Oils and Fats for cooking

SoapAlchemist

SoapAlchemist

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I have read that the oils generally regarded as healthy are only healthy if uncooked (and presumably cold pressed), as they morph into something very unhealthy when heated. And that it is actually better therefore to use fats such as coconut or even lard for cooking as they are more stable when heated.
Remembering what people looked like when I was young and lard was used daily as well as butter, and comparing them to the size of the average person today, I'm suspecting there is indeed a link.
I've started using coconut for cooking and keeping the liquid oils for salad dressing etc. Also enjoying butter instead of horrible margarine. Anyone else have thoughts or knowledge on this?
 
I think it would be more accurate to say that "natural" or "naturally processed" oils like all foods will nutritionally degrade when cooked not that they morph into something fundamentally unhealthy when heated. Peoples have been using these good oils and fats to cook with and eat for generations so I wouldn't add any credence whatsoever to any link with modern health issues.

As you have touched upon, the problem with all oil arises when they are heated beyond their stable temp, just use the appropriate oil for the type of cooking you do whether it be nut, seed or olive oil or lard and avoid highly processed products like margarine, hydrogenated lard and some polyunsaturated cooking oils like soy bean and corn oil.
 
When I say 'morph', I'm thinking of trans fats and hydrogenation....although probably the former is mainly a problem where deep fat fryers are repeatedly heated using the same oil, and probably the latter mainly needs to be done in factories.....but is found in every second pack on the supermarket shelf, even some breads. There is no requirement to list transfats on labels, although hydrogenated fat should be declared.
So I would still suspect that when our chip shop chips were made using lard they were actually healthier than todays made using repeatedly heated vegetable oils.
 
antdad said:
...avoid highly processed products like margarine...
Click to expand...

I saw how they made Flora in a "summer job" whilst at universiity... I was never a fan of margarine before that it did nothing to entice me to change my mind.

Similarly on another summer job, I was involved in making ladies cosmetics... multigallon containers of eye liner etc is quite unappealing (although rather than test on animals we got the chance of a 15% uplift in hourly rate if they could paint it on us workers - typically on the forearm and a big absorbent pad over the top)...
 
Agree. I almost always use homemade fat from lard for cooking (except for the sweet things like crepes, etc..) or sunflower oil. All this cooking with superextragodly olive oil is taken stupidly and to the extreme, as everything nowadays. Just as you wrote, cold pressed oils have a reason to be used when used cold for salads and dressings...
...and yes I use butter too :hungrig
 
I use traditional oils and fats for cooking: Butter, Tallow/Suet, Lard, Chicken/Duck/Goose fat, Coconut oil. I use extra virgin olive oil on salads. I don't use vegetable oils and think the best fish shops still use beef tallow and the best Indian restaurants use proper ghee not vegetable ghee. Whether the food you get from them is good for you is a different matter but its very tasty .. .. ;)
 
soapalchemist said:
When I say 'morph', I'm thinking of trans fats and hydrogenation....although probably the former is mainly a problem where deep fat fryers are repeatedly heated using the same oil, and probably the latter mainly needs to be done in factories.....but is found in every second pack on the supermarket shelf, even some breads. There is no requirement to list transfats on labels, although hydrogenated fat should be declared.
So I would still suspect that when our chip shop chips were made using lard they were actually healthier than todays made using repeatedly heated vegetable oils.
Click to expand...

As I understand it trans fats are a product of hydrogenation so any product containing hydrogenated oil will indeed contain trans fats, unfortunately partially hydrogenated oil is also a great product for commercial use because it is so stable at high temperatures. There is a separate issue that suggests the constant heating and reheating of "some" oils can create a rather nasty toxin, as long you use reasonable quality unrefined oil and you don't smoke or reuse it repeatedly this shouldn't be a domestic issue at all.
 
Blades said:
here in the states Trans Fats have been banned..virtually..
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No - about 12 cities & counties and one state have banned it (although the California ban doesn't cover pre-packaged food like Oreo cookies that started the campaign in 2003)... that's not the same as "banned virtually" unless the US only comprises the aforementioned one state and the cities & counties)
 
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/Legislation/Californian-trans-fat-ban-takes-effect">http://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/Legisl ... kes-effect</a><!-- m -->




hunnymonster said:
Blades said:
here in the states Trans Fats have been banned..virtually..
Click to expand...

No - about 12 cities & counties and one state have banned it (although the California ban doesn't cover pre-packaged food like Oreo cookies that started the campaign in 2003)... that's not the same as "banned virtually" unless the US only comprises the aforementioned one state and the cities & counties)
Click to expand...
 
hunnymonster said:
As I said - one state does not make a for a "virtual ban"
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vir·tu·al (vûrch-l)
adj.
1. Existing or resulting in essence or effect though not in actual fact, form, or name: the virtual extinction of the buffalo.
2. Existing in the mind, especially as a product of the imagination. Used in literary criticism of a text.
 
hunnymonster said:
antdad said:
...avoid highly processed products like margarine...
Click to expand...

I saw how they made Flora in a "summer job" whilst at universiity... I was never a fan of margarine before that it did nothing to entice me to change my mind.

Similarly on another summer job, I was involved in making ladies cosmetics... multigallon containers of eye liner etc is quite unappealing (although rather than test on animals we got the chance of a 15% uplift in hourly rate if they could paint it on us workers - typically on the forearm and a big absorbent pad over the top)...
Click to expand...

I always thought you had the most attractively seductive forearms.......Ever!

Mwaaah!
 
soapalchemist said:
I have read that the oils generally regarded as healthy are only healthy if uncooked (and presumably cold pressed), as they morph into something very unhealthy when heated. And that it is actually better therefore to use fats such as coconut or even lard for cooking as they are more stable when heated.
Click to expand...

Correct. In a way.

For unheated eating (salad dressing etc.) unsaturated fats are definitely better. For normal single heated eating (preparing something into a dish that will contain the cooking oil, unsaturated fats are probably better also, unless the cooking entails very high temperatures over long periods.

For deep frying however, where the oil or fat is reused, and reheated multiple times - you're way better off with fully saturated fats. Dripping - tallow - is in fact the best option here. By a long shot. Palm oil being a very good second. Since there are no double bonds to oxidize, saturated fats are less prone to going rancid and forming all sorts of nasties like short-chain aldehydes...
 
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