Category Archives: Fats: the truth about oils

Why Butter Is A Health Food

  By ironman45 | May 3, 2013 - 3:33 pm | Fats: the truth about oils
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butter health food

Butter is a health food. There, I said it. I don’t just love butter because it tastes better than margarine. I don’t just love it because I think it’s a healthier alternative than margarine. I actually believe, bones to britches, that butter is good for you.

The other day someone left this comment on a Facebook post of mine, “Only an idiot would believe butter is actually a health food. Yes, it’s better than margarine, but it is by no means good for you.” Only an idiot? Really?

Name-calling aside, let’s use our brains. Shall we? What makes butter a health food?

Butter is More “Heart-Healthy” (more…)

Why You Should NEVER Eat Vegetable Oil or Margarine!

  By ironman45 | April 10, 2013 - 9:53 pm | Fats: the truth about oils
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Aside from “healthy whole grains,” vegetable oils and margarine are some of the most misunderstood and over-recommended foods in the health community. You’ve probably heard these referred to as “heart healthy oils,” a good alternative to those “artery clogging saturated fats.”

These oils are supposed to help lower cholesterol and blood pressure, increase weight loss and somehow improve overall health.

Only one problem…. again, science doesn’t back these claims up!

notbutter butteritsnot Why You Should NEVER Eat Vegetable Oil or Margarine!

What Are Vegetable Oils /Margarine?

Vegetable oils (and margarine, made from these oils) are oils extracted from seeds like the rapeseed (canola oil) soybean (soybean oil), corn, sunflower, safflower, etc. They were practically non-existent in our diets until the early 1900s when new chemical processes allowed them to be extracted. (more…)

Eating Staturated Fats Does Not Cause Heart Disease

  By ironman45 | April 9, 2013 - 7:51 pm | cholesterol, Fats: the truth about oils, heart disease
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For many years we have been told that the saturated fats eaten by our ancestors are behind heart disease.  The answer was substitution of highly processed polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs), the most common of which are the vegetables oils, shortenings and margarine.  During the 50 years that we embraced this advice, incidence of heart disease has skyrocketed. Now a new study from Australia has produced some stunning conclusions about saturated fats and heart disease — conclusions that say it’s time to start eating real fats again. (more…)

Why Trans Fat Is So Bad – and What Is It, Anyway?

  By ironman45 | April 4, 2013 - 3:47 pm | Fats: the truth about oils
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Trans fat isn’t crooked—and that’s the problem. Though it’s chemically identical to natural fats, it doesn’t bend. Here’s a clear and simple explanation of why, what it means, and why trans fats are so dangerous.

Woman with Out of Order Sign on Head

We have been indoctrinated about fats for decades. Starting in the 1950′s, we were inundated with ads about how bad saturated fat is. We were, and still are, advised by our doctors to avoid butter and use margarine, or better yet, avoid fats altogether. Fairly recently, conflicting information has been coming out. Polyunsaturated fat is good…no, it’s bad. Monounsaturated fat is good. Fat that’s solid at room temperature is bad. No, coconut oil is good…and so forth.

So, what’s the truth? Fat is good for you! (more…)

Top 12 Biggest Lies of Mainstream Nutrition

  By ironman45 | February 19, 2013 - 4:50 pm | cholesterol, Fats: the truth about oils, food, weight loss
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There is a lot of misinformation circling around in mainstream nutrition

I have listed the worst examples in this article, but unfortunately this is just the tip of the iceberg.

Here are the top 11 biggest lies, myths and misconceptions of mainstream nutrition.

1. Eggs Are Unhealthy

There’s one thing that nutrition professionals have had remarkable success with… and that is demonizing incredibly healthy foods.

The worst example of that is eggs, which happen to contain a large amount of cholesterol and were therefore considered to increase the risk of heart disease.

But recently it has been proven that the cholesterol in the diet doesn’t really raise the cholesterol in blood. In fact, eggs primarily raise the “good” cholesterol and are NOT associated with increased risk of heart disease (1, 2).

What we’re left with is one of the most nutritious foods on the planet. They’re high in all sorts of nutrients along with unique antioxidants that protect our eyes (3).

