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

[Jingthing]

I agree. That was an internationally famous issue with some brands of olive oils.

[JHolmesJr]

I currently use a brand called Santa Gata, a company based in Genova. They clearly state on the label that it is a blend of olive oils from the EU region, derived by solely mechanical means….at least they appear to be honest.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Interesting... The American Heart Assn. seems to not buy into the whole vegetable oil/aldehydes issues mentioned above, and coconut oil is on their "bad" list along with palm oil. On the other side, they seem to endorse using canola, peanut, olive and safflower oils.

Not saying they're correct. Just saying, that's their position.

Fats: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/NutritionCenter/HealthyEating/FATS-The-Good-the-Bad-and-the-Ugly-Infographic_UCM_468968_SubHomePage.jsp

Healthy Cooking Oils 101

http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/NutritionCenter/SimpleCookingwithHeart/Healthy-Cooking-Oils-101_UCM_445179_Article.jsp

Monounsaturated Fats

http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/NutritionCenter/HealthyEating/Monounsaturated-Fats_UCM_301460_Article.jsp

[JHolmesJr]

Interesting... The American Heart Assn. seems to not buy into the whole vegetable oil/aldehydes issues mentioned above, and coconut oil is on their "bad" list along with palm oil.

Hard to know who to believe….the experts had us believing fat was bad and sugar was ok way back when business interests paid them to say so.

[Jingthing]

Interesting... The American Heart Assn. seems to not buy into the whole vegetable oil/aldehydes issues mentioned above, and coconut oil is on their "bad" list along with palm oil.

Hard to know who to believe….the experts had us believing fat was bad and sugar was ok way back when business interests paid them to say so.

True.

And that's my point.

As I expected I'm still confused about these choices and didn't really expect any resolution from this thread because in the real world these are still very hot issues.

I would assume, BTW, that by now the American Heart Assn. is not opposed to healthy fats (such as nuts and avocados) and is on board now with seeing the link of sugar with obesity.

[opalred]

for many years a company in malaysia started knocking down all the rainforests in that country to plant palm oil trees

then started same in indonesia all with assistance of malaysian govt and funded by major islam bank

when a few years ago there was a movement to boycott palm oil in the world

not only health factors but stop them knocking down all the rainforests

then the company went into buying all other oils to mix with there palm oil

so you buy all other cooking oils thinking pure wrong

the largest palm oil company in world sime darby

next time you buy oil look for a small red sticker on bottle in small print sime darby

they have fooled us all for years happy cooking with your palm oil

[Issangeorge]

I believe that if you can get Palm Oil that has not been refined using heat it is good for you. As far as destroying the rain forest, that is happening, and those companies should be boycotted. However just out side my Isaan village a palm oil plantation was planted on some degraded land, that was only good for cassava. There is now a nice plantation on the land soaking up CO2 and supplying employment, no orangutans affected. Not all palm oil is grown in destroyed rain forests.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

I agree with Jing, that this is a very difficult subject with a lot of confusing and contradictory views being thrown around, including in this thread. But it has been an interesting read, and spurred me to do some checking on my own.

I was particularly interested in the coconut oil mentions made here. And I must say, after checking into coconut oil some, most of what I could find to read supporting its supposed health benefits came from what I'd call fringe groups and those with vested interested, like the agricultural entities in places like PH and Malaysia where the crops are grown and promoted by the governments there. I didn't find a single major, mainstream medical/health group that endorsed using coconut oil as a healthy choice for cooking.

But, as I said above, that doesn't necessarily mean all those groups are correct, since a lot of them have been wrong before and changed their views over time on a lot of different nutritional/health issues. But, reading what I did, it certainly was enough to put me off from jumping into using coconut oil on any kind of regular basis.

[Kitsune]

Why does the diet eliminate oil entirely?

NO OIL! Not even olive oil, which goes against a lot of other advice out there about so-called good fats. The reality is that oils are extremely low in terms of nutritive value. They contain no fiber, no minerals and are 100% fat calories. Both the mono unsaturated and saturated fat contained in oils is harmful to the endothelium, the innermost lining of the artery, and that injury is the gateway to vascular disease. It doesn’t matter whether it’s olive oil, corn oil, coconut oil, canola oil, or any other kind. Avoid ALL oil.

