Why You Should Purge Your Kitchen of Industrial Oils
3 February, 20166 Min Read
Okay, so everyone and their mother has an opinion on health and wellness and diet and what natural means and what you shouldn’t eat and blah blah blah. And the information is ALWAYS CHANGING. It is ridiculous.
With so many experts doing the flippity flop on what is good and what is bad and what should be banned and what should be shoved down our throats – and government overreach increasingly getting all up in everybodies bizness and infringing on our right to choose what we eat or drink – more and more people, myself included, are saying SCREW YOU GUYS, I am going to focus on foods in their purest, rawest, least processed state and let the lab monkeys figure out if its safe to eat plastic this year.
While I try not to tell anyone what or how to eat, every once in awhile I discover some common food item that is touted as being harmless, or even healthy, and then the curtain is drawn back (science!.. and some common sense) and the truth comes out that it is actually a frankenfood concocted in a lab.
If you are okay with lab foods and their inherent lack of nutrients and risk factor of being, well, a nutritional monstrosity, then by all means, eat the frankenfood. But I feel compelled to share my recent gleanings on this subject, because I am an information junkie and I just cant help myself. So if you are in the least concerned with eating foods in their natural, whole, unmolested state then indulge me for a bit while I explain…
Why You Should Purge Your Kitchen of Industrial Oils!
So lets break this down real simple like:
Natural Oils can be extracted from the source (olives, avocados, flaxseed, etc.) just by pressing on the food source. These oils have been around from ancient times, and have been part of the human diet for thousands of years.
Industrial Oils CANNOT be extracted from their source just by pressing or separating naturally. They have to go through some crazy lab work to get into the oil bottle, including bleaching, deodorizing using highly toxic solvents. These oils were never available to humans until the 20th century, because we simply didn’t have the technology to extract them.
Industrial oils are deceptively known as “vegetable” or seed oils. They are oils extracted from grains, seeds, and beans – most of which are genetically modified – such as rapeseed (canola oil), soybean, corn, peanut, cottonseed, sunflower, safflower, etc., and include margarine and shortening made from these oils.
Watch the video below and see the fascinating and mildly nauseating methods of how these oils are manufactured. The video really starts to pick up at 1:55… mmm mmm mmm! Yummy!
What they don’t tell you in this video is that the “solvent” that is used to extract the oil is the neurotoxin hexane – and as you can see it’s literally bathed in it. From Food Babe:
Hexane is a cheap byproduct from gasoline production, that’s a serious occupational hazard and toxic air pollutant. It’s been shown that some hexane residue can remain in the oil, and the FDA doesn’t require food manufacturers to test for residues. Residue tests done by the Cornucopia Institute in 2009 found hexane residues in soybean oil. So, we very well could be eating this chemical every time we cook with hexane-extracted oils.
Risks and Creepy Side Effects of Eating Industrial Oils
The main problem you hear about with industrial oils is that they are way too high in Omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids. This is true, but that is not the only concern with these frankenfoods. But for a quick nutrition 101 run down from Authority Nutrition:
Both Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids are so-called essential fatty acids, meaning that we need some of them in our diet because the body can’t produce them. Throughout evolution, we got Omega-3 and Omega-6 in a certain ratio. Our Omega-6:Omega-3 ratio used to be about 1:1. However, in the past century or so, this ratio in the Western diet has shifted drastically, all the way up to 16:1.
When the Omega-6:Omega-3 ratio shifts too high in favor of Omega-6, bad things start to happen in the body. The excess Omega-6 fatty acids build up in our cell membranes and contribute to inflammation. Inflammation is an underlying factor in some of the most common western diseases and include cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, arthritis and many, many others.
But the biggest creepy side effect of industrial oil consumption, for me, is that industrial seed and vegetable oils aren’t just burned for energy like any other macronutrient.
These oils are stored and incorporated into your very cells. (Talk about you are what you eat!)
Where the holy-eff-this-is-creepy part sets in, is that the oils are very sensitive to chemical reactions. And they are incorporated into your cells that are comprised on many different chemicals, which can trigger any number or reactions on a physiological level in your body.
How is that not the creepiest thing ever?! These oils are leading to actual physiological changes in our bodies.
So back to industrial oils is that they are way too high in Omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids. Once again, from Authority Nutrition:
When we refer to saturated, monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fats, we’re referring to the number of double bonds in the fatty acid molecules.
– Saturated fats contain no double bonds.
– Monounsaturated fats contain one double bond.
– Polyunsaturated fats contain two or more double bonds.
