Issues re Oils & Fats: There appears to be... - Diabetes India

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Issues re Oils & Fats

26 Replies

There appears to be quite a lot of queries over the type of oils good for cooking and daily consumption. One has to continually read and follow up on the latest research and not assume that the issues on oils and fats have been settled and fixed. Limiting or minimalizing carbs as is done in Paleo diets has been debunked for instance... those who were once passionate exponents have reversed their stand and have confessed that they experienced aging symptoms and skin problems for instance and once they started going back to upping their carbs, they were once again OK.

What is important to realize is that it is actually moderate consumption of carbs that is the key. But if you are diabetic, then minimalizing it for a therapeutic period of time is recommended as it helps to reverse diabetes as has been found by British researchers. What they recommend is reduced calories along with reduced carbs - like eating just two meals a day, or doing alternate day fasting. Many of those who participated in the clinical trials were able to reverse their diabetic condition after a period of time was over and if I remember correctly, it was a period of about 3 months.

It is important to understand that fats go with carbs and that the latter can't be properly metabolized without fats, so upping your fats, as in ketogenic diets, is not enough. So, increased fats and moderate carbs should be one's normal diet, other things being equal. If you are diabetic, consider getting your BG level to an acceptable level first, prior to implementing the increased fat + moderate carb lifestyle.

Are all fats the same? Definitely no, as Anup will happily tell you. To get an authoritative discussion on fats, explore first the papers, forums, resources etc at Weston Price Foundation:

westonaprice.org/know-your-...

westonaprice.org/know-your-...

(Pay attention to the papers by Mary Enig (e.g. The Oiling of America), Sally Fallon, etc.)

Also, read up this fascinating article by Thomas Smith, who cured himself of diabetes by stopping ALL dietary fats to get himself diabetes-free BEFORE reintroducing back HEALTHY OILs & FATS. A landmark article for those interested in finding out how fats and oils can ruin or build health, thanks to the oil merchants preying on the world for $$$'s sake.

Thomas Smith: Our Deadly Diabetes Deception

healingmatters.com/deceptio...

As for Olive Oil - please be very, very careful. As merchandising OO is an extremely lucrative biz, there are plenty of FAKE OOs on the market. In general avoid olive oils from Italy and Spain as many of them have been adulterated with cheap oils. Lots of stories on the internet so google them up. The brand called "LugliO" (I believe from Italy) is an exception - there are a few from USA that are fine but I've not seen them on the supermarket shelves yet. Useful info on OO and what, how and where to buy OO:

oliveoilsource.com/page/cer...

cooc.com/

healthimpactnews.com/2014/e...

extravirginity.com/great-oi...

internationaloliveoil.org/

The myths about veg oils which are basically polyunsaturates are still rampant. Go for only these two: Rice bran oil (has high smoke point) and OO, and avoid canola oil, cotton seed oil, mustard oil like the plague. Extra Virgin OO should not be used in cooking or frying - add only to food after it is cooked as its lower smoke point is not cook-friendly. For cooking, use the pomace OO instead, and pomace OO is a lot cheaper too.

Rice bran oil has been deliberately kept at a low profile, thanks to the Japanese who want to monopolize its consumption but now the news is out here - go and explore and find out more ifno for yourselves. But here's one secret: it's been found to lower bad cholesterol levels besides affording other health properties and it's relatively cheaper than say OO. But like all polyunsaturates (soy, maize, cotton seed, sunflower, etc.), it is subject to rapid deterioration and rancidity when exposed to air during processing. To fool unsuspecting consumers into buying them, they are carefully refined and deodorized before being paraded and glorified on the supermarket shelves.

For those living in India, just use Idhayam sesame oil - research has unpacked and confirmed its great health-giving properties as traditionally held. It's been found to be capable of lowering triglycerides, blood pressure, plasma glucose and even cholesterol to name a few. Read the following:

raysahelian.com/sesame.html

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/170...

draxe.com/sesame-seeds/

vnfa.com/a0yk/ot_yk70.html

Extracts:

", sesame oil consumption beneficially influences blood glucose, lipid peroxidation, antioxidants and lipid parameters in diabetic rat."