Dr Cadwell Esselstyn

http://www.dresselstyn.com/site/about/about-dr-esselstyn/

[JHolmesJr]

Why does the diet eliminate oil entirely?

NO OIL! Not even olive oil, which goes against a lot of other advice out there about so-called good fats. The reality is that oils are extremely low in terms of nutritive value. They contain no fiber, no minerals and are 100% fat calories. Both the mono unsaturated and saturated fat contained in oils is harmful to the endothelium, the innermost lining of the artery, and that injury is the gateway to vascular disease. It doesn’t matter whether it’s olive oil, corn oil, coconut oil, canola oil, or any other kind. Avoid ALL oil.

Dr Cadwell Esselstyn

http://www.dresselstyn.com/site/about/about-dr-esselstyn/

Might as well kill myself now.

[kicking]

http://udoerasmus.com/articles/udo/hbaco.htm

This guy knows what he's talking about.

[AyG]

This guy knows what he's talking about.

Does he? He doesn't appear to be qualified. According to his website he has an MA in Counseling Psychology. His "PhD" was awarded to him for writing one of his books. The university isn't named, but it sounds like one of those fake, life experience degrees.

He's just another pseudo-scientific quack, peddling snake oil - or to be more specific "Udo's Choice Oil Blend", retail price $47.49 for 32 fl.oz..

[attrayant]

Asking which is the best oil to deep fry in is like asking which is the best strain of crotch lice to become infected with. Deep frying is probably the worst way to cook anything - and I say that as somebody who loves French fries, fried mozzarella and the occasional batter-fried seafood. Yes it's delicious, but don't expect it to be healthy.

The answer is - as it often is when trying to balance your diet - everything in moderation. Use calorie-dense foods (fats, oils, sweets) sparingly. The occasional overindulgence isn't worth losing sleep over.

[preahkaew]

I pan fry steaks in olive oil or coconut oil. I don't think you will have any problems with these oils.

You should use only cold pressed organic for best health options.

Everything fried in restaurants and on the street in Thailand is fried in very bad oil. Avoid like the plague.

I stopped eating thai food a long time ago as it is just too unhealthy the way it is cooked here with the oil and sugar.

Pan-frying steaks in coconut oil?!?! Good god man, show some humanity!! All that's required to cook a steak is a cast-iron pan and some coarsely ground salt!!!

[kicking]

This guy knows what he's talking about.

Does he? He doesn't appear to be qualified. According to his website he has an MA in Counseling Psychology. His "PhD" was awarded to him for writing one of his books. The university isn't named, but it sounds like one of those fake, life experience degrees.

He's just another pseudo-scientific quack, peddling snake oil - or to be more specific "Udo's Choice Oil Blend", retail price $47.49 for 32 fl.oz..

Hmm, I didn't know that. No do I particularly care. What matters is the substance presented on the site. If you are looking to get into some sort of social justice warrior argument, I couldn't be bothered. Read the content of the site and you will be hard pressed to argue. I don't care what the guy is selling or isn't selling, that's not the point. The OP asked a question on the health aspect of cooking with vegetable oils, this site presents some facts about that.

Edited November 15, 2015 by kicking

[Kitsune]

Why does the diet eliminate oil entirely?

NO OIL! Not even olive oil, which goes against a lot of other advice out there about so-called good fats. The reality is that oils are extremely low in terms of nutritive value. They contain no fiber, no minerals and are 100% fat calories. Both the mono unsaturated and saturated fat contained in oils is harmful to the endothelium, the innermost lining of the artery, and that injury is the gateway to vascular disease. It doesn’t matter whether it’s olive oil, corn oil, coconut oil, canola oil, or any other kind. Avoid ALL oil.

Dr Cadwell Esselstyn

http://www.dresselstyn.com/site/about/about-dr-esselstyn/

Might as well kill myself now.

