Oil Selection & Moderation

Oils are a very accessible and convenient form of fat. But that also means that they can be subject to overuse.

Coconut oil has taken the spotlight in the ketogenic world, because its a great source of MCT’s. Although it has some great functional properties, and is used therapeutically for a vast amount of conditions (including leaky gut, and Type II Diabetes); in excess it can in fact induce inflammation within the gastrointestinal tract. This was found in a study using pigs to investigate the effects of a bacterial endotoxin (which is inflammatory) and how it uses fats to piggyback through the intestine.

Lauric acid is thought to be the chain endotoxin rides, so MCT oil may be a better choice if you have gut issues as opposed to coconut oil.

Thats not good news for treating either of the two conditions or any other for that matter, as thats exactly what we want to reduce – inflammation.

Emerging scientific enquiry suggests that due to its refined nature – yes coconut oil is refined to an extent as it has to be extracted from the coconut (which is also a very fibrous food). The fibre is an important regulator of absorption in gut for the fat (and many other nutrients).

So, when using coconut oil use it alongside fibrous foods or as whole coconut. A sweet spot would be no more than 2 TBSP a day.

Not many studies exist on long term, high consumption of coconut oil. But they do exist in populations who consume a lot of whole coconuts.

Oils can be your best friend or your worst nightmare, depending on how they are sourced, extracted, stored and used.

Source

Working with organic products really does have many more pro’s than con’s. The price tag may be a con for some of you, but if you are aware of the way quality impacts your health then I doubt its a big one.

Organic is important in cases where the food source may be subject to contamination. Take hemp for example. Hemp is a fantastic source to use for an oil, but the plant itself has a high affinity for environmental toxicity.

It a powerful environmental detoxifier, and was even used to soak up excess radiation around Chenobyl. For this reason, hemp grown with pesticides or near heavily polluted areas may not be the best source.

This is simply my opinion based on the solubility of chemicals in lipids, therefore I choose to source hemp oil organically. That may not be your choice.

Also Palm oil because of the means by which it is generally acquired and its impact on the environment.

Extraction, Processing, Storage & Use

Vegetable oils can be natures greatest gift, but they must be handled with care – they are particularly volatile.

Oils containing a large amount of polyunsaturated fats are far more unstable when exposed to things that may oxidise them – Heat, Light and Oxygen (being left out).

These fats tend to have many more double bonds than saturated and monounsaturated fats, which makes them less stable. This makes them far more susceptible to free radical damage (oxidation), an can cause a chain reaction of free radical damage when you consume them.

The process of ageing actually occurs by oxidation, and excessive oxidation directly contributes to cellular ageing. Oils that are spoiled from the get go accelerate this process and drive the pathology of disease.

Vegetable oils that come in clear plastic bottles are highly likely to be rancid due to photo-oxidation.

Extraction methods which use heat are highly likely to cause thermal oxidation.

Exposed oils are highly limey to be subject to auto oxidation.

Therefore, buying oils that are cold pressed is a worthwhile investment. This is especially true for oils like flaxseed, hemp and canola. Source these from reputable brands, don’t skimp out on the price-tag and make sure they are stored in opaque glassware.

Cheap vegetable oils are also partially hydrogenated to prevent them going off quickly, which changes their chemical composition into a trans fatty acid – as opposed to a cis conformational structure. This has adverse effects on cellular health and therefore your health as an organism.

See the difference between natural and artificial trans fats here.

The same goes for monounsaturated oils like olive and Avocado.

Its a similar story when it comes to cooking with oils. Coconut and butter are very stable at higher temperatures and are great options for things like stir fries.

If you’re going to sauté something on a medium heat, oils that are mostly monounsaturated like olive and avocado are fairly stable.

Other vegetable oils like sesame, hemp, flax and soybean are best saved for drizzling on meals, or using in dressings.