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Article for the Yoga Arts Nutrition Course.

Fats and Oils - Some guidelines to adhere to

  1. 1. Since all oils are extracted and therefore less-than-whole food, none are recommended for daily use except for medicinal purposes. Examples of usage of amounts are as follows:
    1. a. For people who are overweight or suffer from damp conditions such as candida, tumours and sluggishness - No oils to be consumed excepts small amounts of Flaxseed Oil (containing Omega 3 fatty acids) or Evening Primrose (containing Gamalinoleic Acid).
    2. b. For people who tend to be thin and dry - up to one tablespoon of Flaxseed Oil a day plus Evening Primrose Oil if there are specific requirements (ie PMS, high blood pressure, migraines).
    3. c. For people with no particular imbalance - one teaspoonful of Flaxseed Oil a day.
  2. 2. In general avoid all polyunsaturated oils such as corn, sunflower and safflower, especially for cooking, as they are unstable and become rancid when heated easily forming free radicals and transfatty acids in the body which are now known to cause heart disease and cancer. Also avoid all margarines and shortenings as these have been hydrogenated (a hydrogen ion added) to make them solid and as a result form similar transfatty acids including a particular type that elevates blood cholesterol.
  3. 3. For general use in cooking chose firstly unrefined, first grade, extra virgin (monounsaturated) olive oil. The unrefined variety will be more nutritious and flavourful and the first grade, or extra virgin, usually represents a first pressing, at lower temperatures and without chemicals. Olive oil is also one of the most stable oils which means it can be heated to higher temperatures before it becomes rancid. Use a small amount only in cooking and add it after the pot has been heated. When high temperatures are involved in cooking (above 320 F or 160 C), one of the most stable oils is clarified butter or ghee or unrefined coconut oil. These saturated fats are very stable are safely used by people with low cholesterol like vegetarians or vegans. In Ayurvedic teachings ghee (which is butter with the milk solids removed) has healing properties, which balance the hormones, ensures a strong mind and is essential for longevity. It is also promotes the healing of injuries and gastro-intestinal inflammations such as ulcers and colitis. According to Rudolph Ballentine, MD, ghee contains butyric acid, a fatty acid that has antiviral and anti-cancer properties and is also helpful in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.
  4. 4. Other oils to avoid are Canola, Cottonseed, and Peanut. Canola oil is often recommended to consumers because of its low saturated fat content, its omega-3 fatty acids and its monounsaturated properties. However, in its common refined form high refining temperatures have denatured much of the fatty acid content, and vital nutrients have been extracted. Canola is also one of the main crops which is now being genetically engineered. Cottonseed oil should not be ingested because it contains the fatty acid cyclopropen, which causes toxicity in the liver and inhibits normal essential fatty acid metabolism. Peanuts regularly are host to a mould, which produces the cancer-causing substance aflotoxin within the nut and its oil. Since peanuts and cotton crops are typically rotated on the same land, and cotton is one of the most heavily sprayed cultivated plants, the soil and the peanuts can become contaminated. Organic peanut oil, however, is considered to be a stable oil for cooking and is also a treatment for bursitis rubbed into the affected joint twice a day.
  5. 5. Sesame oil has a number of uses. It is generally considered stable even though it is 41% polyunsaturated because it contains an anti-oxidant called sesamol. It lubricates dryness when applied to dry and cracked skin and is a superior massage oil for sore muscles, aches, sprains and arthritis. It also destroys ringworm, scabies and most fungal skin diseases when applied locally. It can relieve constipation when a few drops are added to food during cooking or for more stubborn cases take one tablespoon on an empty stomach.

 

Suzanne Staples, ND DBM ATMS.





Last updated : Tuesday, October 18, 2011
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