I agree it's no picnic stopping it

Oil is what transmit taste, it is very difficult to stop.

[h90]

Why does the diet eliminate oil entirely?

NO OIL! Not even olive oil, which goes against a lot of other advice out there about so-called good fats. The reality is that oils are extremely low in terms of nutritive value. They contain no fiber, no minerals and are 100% fat calories. Both the mono unsaturated and saturated fat contained in oils is harmful to the endothelium, the innermost lining of the artery, and that injury is the gateway to vascular disease. It doesn’t matter whether it’s olive oil, corn oil, coconut oil, canola oil, or any other kind. Avoid ALL oil.

Dr Cadwell Esselstyn

http://www.dresselstyn.com/site/about/about-dr-esselstyn/

Might as well kill myself now.

????? I think if you would rather suicide than give up oil, than you have a serious mental problem.

While some fat things taste good there are more important things worth living for than feeding on oil.

[h90]

Why does the diet eliminate oil entirely?

NO OIL! Not even olive oil, which goes against a lot of other advice out there about so-called good fats. The reality is that oils are extremely low in terms of nutritive value. They contain no fiber, no minerals and are 100% fat calories. Both the mono unsaturated and saturated fat contained in oils is harmful to the endothelium, the innermost lining of the artery, and that injury is the gateway to vascular disease. It doesn’t matter whether it’s olive oil, corn oil, coconut oil, canola oil, or any other kind. Avoid ALL oil.

Dr Cadwell Esselstyn

http://www.dresselstyn.com/site/about/about-dr-esselstyn/

Might as well kill myself now.

I agree it's no picnic stopping it

Oil is what transmit taste, it is very difficult to stop.

I "fried" everything dry, which is difficult you because it locally burns and locally keeps raw and sticks to the teflon, etc, but the taste isn't that different....if you "fry" some pork and put an egg over it, it doesn't taste much different with or without oil.

Yes there is a difference but it isn't dramatic.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

There's an interesting comparison analysis here by U.S. cardiologist with pretty good credentials comparing the pros and cons of EV olive oil vs. EV coconut oil. Good info worth reading.

http://www.everydayhealth.com/columns/jared-bunch-rhythm-of-life/coconut-oil-olive-oil-heart-health/

[thaiturkey]

Interesting... The American Heart Assn. seems to not buy into the whole vegetable oil/aldehydes issues mentioned above, and coconut oil is on their "bad" list along with palm oil. On the other side, they seem to endorse using canola, peanut, olive and safflower oils.

Not saying they're correct. Just saying, that's their position.

Fats: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/NutritionCenter/HealthyEating/FATS-The-Good-the-Bad-and-the-Ugly-Infographic_UCM_468968_SubHomePage.jsp

Healthy Cooking Oils 101

http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/NutritionCenter/SimpleCookingwithHeart/Healthy-Cooking-Oils-101_UCM_445179_Article.jsp

Monounsaturated Fats

http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/NutritionCenter/HealthyEating/Monounsaturated-Fats_UCM_301460_Article.jsp

THE AVERAGE U.S. DOCTOR KNOWS F.A. ABOUT NUTRITION, WHICH IS ONE OF THE REASONS AMERICAN PEOPLE ARE SO UNHEALTHY. The Heart Assn. is obviously not keeping their data up to date.

[TigerGuardian]

My Thai wife will only use "Coconut Cooking Oil" by Mannature.com. We also found it for sale at a local CM and BKK Tops Market.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

THE AVERAGE U.S. DOCTOR KNOWS F.A. ABOUT NUTRITION, WHICH IS ONE OF THE REASONS AMERICAN PEOPLE ARE SO UNHEALTHY. The Heart Assn. is obviously not keeping their data up to date.

And your basis for believing the American Heart Assn's judgment is wrong is what exactly????

You read it on the Internet, or heard it thru the grapevine?

[donnybay]

On the bottle I have in my kitchen, it says High Vit E and 3,6,9 omega, only a cheap Tesco buy called YOK, so that must all get killed off when you heat it up?

[manarak]

I'm taste-driven in my choice of oils.