" In vitro, Sesame seed oil has inhibited the growth of malignant melanoma (a skin Cancer): PROSTAGLANDIN LEUKATRINES and ESSENTIAL Fatty Acids ... Also in vitro, Sesame seed oil has inhibited replication of human colon Cancer cells: ANTI Cancer RESEARCH ... Research shows that Sesame seed oil is a potent Antioxidant. In the tissues beneath the skin, this oil will neutralize oxygen radicals. It penetrates into the skin quickly and enters the blood stream through the capillaries. Molecules of Sesame seed oil maintain good Cholesterol (HDL) and lower bad Cholesterol (LDL).

Sesame seed oil is a cell growth regulator and slows down cell growth and replication."

"Fifty grams of sesame seed powder taken daily over five weeks by healthy adults has shown positive effects on total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, LDL-to-HDL cholesterol ratios and antioxidant status."

"After tracking various health markers of 32 hypertensive patients aged 35 to 60 years who were supplied sesame oil (Idhayam gingelly oil) to use it as the only edible oil for 45 days, the researchers found that sesame oil helped significantly lower blood pressure, decrease lipid peroxidation and increase antioxidant status in the majority of patients."

Note too that it is saturated oils that are healthy, and they are slowly making a come back after many years of being neglected and worse, demonized as unhealthy by unscrupulous oil merchants. Most of these are actually saturated oil - coconut and palm oil, animal fats esp. butter and ghee + lard from pigs, farm animals like goose, ducks, etc - which our ancestors consumed and seldom had had no health issues with are now being recommended by astute, independent and ethically-minded researchers... The simple, basic proof of that saturated fat is healthful can be adduced from the composition of mother's milk - it is full of saturated fat, which in fact is very close to the composition of coconut oil. More and more research has shown that it is the omega-6 oil which predominates in the refined veg supermarket oils that is the great culprit for it fuels inflammation, the basic cause of many modern diseases - cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, arthritis, etc.

I used to use good coconut oil for cooking but soon after I stopped. Reason? It creates lots of gas or wind in the body and in TCM and TAM, this is fundamentally bad as it is the cause - directly or indirectly - of many bodily ailments. Go and ask any TCM physician about coconut products, not just the oil, and they will give you an earful. Yes it is good on the hair and skin but ingesting it is another story. Yes, I learned my lesson and since then have learnt to replace it instead with others like rice bran oil, walnut oil, EVOO and Pomace OO, and even lard.

Kindest regards to all, Cjuan

Read more about...
26 Replies

I apologize as I am a newbie. Good of you to inform me. The links are not adverts but actually research papers that refer to the main text. You can check them out and see for yourself.

Sorry, am unable to answer your question as I do not know what it is you are asking. Could you elaborate. I am a newbie here so has no previous history. Only joined a day or two ago. Cjuan

thanks again for letting me know about the rule of one link only. I stumbled on this health site accidentally and realize that some people are asking for help and am just volunteering and passing thru'. if I get negative feedback or harrasment, don't worry, I'll drop out and vamoose.

MikePollard profile image
MikePollard

Good post.

I haven't heard of the multiple link thing, and if it adds to support any argument I wouldn't consider it spam.

My only advice would be to keep it a little shorter.

patliputra profile image
patliputra

Why avoid mustard oil ? Any plausible reason to support?

in reply topatliputra

Western countries generally have strict standards on the oils they import. Canada for one decided to check out the mustard oil imported from India. I read an article featuring their analysis quite some time ago, so am unable to recall what they found specifically but it was said to be highly toxic. I don't think the oil per se is toxic but it must have contained toxic contaminants during processing. I sounded the warning as a precaution. Rice from Asia too has recently been found to be high in arsenic and one has to be esp. careful with rice produced in Bangladesh as often the water there has high arsenic content.

suramo profile image
suramoStar in reply to

Dear Cjuan.

Could you please send me the link on triglycerides. It's an excellent article on fats.

Thanks

in reply tosuramo

Link?  I don't remember contributing any discussion or comments on triglycerides per se.  You're referring to lipids in general? You can

[1] The Oiling of America: westonaprice.org/know-your-...

