant compare the taste.

yes we buy the fat pork belly and make it ourself, put it in the fridge afterwards....so for sure no chemicals inside.

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what is wrong with bertolli? Actually this is the brand I always buy.....thought it is italian so it is good....

Did you read the article yourself?

"Second, extra-virgin olive oil ought to be flammable enough to keep an oil lamp burning. Again, this isn’t a fail-proof test, and for the same reasons. But, it is certain that if your so-called “extra virgin olive oil” doesn’t keep a wick burning, it isn’t extra-virgin at all, but instead contains refined oils."

pure nonsense.....

I didn't give much credence to these so-called 'tests'….read the better investigated stuff:

http://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/olive-oils-dark-side

http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2007/08/13/slippery-business

Your denial is certainly understandable…it's like the farang who thought that Bertolli was a nice thai girl but now it turns out she's just another walking street ho.

the article have zero facts.....I have doubts about the quality, but meanwhile Bertolli might be the most checked oil and there is no word about any recent problems....extra virgin or not is something every backyard lab can check. As there is nothing it will be OK.

The only thing is that I thought Bertolli is a traditional Italien brand....which it is not. So I'll switch. But they were the only one who offered organic in Thailand sad.png .

Can you recommend any brand that is extra virgin and organic? spraying the olive trees is now common I know.

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At least with lard you can do it yourself and you know what your getting. Its surprising how much you can render down from a reasonable sized piece of pork belly.

It burns way longer than any of the others mentioned, so you don't use as much and you cant compare the taste.

yes we buy the fat pork belly and make it ourself, put it in the fridge afterwards....so for sure no chemicals inside.

Lard, butter, coconut and olive oil are all better dietary choices, leading scientists have said - in advice which directly contradicts the NHS.

When heated, corn, sunflower, palm and soya bean oils - often called "vegetable" oils - release chemicals called aldehydes which have been linked to various cancers and neurogenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's.

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While coconut oil, butter and ghee may be said to be less harmful than hydrogenated vegetable oils in processed foods, I honestly believe that excessive daily use of them is cant be all that healthy....I try to keep the quantities down to a minimum that will do the job.

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Read through the posts and there's something I haven't quite grasped. Assuming I am cooking with any of the oils about which there seems to be a broad consensus as to their being the better choices, namely extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil, rice bran oil, safflower oil and ghee, my questions are, leaving aside availability and cost:

1) which, if any, of these are ok for high temperature and/or deep fry cooking? and

2) which, if any, of these can be used for high temperature cooking (including deep frying) more than once?

Clarification would be appreciated.

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I had a formal TRAINING IN NUTRITION, and I have kept my knowledge updated.

1/The scare about saturated fats is total BS, perpetuated by the big food companies. If you look at graphs of refined (polyunsaturated) oil consumption over the past 30-40 years, alongside graphs of cardio-vascular disease, the graphs are almost identical !!!

2/Polyunsaturates are chemically unstable, even at low temperatures. Leave a drop out in the atmosphere for a few days, and see how quickly it turns rancid.

They all undergo harsh, high temperature refining, so they are damaged even before they go into the bottle.

They breakdown rapidly during high temperature frying, producing toxins.

They are also high in Omega 6 (inflamatory!) and very low in healthy Omega 3 fatty acids.

This category includes Corn,Soy, Groundnut, Sunflower, Safflower and Rice Bran.

3/Mono-unsaturates are healthy and fairly stable. Both Olive and Palm Oil contain significant amounts: in fact their Fatty Acid profiles are quite similar.

Unrefined samples of both oils burn easy due to their high content of vitamins /antioxidants . Natural Red Palm Oil is actually natures richest source of Vitamin E. There is an excellent brand from United Plantations called Nutrolein. Beware of a common rival brand which is mixed with refined Canola.

Canola contains significant amount of Poly and Mono, and also has serious GMO isssues like Soy, and so belongs in the previous unsafe group.

Refined Palm Oil is extremely heat stable which is why it is preferred for frying.

Indonesia has given Palm Oil a bad reputation which is unfortunate. Malaysia produces Palm Oil in a much more environmentally responsible way (ZERO BURN). We should be boycotting Indonesian products ONLY!

4/Natural Saturated Fats are both healthy and very stable. Coconut Oil,,possibly the most saturated, is now fetching very high prices due to it;s health benefits. Natural Beef and Dairy (Grassfed) contain significant Omega 3 and is healthy. Feeding increasing amounts of grain to cattle results in an unhealthy, modified Fatty Acid profile.

5/Processed and refined carbohydrates are just as unhealthy as bad fats; they are even more fattening, due to their rapid absorption. Modern dietary advice recommends 30% of calories from HEALTHY fats.

