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by Kathy Gibbons
There is a growing realization that good health comes from avoiding harmful foods and from eating enough of the right foods. But sometimes it’s unclear what is healthy. Fats in the diet are an example. Which fats and oils should we use for cooking? For salad dressings? Many of us are confused because even though we know to cut back on fat found in red meat and dairy products, we may also have heard that partially hydrogenated oils are unhealthy, but aren’t quite sure why. What are we supposed to choose?
Fat has important functions in our bodies. Fat provides energy and warmth necessary for everyone. Also, fats play a vital role in the proper functioning of the immune system. There are four types of fat. They are: 1) fully hydrogenated, or saturated; 2) partially hydrogenated; 3) essential; 4) other fats. Only one of these four types needs to be eaten for good health.
Fats to Avoid
Saturated fats are not needed in the diet. Our bodies can make all of this type of fat that we need. Saturated fats are present mainly in meats and dairy products. It is best to reduce consumption of saturated fats as much as possible. Saturated fats are also present in oils chemically synthesized for the food industry. These synthetic oils are called hydrogenated oils. Amidst much controversy (and a story for another article), many feel hydrogenated oils are dangerous to health and should be avoided.
The second family of fats is the partially hydrogenated oils. These are also not needed in the diet. In fact, according to Dr. Leo Galland in his book Superimmunity for Kids, these fats are extremely harmful because they impair the immune system. The food industry uses these fats because they are stable and preserve food for a long time. Unfortunately, the process of partially hydrogenating an oil converts it into a chemical that does not occur in nature. Partially hydrogenated oils are found in margarine, crackers, and many prepared foods. Partially hydrogenated oils should be avoided at all times. Avoid margarine, and read food labels carefully. Many processed foods contain partially hydrogenated oils.
Fats to Eat
The third type of fat, known as essential fatty acids (also called EFAs), is vital for good health. The human body cannot make these fats; they must be included in the diet. Essential fatty acids are used in the body to produce prostaglandins, hormone-like substances that regulate the activity of the immune system and are essential to good health. When prostaglandins function incorrectly, many diseases are allowed to advance, including cancer, heart disease, hyperactivity, autoimmune diseases (such as arthritis, lupus, and multiple sclerosis), obesity, and alcoholism. Many environmental physicians feel that essential fatty acid deficiency is a major contributor to poor health and that this deficiency has not been adequately addressed by the medical community.
Essential fatty acids are often divided into two groups: omega-six and omega-three. Omega-six fatty acids can be obtained from common sunflower, safflower, and corn oil. They can also be found in primrose, borage, and black currant oils. The food industry uses sunflower, safflower, and corn oil in foods and salad dressings. However, normal heating and processing often robs the oil of much of its desirable essential fatty acids. Because of this, prepared foods are not a good source of these essential oils. Very few people get enough sunflower, safflower, or corn oil in the proper form. Few people get primrose, borage, or black currant oil at all unless they take supplements. Supplements are available in health food stores, as are sunflower seeds, safflower, and corn oils.
Omega-three fatty acids are even more commonly missing from the diet. These fats are found in flax oil, linseed oil, walnuts, and fish oils. Very few people use flax oil or eat enough cold-water fish to satisfy their requirements. Essential oils are required for the body to function in good health, and for most of us supplements are needed. Flax oil is available in the refrigerators of many health food stores. If you don’t like the taste of flax oil, try mixing it half and half with another oil. Walnuts are another good source of omega-threes, and walnut oil is available in most health food stores. Great northern, kidney, and navy, and soy beans are also excellent sources of omega-threes, as are the oils of cold-water fish such as salmon, tuna, mackerel, herring, and sardines.
Symptoms of Fatty Acid Deficiency
* Excessive thirst
* Insatiable appetite
* Dry, flaking skin
* Excessive or hard ear wax
* Dry scaling in the ear canal
* Hyperactivity
* Eczema
* Asthma
* Calluses
* Brittle, soft, or splitting fingernails
* Nails with longitudinal lines
* Dry hair
* Dandruff
* ‘Chicken skin,’ bumps on the upper arms, thighs, or cheeks
Adapted from Is This Your Child? by Dr. Doris Rapp
Fats in the Diet
In summary, saturated fat should be eaten in moderation, hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated fats should be eliminated completely from the diet, and essential oils are vital to good health. Many foods contain fats that do not fall into these first three categories. Fats in this fourth category are neither as helpful as essential fatty acids, nor as harmful as saturated and partially hydrogenated fats. Foods in this category can be eaten in moderation without much concern for health effects.
Fat should comprise only 20 to 30 percent of the total calories you consume in a day. Of the total fat consumed, at least one-third of the fat calories should be from essential fatty acids.
Many essential oils are destroyed or significantly altered in cooking. In Superimmunity for Kids, Dr. Galland recommends using olive oil for cooking. Although it doesn’t contain essential fatty acids, it does store well and can be heated without breaking down into substances that interfere with essential fatty acid metabolism. Don’t use flax oil for frying or sautéing because high heat and oxygen destroy the essential fatty acids. Baking with flax oil is acceptable.
Essential fatty acids are destroyed by light, heat, and time. When possible, buy oils sold in dark containers. All oils should probably be stored in the refrigerator, whether the labels say so or not. Good oils with lots of essential fatty acids do not have long shelf lives. One way to delay spoilage of the oils is to add vitamin E to each new bottle of oil. To do so, break open a capsule of vitamin E and squeeze the vitamin into the oil. Add about 400 IU (usually one gelatin capsule) per pint of oil.
Check the oil for freshness before each use. When the oil becomes rancid (indicated by a change in odor or taste), don’t eat it. Flax oil is a particularly fragile oil. Fresh flax oil should have a slightly sweet flavor. If flax oil that you buy or have stored in the refrigerator begins to taste bitter, it has become spoiled and should not be used.
It is important to buy cold-pressed or unprocessed oils. The other method of obtaining oils is solvent processing, in which the oil is heated and extracted with the use of solvents. There are two problems with this method. The first, as was mentioned already, is that heat alters and destroys the essential fatty acids that make these oils necessary in the diet. The second is that solvent residues may be left behind in the finished oil. Check the labels of all oils that you buy to make sure they specify “cold-pressed,” “expeller-pressed,” or “unprocessed.” Buying from a reliable source ensures that you will be getting high-quality oils.
Resources
If you are interested in the dietary suggestions recommended here, these books will offer you a more detailed analysis.
Superimmunity for Kids, Galland, Leo, M.D., 1988, Copestone Press/E.P. Dutton, New York, NY.
Fats and Oils: The Complete Guide to Fats and Oils in Health and Nutrition, Erasmus, Uro, 1986, Alive Books, P.O. Box 80055, Burnaby, BC, V5H 3X5, Canada.
This article appeared in “Green Alternatives for Health and the Environment,” Volume 4, No. 1, February/March 1994, Pages 12-13.
