Healty cooking oils

Question
Recently my wife and I have been concerned about what oils to cook with and weather or not they break down at high temps. and become toxic. We were using organic butter and olive oil and have started to use organic coconut oil. I'm also concerned about using coconut oils as it contains mostly saturated fats.  

Answer
Hello Jeff!

  Thank you for your nutrition questions.  When cooking it is important not to overheat the oil because it will breakdown and lose some of its nutritional value.  Keep cooking temperatures very moderate. Olive oil should be one of your primary cooking oils. Rich in monounsaturated fat, olive oil also contains phytochemicals that may help lower blood cholesterol levels and protect against cancer. Unlike most vegetable oils, which are very bland, olive oil adds its own delicious flavor to foods. Extra virgin olive oil is the least processed and most flavorful type of olive oil. And a little bit goes a long way, making this product a good choice for use in low-fat recipes. What about "light" olive oil? In this case, light refers to flavor, which is mild and bland compared with that of other olive oils. This means that you have to use more oil for the same amount of flavor ?not a good bargain.
  Coconut oil is often mislabed falsely, however it contains lauric acid which is onne of the good fats that comprises about 50% of coconut oil.  Lauric acid is a rare medium-chain fatty acid found in mother's milk that supports healthy metabolism and is now being studied for its anti-fungal, anti-viral, and anti-bacterial health-protecting properties.
    I suggest using coconut and olive oils for cooking, and  flax oils for cold dressings. This will help increase your levels of healthy Lauric Acid, Omega-3, and GLA fatty acids, while lowering your intake of Omega-6 and junk oils. While we need to consume a 4:1 ratio of Omega-6s to Omega-3s, the average American diet provides a ratio of 30:1 or more!
   For more answers to your nutrition questions check out "ASk the Nutritionists: Answer to Your Nutrition Questions available at www.authorhouse.com, online, or at your favorite bookstore.

-George Rapitis. Bsc. Nutritionist  

1. Prev:Taking wheat out of my kids diet
2. Next:Artificial Sweetener