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Thaiturkey, I gave read many things about Palm Oil, and have come to the conclusion that it is by far the best oil for the price. I am not worried about the environmental aspects, because as you say I think that mainly concerns Indonesian produced oil. However one thing I am concerned with, is buying oil that is the healthiest for me. All the oil I see have refined written on it. Is that okay, can you recommend brands I can find in my local Tesco Lotus Express that are good for me. Thanks.

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There are many websites existing who have update info on this subject and most like Dr. David Jockers and Dr. Mercola, et.al say simply that coconut oil because of its unique profile is unquestionably the best...that being said...olive at very low heats and short cooking times recently has made a comeback for cooking as some long term studies have shown. Ghee is excellent and butter also particularly if it is organic and or from grass fed cows. Most of the others have huge concerns about GMOs especially canola and safflower.

I use coconut first choice then olive, sometimes avocado (but pricey) and after, rice bran oil which for some reason does not have so much written about it and has only had an organic version come out recently.

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I had a formal TRAINING IN NUTRITION, and I have kept my knowledge updated.

1/The scare about saturated fats is total BS, perpetuated by the big food companies. If you look at graphs of refined (polyunsaturated) oil consumption over the past 30-40 years, alongside graphs of cardio-vascular disease, the graphs are almost identical !!!

2/Polyunsaturates are chemically unstable, even at low temperatures. Leave a drop out in the atmosphere for a few days, and see how quickly it turns rancid.

They all undergo harsh, high temperature refining, so they are damaged even before they go into the bottle.

They breakdown rapidly during high temperature frying, producing toxins.

They are also high in Omega 6 (inflamatory!) and very low in healthy Omega 3 fatty acids.

This category includes Corn,Soy, Groundnut, Sunflower, Safflower and Rice Bran.

3/Mono-unsaturates are healthy and fairly stable. Both Olive and Palm Oil contain significant amounts: in fact their Fatty Acid profiles are quite similar.

Unrefined samples of both oils burn easy due to their high content of vitamins /antioxidants . Natural Red Palm Oil is actually natures richest source of Vitamin E. There is an excellent brand from United Plantations called Nutrolein. Beware of a common rival brand which is mixed with refined Canola.

Canola contains significant amount of Poly and Mono, and also has serious GMO isssues like Soy, and so belongs in the previous unsafe group.

Refined Palm Oil is extremely heat stable which is why it is preferred for frying.

Indonesia has given Palm Oil a bad reputation which is unfortunate. Malaysia produces Palm Oil in a much more environmentally responsible way (ZERO BURN). We should be boycotting Indonesian products ONLY!

4/Natural Saturated Fats are both healthy and very stable. Coconut Oil,,possibly the most saturated, is now fetching very high prices due to it;s health benefits. Natural Beef and Dairy (Grassfed) contain significant Omega 3 and is healthy. Feeding increasing amounts of grain to cattle results in an unhealthy, modified Fatty Acid profile.

5/Processed and refined carbohydrates are just as unhealthy as bad fats; they are even more fattening, due to their rapid absorption. Modern dietary advice recommends 30% of calories from HEALTHY fats.

Well big business, low fat yoghurt, musli, etc and when you read the details it is triple the sugar of the normal fat product.

Or look a 30-50 years back in Europe, people at lots of fat, lard and butter and fat meat.....but where a lot less overweight than today.

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As for olive oil, if you say that Bertolli is a fake, why not try Casino " Huile d'olive vierge extra , extraite à froid " originated from EU ( but seems more from Spain ), sold in Big C market ( I buy mine 240 bahts 75 cl, much cheaper than Italian and Spanish famous brands ) ?

here are informations in English about it ( they speak of 50 cl but Big C has 75 cl )

http://fr-en.openfoodfacts.org/product/3222472824381/huile-d-olive-vierge-extra-casino

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As for olive oil, if you say that Bertolli is a fake, why not try Casino " Huile d'olive vierge extra , extraite à froid " originated from EU ( but seems more from Spain ), sold in Big C market ( I buy mine 240 bahts 75 cl, much cheaper than Italian and Spanish famous brands ) ?

here are informations in English about it ( they speak of 50 cl but Big C has 75 cl )

http://fr-en.openfoodfacts.org/product/3222472824381/huile-d-olive-vierge-extra-casino

I can not see anything that even claims that Bertolli olive oil is fake.

I usually like the Casino brands....low price and good quality.

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I searched who makes Casino olive oil : it's Sovena espana ( they work also for Carrefour ) and their site is here ( hope you understand Spanish, which is not my case ) http://www.sovenagroup.com/es/goods/espanha/produtos/azeite

low price and good quality, true, food factories make produces for hypermarkets ( cheaper ) as well as big brands ( more expensive )

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I can not see anything that even claims that Bertolli olive oil is fake.

sorry, but Italian people themselves suspect there is a fraud, along with 6 other famous brands ( very recent, I read it today )

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/italy/11988947/Italian-companies-investigated-for-passing-off-ordinary-olive-oil-as-extra-virgin.html

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