The problem with polyunsaturated fats is that all these double bonds make them susceptible to oxidation. The fatty acids react with oxygen and this damages them. If we have a lot of these fatty acids in our bodies (remember: they get stored) – then our cell membranes are more sensitive to oxidation.
Basically, we’ve got our bodies loaded with very fragile fatty acids that can easily be degraded to form harmful compounds.
How to Spot Industrial Oils and What to Use Instead
If you want to avoid Industrial Oils, you must read labels!
Some common Industrial Oils include: Canola Oil, Corn Oil, Cottonseed Oil, Grapeseed Oil, Peanut Oil, Safflower Oil, Soybean Oil, Sunflower Oil and Vegetable Oil along with Margarine, Shortening, I Can’t Believe Its Not Butter and Smart Balance.
If you are uncertain if something is natural or industrial, just remember to ask:
How was this oil produced?
The key words to look for are Cold Pressed or Expeller Pressed along with Unfiltered and Unrefined. Organic unrefined cold pressed oils are the gold standard. These retain more nutrients (including antioxidants) that are used by your body to metabolize fats more efficiently. And if you choose organic oils, these will come from plants that are grown without the use of synthetic pesticides, fungicides, fertilizers, or herbicides!
To minimize the amount of rancid or damaged oils that you consume (which is a WHOLE DIFFERENT health concern all by itself!), buy oil in smaller containers, keep it out of the light, and consume it within three months. Look on the package for the date when the oil was produced.
If your oil doesn’t explicitly state how it is processed, then you should assume that it was extracted using chemicals like hexane and move along.
Some healthy natural oils to keep an eye out for include: Coconut Oil, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Avocado Oil, Flaxseed Oil, Cold Pressed Hemp Oil, Walnut Oil, Palm Oil (although this raises some sustainability issues due to deforestation) and Extra Virgin Sesame Oil along with animal fats such as Lard, Butter and Fish Oils.
Do you try to avoid industrial oils? Think you might start? Share below!
Well, that was eye opening. I usually use olive oil, but I do have some of the others around. I thought grapeseed oil was one of the good ones…hmmmmm. Is it better to just use butter then?
Yeah, I was shocked to discover that about grapeseed myself! I have used it extensively before (mostly for beauty products).. but check out this article on it, it explains how it is made and how it is nutritionally void.. http://authoritynutrition.com/grape-seed-oil/
Gingi I can’t believe I ever ate margarine. .. I stopped about 10 years ago and I only eat butter… now I need to work on the oil, less of it but better quality xox … very good information to share ♡
Same here!! First time I lost weight about 6 years ago I dieted on the unhealthiest foods… I lost the weight, but I was always tired, sluggish, moody, achey… now I know why! I was low on calories, low on nutrients, and living off of FAKE FOOD like margarine! YUCK!
Peanut oil can actually be cold pressed instead of chemically extracted, you just have to look for it. But even the good peanut oil is very high is Omega 6 from what I understand…
Oil avoider here! Husband is a health and gym teacher and he’s ALWAYS telling me once you build up fat cells, you never loose them so you have to be careful not to build them up in the first place. So yup, totally paranoid here!!!! Great post friend, very informative, I knew to avoid oils, I just didn’t have the why part.
I try to get my fats from whole foods only. Avocado, olives, hemp seeds, flax seed, and fruits and vegetables all contain healthy fats. If I do use oil for cooking it’s only olive, coconut, or avocado. My husband will pull out the canola oil to fry stuff in every once in a while and I cringe. Oil is liquefied fat and is essentially stripped of the nutrients that you can get by eating the plant that it comes from.
Great information and tips, thanks! I’ve been trying to avoid oil at home opting for whole fats and thankfully more local restaurants are offering oil free dishes now.
For the past 3-4 years I’ve been using only Coconut Oil (for heat cooking) and Extra Virgin Olive Oil for salads and feel the difference. Plus I can use my coconut oil for hair and skin care so it’s a double plus)
I’ve been using Extra Virgin Olive Oil for many years now altho I switch to corn or peanut occasionally when I do deep-frying since it’s more economical. Very informative post, my dear! xoxo
I’m definitely with you on this one! We only use extra Virgin Olive Oil and Coconut Oil in our kitchen but if we’re out having an Indian, we turn a blind eye to what they’ve been cooked in, life’s also for living x
Gasp! Grew up on margarine. So sad. But we were told it was better. But, switched a long time ago. Yup, choosing least processed is always best! Great job, Gingi!
Well, that was eye opening. I usually use olive oil, but I do have some of the others around. I thought grapeseed oil was one of the good ones…hmmmmm. Is it better to just use butter then?
