Some ‘healthy’ cooking oils could be more damaging to the heart than butter or beef dripping, according to experts.
The cause of most concern are seed oils – a type of vegetable oil derived from plant seeds.
They include sunflower and rapeseed oils, which are found in a range of products – from fast foods such as McDonald’s french fries to baby foods and even low-fat spreads.
Seed oils are high in polyunsaturated fats which, it has long been claimed, are a ‘heart healthy’ substitute for traditional animal fats.
But in recent years, they’ve also found themselves at the centre of a raging health debate.
US health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr waged war on seed oils during his campaign for the presidency, claiming Americans were being ‘unknowingly poisoned’ by them.
Merchandise for his campaign to ‘Make America Healthy Again’ even includes T-shirts emblazoned with the phrase ‘make frying oil tallow again’ – referring to the traditional technique of frying, baking or roasting with beef fat.
Beef dripping is made from fat trimmings which are then melted and left to cool and harden for future use.
Tallow is specifically made from beef fat around the loins and kidneys, while dripping refers to any fat deposits under the animal’s skin.
Some ‘healthy’ cooking oils could be more damaging to the heart than butter or beef dripping, according to experts. Picture: Stock image
The cause of most concern are seed oils – a type of vegetable oil derived from plant seedsPicture: Stock image
Other detractors refer to seed oils as ‘The Hateful Eight’ – which also include corn, soybean, cottonseed, grapeseed, safflower and rice bran oil.
Critics say these oils – which today make up more than 25 per cent of the calories in our diets – are causing obesity and leading to a host of health problems from type 2 diabetes to depression and even migraines.
It’s a claim that goes against medical advice of the past few decades: butter, dripping and lard – dripping made from pork fat – are high in ‘bad’ saturated fats which raise cholesterol and heart disease risk, while seed oils contain unsaturated fats that can decrease cholesterol levels and protect the heart.
But recent research has found that seed oils aren’t always the healthier option.
The main concern is that they are high in omega-6 fatty acids, which can increase inflammation in the body, actually increasing the risk of heart disease and heart attacks.
But it’s not quite as simple as seed oils should be banned, says nutrition and preventative medicine expert Dr Mary Scourboutakos. ‘Not all seed oils are created equal,’ she told The Mail on Sunday.
‘Different oils range massively in their omega-6 fatty acid levels. And each one will have potentially different health effects as a result – particularly for conditions like heart disease.’
Due to increased seed oil intake over the past 50 years, the concentration of omega-6 fatty acids in our fatty tissue has increased by 136 per cent.
Seed oils are high in polyunsaturated fats which, it has long been claimed, are a ‘heart healthy’ substitute for traditional animal fats. Picture: Stock image
The problem with this, some scientists believe, is that we’re not consuming enough omega-3 fatty acids alongside them.
While omega-6 acids increase inflammation, omega-3 – found in fish such as salmon and mackerel, as well as chia seeds and walnuts – brings it down. And until recently, we were eating a relatively balanced ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids.
But over the past century, this too has changed; today, people consume almost 15 times more omega-6s than omega-3s, partly due to the increased prevalence of seed oils.
And this imbalance is what is triggering health harms, suggest some concerned experts.
Scientists at the University of California found that men with early prostate cancer who removed seed oils from their diet and consumed more omega-3-rich foods actually slowed the progression of their disease.
But seed oils vary widely in their omega-6 to omega-3 ratios. While grapeseed oil contains 696 times as many omega-6 fatty acids as omega-3s, and sunflower oil 40 time the amount, soybean oil contains just eight times the amount.
In fact, a review of seven seed oil studies showed that the effect of seed oils on the risk of heart attack varied by type.
While swapping beef tallow for seed oil always lowers cholesterol, it doesn’t always lower risk of death from heart disease.
Scientists at the University of California found that men with early prostate cancer who removed seed oils from their diet and consumed more omega-3-rich foods actually slowed the progression of their disease. Picture: Stock image
In short, while replacing saturated fats like butter with seed oils with a relatively equal omega-6 to omega-3 ratio reduces the risk of deadly heart attacks, switching them for oils with high levels of omega-6 – like grapeseed or corn oil – raises the risk of death from heart disease.
‘As well as being caused by high cholesterol, heart attacks can also be due to inflammation,’ said Dr Scourboutakos.
‘While scientists aren’t exactly sure why this occurs, the theory goes that high omega-6 levels could be causing inflammation that is then increasing the risk of fatty plaque build-up in the heart.
‘What it means is that you may be going to your doctor and being told your cholesterol is an okay level, but actually you’re still raising your risk of a heart attack.’
Dr Scourboutakos advises sticking to olive oil – which contains a different type of fat as well as plant nutrients that are contained in the fruit.
Or, if you need a milder flavour for cooking, rapeseed and soybean oil have the lowest omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acid ratios.
What’s the difference between quinsy and tonsillitis?
Both are throat conditions.
Tonsillitis is an infection of the tonsils caused by viruses or bacteria. Symptoms include sore throat, painful swallowing, fever, headache and swollen neck glands.
Viral treatment includes rest, fluids and pain relievers, while bacterial requires antibiotics. Repeat infections might lead to surgery to remove the tonsils. Quinsy is a pocket of pus, or abscess, that forms between a tonsil and the throat wall.
Symptoms include severe throat pain on one side, difficulty opening the mouth and swallowing, drooling, bad breath and fever. Treatment involves antibiotics, draining the abscess and pain medication.