[you can download the pdf of [1]

[2] Research by Dr. Mary Enig - Coconut Oil: coconutoil.com/mary_enig/

[3] Dangers of Trans Fats: articles.mercola.com/sites/...

[4] Why Butter Is Better: westonaprice.org/know-your-...

Happy reading, Suramo!

in reply topatliputra

I googled up the subject 'mustard oil toxicity' a few minutes ago and there is plenty to read about its inherent toxicity. Here's a report from The Times of India:

"Mustard oil is banned for edible consumption in the EU, USA and Canada, principally due to its erucic acid content. The USFDA requires all mustard oil to be labelled "For External Use Only". Erucic acid is known to cause the following health risks: Accumulation of triglycerides in the heart; development of fibriotic lesions of the heart; increase in risk of lung cancer; and anaemia.

Dr Manchanda states erucic acid was found to be harmful to rats in high doses but had no harmful effect on human beings. To our knowledge, no tests have been carried out on human beings. In fact, mustard oil for human consumption was banned even in Delhi in 1998 due to an alarming increase in dropsy. A mere comparison of fat content is not a study. In particular, there is no scientific basis for the extraordinary claim that mustard oil can reduce the risk of heart disease by over 70%.

It cannot be denied that mustard oil has a beneficial fat composition. However, it is equally undeniable that mustard oil contains on an average 47% erucic acid."

- VN Dalmia, President, Indian Olive Association

timesofindia.indiatimes.com...

patliputra profile image
patliputra in reply to

I am sorry that we still rely too much on western thinking and data. Please permit me to go in little bit of detail.

Mustard belongs to rape seed family ,the same as cabbage and canola .Both mustard and canola contain thiouracic acid ,which is toxic,as per western research based on animal studies. Till now no research has proved that it is injurious to human health.

Mustard oil is traditionally used for cooking all over north India since centuries without any harmful effect. Recently many Indian researchers have put mustard oil at par with olive oil.

It contain poly mono unsaturated fatty acid 60%. Omega 3. , 6% and omega6. , 12%. If need be I can provide you with more details.

suramo profile image
suramoStar in reply topatliputra

 "Recently many Indian researchers have put mustard oil at par with olive oil."

I also had the same knowledge before anup suggested that vco is the best under the sun.

thanks patliputra for the stats. Well, it was reported in the article I posted that there was an outbreak of dropsy in Delhi linked to the ingestion of mustard oil. Personally, I won't risk taking it as there are alternatives like OO, rice, bran oil, palm oil... and for the same reason, I do not eat the popular and delicious-looking cockles (called 'kerang' in my country) because of the risk of contracting hepatitis-A. It's just my discretion - better safe than sorry :)

patliputra profile image
patliputra in reply to

Dropsy is due to adulteration or accidental mixing of any oil with seeds of argemone maxicana seeds.it is these seeds which cause dropsy and not mustard or any other oil.

suramo profile image
suramoStar in reply to

What is your country ?

in reply tosuramo

I live in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Very good writeup

@cjaun

Only problem is that you recommended pomace OO where as the links don't speak highly of it

Infact I read other references also that it can cause cancer.

Otherwise a good source of info especially on Fats..

in reply to

I mentioned pomace OO as it has a smoking point 3-4 times higher than EVOO and that is advantageous when it comes to cooking, frying, etc. - I heard about this from a chef, not that I use pomace OO myself. Unfortunately in the real world, we don't often get a straightforward black and white situation. Brown rice is great for some people as it can lower BG than say white rice but brown rice is not so good on other fronts - more on this later. Same with coconut oil whether virgin or not. The bad more often than not comes packaged with the good as well, so your point about it being cancer-causing surely needs looking into as I am not aware of this. It could be that other contextual factors may be involved - e.g. repeated use of the same oil for frying.

in reply to

oliveoiltimes.com/olive-oil...

