(NaturalNews) Vegetable oil is a product consumed worldwide. Production sky rocketed with advances made in agricultural farming from the industrial revolution. The most common vegetable oils include soybean oil, cottonseed oil, canola (rapeseed) oil, corn oil and safflower oil. Studies reveal that vegetable oil consumption is now linked to trans-fatty acids and pesticides being found within human tissues.

Vegetable oils are popular in modern cuisine because they can be used in different techniques in restaurants and home cooking. Vegetable oils dominate an overwhelming amount of processed foods found in dressings, marinades, spreadable cheeses, packaged baked goods, and the list continues on.

Vegetable oils are polyunsaturated in that they have multiple double bonds and are easily damaged by heat or UV light. When they are damaged they often turn into trans-fatty acids. This improves shelf-life but it is not in harmony with the fatty acid chains that are utilized in the human body. High trans fat consumption has been linked to altered brain development, chronic inflammation, heart disease and cancer.

Trans fats found in human tissue samples

Costa Rican studies have since shown insight on the relationship between vegetable oil consumption and trans fat accumulation in the body. Costa Rica serves as an ideal location for nutrition-based experimentation because of low dairy and meat consumption which may influence saturated fat levels.

Trans fats were calculated from tissue samples taken from the Costa Rican population. Researchers concluded that the primary source of trans fat was soybean oil. Popular in cuisine to prepare beans, rice, eggs and fried foods, soybean oil accounted for 30 percent of sourced trans fats followed by margarine and baked goods.

Vegetable oil: A toxic source of chemicals and pesticides

The danger of pesticides and other chemical food contaminants is becoming increasingly unavoidable and does not exclude vegetable oil. Cold-pressed is considered the "healthier" form of refined vegetable oil. With no added heat, liquid is isolated and the chemical properties of oil are not structurally altered.

In 2012, researchers in Poland published their findings of known human carcinogens and common pesticides in refined and cold-pressed vegetable oils. Levels of the following synthetic compounds were discovered.

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs):
Associated with hormonal defects and disease; researchers identified 18 types

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs):
Known to cause skin, lung and stomach cancer; researchers identified 15 types

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (BPDEs):
Flame retardant chemicals known to cause birth defects, cancer and neurobehavioral changes; researchers identified 14 types.

As if these chemicals listed are not harmful enough, 74 classifications of pesticides were also measured. The Stockholm Convention sets guidelines for the allowance of persistent organic pollutants in food. The chemical levels measured exceeded the maximum permitted concentration under the guidelines of the Stockholm Convention.

Recommendations and alternatives to vegetable oils

By removing sources of vegetable oil in food, human health and well being will improve. The following is a summary of foods containing vegetable oils that should be avoided:

1. Cooking foods with vegetable oils like canola, corn, cottonseed, safflower, peanut, sesame, canola or shortening
2. Processed goods such as coffee creamers, canned frosting, pastries and frozen meals
3. Fast food chains like McDonald's, Dunkin' Donuts and Burger King
4. Alternative fat sources such as margarine
5. All products containing trans fats or partially hydrogenated oils

A more nutritious alternative to vegetable oils is organic virgin coconut oil. Studies currently attribute several possible benefits to consuming coconut oil such as providing protection from Alzheimer's disease and heart related illness. It has remarkable heat stability and is the best oil to cook with.

Other good oils include extra virgin olive oil and grassfed butter or ghee. For supplemental or occasional usage one could do long chain and short chain omega-3 fatty acids such as fish oil, flax oil and hemp oil. One should never cook with fish oil, flax oil or hemp oil.

Sources:

Petition for Rulemaking to Revoke the Authority for Industry to Use Partially Hydrogenated Vegetable Oils in Foods http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/trans_fat_petition_may_18.pdf

Baylin A, et al. Adipose tissue biomarkers of fatty acid intake. Am J Clinc Nutr. 2002 Oct; 76(4):750-7. PMID: 12324287

Roszko, M, et al. PAHs, PCBs, PBDEs and Pesticides in Cold-Pressed Vegetable Oils. Journal of the American Oil Chemists' Society. 2012 Mar;89(3), 389-400. DOI: 10.1007/s11746-011-1926-5

About the author:
Dr David Jockers is a Maximized Living doctor and owns and operates Exodus Health Center in Kennesaw, Georgia where he specializes in functional nutrition, functional medicine and corrective chiropractic care to get to the underlying cause of major health problems.

His website features great articles on natural health and incredible recipes. He is the author of the best-selling book SuperCharge Your Brain - the complete guide to radically improve your mood, memory and mindset. He has over 50,000 active followers on his social media and email newsletter and is a big influencer in the Primal Health movement.

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