I mostly use palm oil for frying, especially french fries because of the oil's high smoke point and taste.

Palm oil gets bad marks mostly because of the environmental consequences of its production.

From a health perspective it is at worst as bad as the other oils, although the jury is still out regarding its long term health effects.

For steak, I prefer olive oil, as well as for salads.

For fried rice, the best is peanut or groundnut oil because of the taste. Rice not fried with peanut oil can at best taste like Thai fried rice but will never taste like Yangzhou fried rice (=what we know in the west as Chinese fried rice)

[manarak]

I pan fry steaks in olive oil or coconut oil. I don't think you will have any problems with these oils.

You should use only cold pressed organic for best health options.

Everything fried in restaurants and on the street in Thailand is fried in very bad oil. Avoid like the plague.

I stopped eating thai food a long time ago as it is just too unhealthy the way it is cooked here with the oil and sugar.

Pan-frying steaks in coconut oil?!?! Good god man, show some humanity!! All that's required to cook a steak is a cast-iron pan and some coarsely ground salt!!!

yes, since proper steaks already provide the fat themselves

[rjw]

Anyone know where to get bulk EV coconut oil in central BKK? I know this stuff costs pennies to make, there's no need to be paying beauty-salon prices for it.

[h90]

I pan fry steaks in olive oil or coconut oil. I don't think you will have any problems with these oils.

You should use only cold pressed organic for best health options.

Everything fried in restaurants and on the street in Thailand is fried in very bad oil. Avoid like the plague.

I stopped eating thai food a long time ago as it is just too unhealthy the way it is cooked here with the oil and sugar.

Pan-frying steaks in coconut oil?!?! Good god man, show some humanity!! All that's required to cook a steak is a cast-iron pan and some coarsely ground salt!!!

yes, since proper steaks already provide the fat themselves

I usually put a very small amount of lard in the pan.

[Jingthing]

Seems like a fair and comprehensive consideration of COCONUT OIL:

Coconut oil is comprised mainly of saturated fat. There’s no substantiated research to link consumption to better health for the average consumer, especially if you just “add” the oil to your food, or take it by the spoonful, as you would a tonic.

In fact, adding a tablespoon of oil in addition to your “usual” diet adds about 100 calories each day, which translates into an extra 10 pounds of fat gain in a year.

It’s important to eat FOODS, not nutrients. Whole foods are comprised of a smorgasbord of unique ingredients that, in addition to making a satisfying meal, provides you with extra energy and better health. There is no single food that will cure you or kill you. Enjoy your foods and flavors without “dieting” or fasting.

http://www.cuencahighlife.com/healthy-truth-coconut-oil-good-bad-tasty/

[ozzieovaseas]

Interesting... The American Heart Assn. seems to not buy into the whole vegetable oil/aldehydes issues mentioned above, and coconut oil is on their "bad" list along with palm oil.

Hard to know who to believe….the experts had us believing fat was bad and sugar was ok way back when business interests paid them to say so.

True.

And that's my point.

As I expected I'm still confused about these choices and didn't really expect any resolution from this thread because in the real world these are still very hot issues.

I would assume, BTW, that by now the American Heart Assn. is not opposed to healthy fats (such as nuts and avocados) and is on board now with seeing the link of sugar with obesity.

There is a website from a farming family in the US that is starting a cottage type industry with pork products.

In regards to the pork fat issue, she has studied the history of the processed oil industries and unearths some very interesting claims.

It seems the processed oil industry was originated from cotton growers that huge backlogs of cottonseed they could not market or sell. Along came a clever bunch of chappies that found a way of processing the seed to make oil.

They did very little real research into the health benefits, but poured cash into a very vocal campaign against the use of saturated oils, butter, and animal fats, just to push their product.

It kind of fits with the M.O of cotton industry considering what they did to hemp, so i can believe the claims.

One of the other interesting claims is that pasture animals obviously get a lot of sunlight, and the vitamin they get from that (is it D?) is stored in the fat, which is another reason why animal fat can be healthy.

[Jingthing]

Still confused. Currently mostly using rice bran oil and extra virgin olive oil.