Cooking Oils/Fats

     Fats have gotten a bad rap in politically correct nutrition for many years, with many fad diets suggesting that we should reduce our intake of dietary fats, saturated fats from animal sources in particular. These fats from vegetable and animal sources are our body’s preferred energy source, provide structural integrity to every cell in the body, and are precursors to many hormones. Also, important vitamins A, D, E, and K are carried by lipids to their receptor cells for a host of bodily functions. In the late 1950s, a researcher by the name of Ancel Keys proposed a study–the lipid hypothesis–linking the amount of saturated fat and cholesterol intake to coronary heart disease. Many subsequent studies have disproved his theory, pointing out that elevated triglycerides in the blood are linked to proneness to heart disease and are made in the liver from excess sugars that have not been broken down as an energy source. However, the vegetable oil and food processing industries have worked night and day to promote further research to support Keys’ lipid hypothesis. Nevertheless, the emergence of the Paleo and Keto diets are both good signs that we are headed toward a more traditional approach when it comes to nutrition.

    All fats are a combination ofsaturated fatty acids, monounsaturated fatty acids, polyunsaturated linoleum and linolenic acids. Without going into the chemistry of these structures, I will provide you with some of the basics. Saturated fats are the safest to heat for cooking purposes and are usually solid or semisolid at room temperature. Monounsaturated fats are less stable due to the chemical structure and are usually liquid at room temperature. These fats are safe to cook with at moderate to low temperatures. Polyunsaturated fats are usually liquid even when refrigerated and should never be used for cooking. Below is a list of my recommendations for fats and oils to use for eating and cooking.