Yeah, I was shocked to discover that about grapeseed myself! I have used it extensively before (mostly for beauty products).. but check out this article on it, it explains how it is made and how it is nutritionally void.. http://authoritynutrition.com/grape-seed-oil/
Gingi I can’t believe I ever ate margarine. .. I stopped about 10 years ago and I only eat butter… now I need to work on the oil, less of it but better quality xox … very good information to share ♡
Same here!! First time I lost weight about 6 years ago I dieted on the unhealthiest foods… I lost the weight, but I was always tired, sluggish, moody, achey… now I know why! I was low on calories, low on nutrients, and living off of FAKE FOOD like margarine! YUCK!
I didn’t know there are so many industrial oils! I mainly use coconut and olive oil.
Yeah, its eye opening, thats for sure!
So many precious tips! Thanks for sharing Gingi!
♥♥♥
Jeanne
http://fashionmusingsdiary.com
<3
omg this is so scary! never again
xo
http://www.laurajaneatelier.com
Right?!
No seed oil, peanut oil? Thought they were good for us.
Peanut oil can actually be cold pressed instead of chemically extracted, you just have to look for it. But even the good peanut oil is very high is Omega 6 from what I understand…
Oh yes, of course… it’s eye opening!
Thanks for sharing this helpful post!!!
Kisses, Paola.
Expressyourself
My Facebook
Of course! Thanks for stopping by! <3
Oil avoider here! Husband is a health and gym teacher and he’s ALWAYS telling me once you build up fat cells, you never loose them so you have to be careful not to build them up in the first place. So yup, totally paranoid here!!!! Great post friend, very informative, I knew to avoid oils, I just didn’t have the why part.
Not all oils are bad though! I stick to coconut oil and olive oil to be safe!
I try to get my fats from whole foods only. Avocado, olives, hemp seeds, flax seed, and fruits and vegetables all contain healthy fats. If I do use oil for cooking it’s only olive, coconut, or avocado. My husband will pull out the canola oil to fry stuff in every once in a while and I cringe. Oil is liquefied fat and is essentially stripped of the nutrients that you can get by eating the plant that it comes from.
Very true!! And those are my three go to oils as well! <3
Great information and tips, thanks! I’ve been trying to avoid oil at home opting for whole fats and thankfully more local restaurants are offering oil free dishes now.
Yeah, I am sooo happy to see healthier options popping up everywhere!
Ewww! Oh man I learn so much from you!
LOL, yay!
Really great tips, thank you for sharing
have a nice day
kisses
I’m Catelicious
No prob! Thanks for stopping by! <3
very informative post
have an happy day
fashion blogger
kiss
<3
I have never heard them referred to as industrial oils before. I use olive oil on everything. I love the flavor.
Yeah, it isnt a super well known phrase, but it summarized the group of oils perfectly!
Oh wow I knew they were bad but I didn’t know all this info! Thanks for sharing!
For sure! Thanks for reading! <3
some fascinating info here that will be very helpful to those that need it!
<3 <3
For the past 3-4 years I’ve been using only Coconut Oil (for heat cooking) and Extra Virgin Olive Oil for salads and feel the difference. Plus I can use my coconut oil for hair and skin care so it’s a double plus)
Yeah, I use coconut oil primarily for beauty products, but am starting to swap it out for cooking!! <3
Such good tips to know!
xx katie // a touch of teal
Im glad you enjoyed!
Hmmm.. I use olive oil, but I do use a few of the oils on your industrial oil list. I’ll have to do a little more research – thanks for educating me!
I am so glad you are looking into it more!!
OMG! that’s pretty scary, isn’t it. Thx for the info, Gingi, it’s much appreciated.
xox
Lenya
FashionDreams&Lifestyle
For sure, thanks for stopping by! <3
I’ve been using Extra Virgin Olive Oil for many years now altho I switch to corn or peanut occasionally when I do deep-frying since it’s more economical. Very informative post, my dear! xoxo
Thanks! <3
I’m definitely with you on this one! We only use extra Virgin Olive Oil and Coconut Oil in our kitchen but if we’re out having an Indian, we turn a blind eye to what they’ve been cooked in, life’s also for living x
lol!! Yeah, I heard that if you eat right 80% of the time, your gut health is strong enough to take care of the less than ideal 20%!
Gasp! Grew up on margarine. So sad. But we were told it was better. But, switched a long time ago. Yup, choosing least processed is always best! Great job, Gingi!
Great post. I am still in shock about detailed information. Even we do not know the difference natural oils and industrial oils.
Thanks for sharing
Maria Garcia
http://skincareof.com/
This is a very eye opening post, great information for sure. I may need to clean out my cupboard. Thanks for sharing!