August 1, 2013 • Columnists, A Healthier You
Facts about polyunsaturated fats
By Norma Thompson
Please consult your doctor or regular health physician before following suggestions found in any Sun Day health columns/stories.
Last week we said consuming wrong fats was one of the main reasons for heart and circulatory disease. As we look at the grocery store shelves, we see bottle after bottle of polyunsaturated oils and salad dressings. Some of these are corn, safflower, sunflower, soy, and canola. In addition, they are added to the majority of over 500 processed foods, including chips, bread, baked goods, and most canned and frozen items.
The above-named oils are subjected to 200 degrees F and up. They are degummed, removing the nutrients. Then an alkaline wash separates more nutrients until we have a dead product. The oil is then bleached by steam distillation at 450 degrees. When these unsaturated oils go rancid, they form free radicals. The more unsaturated the oil, the more easily it oxidizes. Heat, light, and oxygen act as catalysts to promote this process.
The clear bottles sit on grocery store shelves. When you open them, the process continues. Then you cook with them, and the high heat accelerates the process.
Some of the damage done to the body from consuming polyunsaturated fat:
1. Cause cancer by promoting growth of tumors
2. Lowers resistance to infection; depresses immune system, killing white blood cells
3. May cause heart disease and abnormal blood values
4. May cause blood disease and damage to the liver
5. Attacks central nervous system, brain and spinal cord; promotes nerve disorders such as meningitis, Mulltiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s
6. Promotes weight gain because of harmful effects on thyroid, lowering metabolism
In summary, avoid store-bought oils and salad dressings and all processed foods. Avoid eating anything which the label says is low fat, zero fat, low cholesterol, zero cholesterol, heart healthy, or most anything marketed as approved by the American Heart Association.
Next week: Have saturated fats always been our enemy?