Please read the above link

in reply to

thanks for the feedback. Your comments etc are welcome. I didn't actually recommend pomace OO.  It came from a chef who as you know is skilled in cooking.  According to him, EVOO is not so good for cooking because of its low smoke point, but not wo with pomace OO.  One of the readers has also pointed out that pomace OO can cause cancer and I agree.  Not all Pomace OO will do that as it depends on the way the oil is processed hence this is a contextual/ethical issue and does not arise from the nature of the oil itself. Pomace OO is widely used for cooking in Mediterranean countries, so I guess it is generally acceptable by these people.  To date, i've only use EVOO which I prefer to add to food after it is cooked. In my country, we tend to use palm oil a lot as it is locally produced. 

thanks for continuing the thread and informative article at the suggested link. The harm comes from the high heat applied which causes the production of the carcinogenic benzopyrenes. Whether this carcinogen is found in all samples of pomace OO is questionable. Not even the beautiful bottles of EVOO is exempt unless subjected to lab analysis and intervention of a proper international certifying board.

Here's an extract from a Wiki write up on pomace OO: "...Once the mechanical oil extraction of olive oil is complete, approximately 5-8% of the oil remains in the pulp, which then needs to be extracted with the help of solvents, an industrial technique used in the production of most other edible oils including canola, peanut, sunflower, etc."

See how widespread the industrial practice is - "applies to most other edible oils" ... an ugly truth for thought. And I have just discovered to my shock too that all the honey I bought recently may also have been subjected to the industrial processing despite claims of being pure, wild, raw, etc. esp. when there are no legal demands defining what kind of processing had taken place prior to the retailing of the 'natural' product.

Hahaha, I'll have to give some thought to just eating whole organic olives instead of depending on a secondary product like its oil, or even consider planting a tree in my garden and derive satisfaction and joy from harvesting the astringent but healthy fruit. Otherwise, I'll have to simply stick to my guru's endearing advice: offer your daily food to God (before eating it) and s/he will take care of the pollutants, contaminants, toxins, undesirables.... :)

suramo profile image
suramoStar

Anupji.

Amongst all vehemence and bitterness the post of cjuan adds to the confusion as to which oil is better.

You say vco is the best under the sun. Cjuan advocates sesame oil. Nutritionists and ada say voo is the best. A few advocate rice bran oil. Whatever the truth may be i'm am very much confused. Let's we all put our differences and bitterness apart and search for the truth

suramo profile image
suramoStar

What about sct - small chain triglycerides. They are also consumed directly. Found in abundance in cow and goat ghee.

in reply tosuramo

The science of triglycerides is really beyond me, sorry, thanks to your asking.  I won't worry about them and as you explore the literature available, you will soon find that the researchers themselves are divided as to whether triglycerides precede diabetes or vice versa.

In short there appears to be a correlation between high triglycerides and diabetes incidence but one has to be careful in drawing facile conclusions and generalizations as correlation does not necessary equal causation. The possibility of causation is there but still a theory and one can approximate to the truth of the matter by MORE empirical research ... which of course goes on forever. Whatever hypotheses, theories obtain are only good as bases for FURTHER testing, research and experimentation.

Personally I would rather trust my ancestors... they are the ones who trusted their intuition more that the bifurcate mind.  Ultimately, it is best to follow one's intuition and that can be 'developed' by inner dialogue and listening, the domain of awareness... called as you know by a variety of names.

suramo profile image
suramoStar in reply to

Yes. Scientists are divided on almost all medical issues.

Anyway Thanks for replying.

in reply tosuramo

You are spot on, Suramo - it happens in every field, not just the medical field as we live in the world of duality. "Existence is duality" observes Gautama Buddha himself. Hence there is the potential and assurance  of the eventual return to our true nature which is the Unborn, that which is free of all dualism.  So long as we are operating, functioning in the mental sphere, division is inevitable but there is nothing bad about it - that is the way it is.  Can we have and enjoy a game of football or badminton or tennis with just one team playing, instead of two  teams/parties/sides pitted against each other?

Merely an OPINION. In a world of relativity there is no such thing as the best, the most perfect, the worst, ... which are all absolutes. One can say something is better than some other thing ... there is always relativity there, whether it is expressed or implied. 

The wise one is the one who has transcended relativity.  The nature of the mind is dual, hence the Sanskrit word 'dve' from which is derived the word 'deva' and also the word 'devil' as well!!

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