Changing your cooking oil will not just make you happier, but also free you from the risk of chronic diseases
Promoters of every brand of cooking oil will do and say anything to make you believe that they have the most healthy offering for you. But if you invest a little bit of time, you can find out for yourself and make the right choice for you and your family. This article is not going to advocate on the behalf of any particular kind of cooking oil. On the other hand, this article will speak to you as an intelligent person who is capable of deciding if some of the information is provided upfront.
In “The Importance of the Omega-6/Omega-3 Fatty Acid Ratio in Cardiovascular Disease and Other Chronic Diseases” by Artemis P. Simopoulos published by The Center for Genetics, Nutrition and Health, Washington, DC in 2009 rightly states that “The interaction of genetics and environment, nature, and nurture is the foundation for all health and disease.” He further states that “Humans today live in a nutritional environment that differs from that for which our genetic constitution was selected. Studies on the evolutionary aspects of diet indicate that major changes have taken place in our diet, particularly in the type and amount of essential fatty acids and in the antioxidant content of foods.” This brings us to one of the most important points that we want to share here – the Omega 3: Omega 6 ratio that exists in various cooking oils that are available to us.
In the Omega-3 Connection. New York: Simon and Schuster, 2001, p. 40., Andrew Stoll, who advocates the consumption of the two fats in a 1:1 ratio, states, “Once in the body, omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids follow parallel pathways, continually competing with each other for chemical conversion to various structures and molecules inside and outside the cells. Given this mechanism, it makes sense that the two fats might be required in approximately equal amounts.” In the popular cooking oils, Olive Oil has the Omega 3:6 ratio of 1:11, Canola oil has the ratio of 2.2:1 and Flax Seed Oil has the ratio of 3.5:1.
Mammalian bodies cannot synthesise Omega 3 and Omega 6 and must obtain the right amounts of the Fatty Acids through their diet. These Fatty Acids cannot be converted from one to the other because mammalian bodies lack the right enzymes needed.
On the whole, if we do careful research, we can make sure we are always choosing the most healthy food sources in our diet.