To top it all of, despite being a “high fat” food, eating eggs for breakfast is proven to cause significant weight loss compared to bagels for breakfast (4, 5).

Bottom Line: Eggs do not cause heart disease and are among the most nutritious foods on the planet. Eggs for breakfast can help you lose weight.

2. Saturated Fat is Bad For You (more…)

Rice Bran Oil: One Big Health Disadvantage Outweighs All Its Advantages

  By ironman45 | February 14, 2013 - 10:23 pm | Fats: the truth about oils
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Rice bran oil has been touted by some health experts as the solution to the ever increasing cases of metabolic syndrome. Although this unique edible oil has many nutritional benefits, including being a worthy source of the vitamins, minerals, amino acids, essential fatty acids and antioxidant nutrients, it has one major disadvantage which may outweigh all of the above benefits.

The Good News

Rice bran oil (also known as rice bran extract) is the oil extracted from the germ and inner husk of rice. It is notable for its high smoke point which ranges between 415 to 490 degrees F depending on the testing method. Its mild flavor makes it suitable for high-temperature cooking methods such as stir frying and deep frying. It is popular as a cooking oil in several Asian countries, including Japan, India and China. (more…)

There is Nothing Smart About Smart Balance

  By ironman45 | January 30, 2013 - 11:15 pm | Fats: the truth about oils
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I’ve had it. Everyone has her limits and I’ve reached mine.

If one more person who claims to eat healthy tells me that she uses Smart Balance, Earth Balance, or any of those health robbing butter substitute “spreads”, I think I’m going to scream.

A loud, obnoxious, ear piercing, wine glass shattering SCREAM!

You see, there is nothing “smart” about Smart Balance, unless of course you happen to be a shareholder of the company in which case you would be very happy with the cheap, rancid, genetically modified vegetable oils that are used to manufacture this butter substitute resulting in a very low cost of production and resultantly huge profit margins.

Don’t think for one moment that Smart Balance could possibly be made in the comfort of your own kitchen the way lovely yellow butter can easily be churned from cream in a bowl with a hand mixer. (more…)

Olive Oil Compound Exerts Anti-Cancer Effects

  By ironman45 | January 27, 2013 - 11:14 pm | cancer, Fats: the truth about oils
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Olive oil contains oleuropein, a potent antioxidant compound, for which previous researchers have identified the capacity to inhibit cell proliferation of breast and urinary cancers, as well, as to decrease breast cancer cell viability.   ZK Hassan, from King Saud University (Saudi Arabia), and colleagues investigated the effect of oleuropein on the metastatic and anti-metastatic gene expression in the MDA human breast cancer cell line. The team observed that oleuropein initially down-regulated matrix Metalloproteinase (MMP) genes – thought to be overexpressed in tumor cells; and oleuropein promoted the tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPS) – with which cell-death inducing properties are associated. The study authors submit that: “oleuropein plays an important role in regulating MDA cell metastasis by suppressing the expression of MMP-2 and MMP-9 genes and upregulating the expression of TIMP1 and TIMP4 genes in breast cancer cells therefore it can help in tailoring new anti-metastatic cancer therapy.”

View news source…

Hassan ZK, Elamin MH, Daghestani MH, Omer SA, Al-Olayan EM, Elobeid MA, Virk P, Mohammed OB. “Oleuropein Induces Anti-metastatic Effects in Breast Cancer.” Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. 2012;13(9):4555-9.

Vegetable oils promote obesity

  By ironman45 | December 28, 2012 - 10:19 pm | Fats: the truth about oils
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Soya oil, maiz oil and sunflower oil promotes weight gain. (Photo: Colourbox)

A recent study suggests a close association between dietary omega-6 and the development of overweight and obesity. Omega-6 is a type of fat found in certain vegetable oils which is present in large amount in processed and junk food.

New results from experiments using animal models show that a high intake of omega-6 led to overproduction of signalling compounds that stimulate the appetite, with the result that the animals ate more and developed obesity.

“People in the Western world are eating less and less fat, but at the same time our body weight is increasing, so the type of fats we eat would seem to mean more for developing overweight and obesity than just how much fat we consume,” says NIFES scientist Anita Røyneberg Alvheim. (more…)