8 replies to this topic

[Lurker]

Olive Oil seems to be the popular majority in terms of oil that is prefered to cook with (little effect on taste, works fine at high heats, and reasonably healthy).

Grape Seed Oil, what i currently use, very similar to olive oil, slightly more expensive, works well at high heat, and have heard claims that you can use "less" to achieve similar results as other oils.

Flaxseed / Fish Oil - low smoking point, hard to cook with, strong fishy flavor. (any recipe suggestions here?)

Enova - Anybody have any opinion/info on this? It is synthetic, and expensive.

Coconut/Palm Oil - Conflicting information, high in saturated fat.

Walnut Oil - ?

Edited by Lurker, 24 April 2008 - 06:43 PM.

[s123]

A study by Dr. Robert Vogel in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology found that olive oil significantly reduces blood flow to different parts of your body, whereas canola oil and salmon do not. This measure of blood flow, called flow-mediated vasodilation (FMD), is a standard, well-accepted test by the American Heart Association and others. In this study, blood flow (FMD) was reduced by 31% after an olive-oil meal but was not reduced by a meal with a similar amount of fat from canola oil or salmon, probably due to the higher content of the protective omega-3 fatty acids in canola oil and salmon.

Grape seed oil contains between 69 and 78% linoleic acid (omega-6). That's far too much.
You should never heat fish oil or flaxseed oil. Omega-3 fats are just too unstable (trans fats, polymerization and oxidation).
Palm oil and coconut oil are rich in saturated fats and that’s exactly the kind of fat that you should want for cooking. Saturated fats are stable even at high temperatures.

The other interesting thing to take note of is the ratio of omega-6 fatty acids to omega-3 fatty acids. Enova has a ratio of about 10:1.

Too much omega-6.

Edited by s123, 24 April 2008 - 07:32 PM.

[frederickson]

when it comes to COOKING with oils, coconut oil is one of the top choices.

there is little debate that olive oil is great for drizzling on salads, etc. despite it's fairly high smoke point, the fat undergoes changes when exposed to high heat and becomes saturated in the process.

yes, coconut oil is high in saturated fat. but the majority of the saturated fat is lauric acid, which is a preferred energy source.

[Zans Mihejevs]

The other interesting thing to take note of is the ratio of omega-6 fatty acids to omega-3 fatty acids. Enova has a ratio of about 10:1.

Too much omega-6.

While we're on the topic, what are the guideline amounts of daily intake for omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids?

[s123]

The other interesting thing to take note of is the ratio of omega-6 fatty acids to omega-3 fatty acids. Enova has a ratio of about 10:1.

Too much omega-6.

While we're on the topic, what are the guideline amounts of daily intake for omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids?

I would go for 1:1 to max. 1:2.

[s123]

A study by Dr. Robert Vogel in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology found that olive oil significantly reduces blood flow to different parts of your body, whereas canola oil and salmon do not. This measure of blood flow, called flow-mediated vasodilation (FMD), is a standard, well-accepted test by the American Heart Association and others. In this study, blood flow (FMD) was reduced by 31% after an olive-oil meal but was not reduced by a meal with a similar amount of fat from canola oil or salmon, probably due to the higher content of the protective omega-3 fatty acids in canola oil and salmon.

Here you can find the study: http://content.onlin...6/5/1455?ck=nck

In terms of their effects on postprandial endothelial function, the beneficial components of the Mediterranean and Lyon Diet Heart Study diets appear to be the antioxidant-rich foods—vegetables, fruits, and their derivatives such as vinegar, and omega-3-rich fish and canola oils—not olive oil. Canola oil may share some of the unique vasoprotective properties of other omega-3-rich oils, such as fish oil. Dietary fruits, vegetables, and their products appear to provide some protection against the direct impairment in endothelial function produced by high-fat foods, including olive oil.

[shadowrun]

Thanks for the info on Canola Oil s123 - I've been wanting to make the switch for sometime but I just didn't prefer the flavor for what I considered to be a small health increase -

I going to try to incorporate some Canola into my diet.

Question - I wonder about the difference from Olive Oil to Extra Virgin Olive Oil and how the difference would have affected the study - I think most people here use Extra Virgin

[s123]

Question - I wonder about the difference from Olive Oil to Extra Virgin Olive Oil and how the difference would have affected the study - I think most people here use Extra Virgin

Extra virgin olive oil will probably be healthier than olive oil. In the study they used extra virgin olive oil. So, I don't believe that the negative results would be due to bad quality of olive oil.

[Shepard]

Check out the Oct. 2007 issue of Molecular Nutrition & Food Research. Olive oil is more than the sum of its parts would indicate.