Which oils to avoid?

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Which oils to avoid?

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2023 Jan 21, 7:13pm 22,902 views 182 comments

I'm increasingly frustrated at the rapeseed oil (euphemistically called "Canola" oil by Canadian producers) and palm kernel oil that seems to be in almost all food. Pretty much everything at Trader Joe's seems to have one or the other. I was even at a Russian shop in Palo Alto today (Samovar, fun place) and found the poppyseed cake my grandmother used to make - except it was with margarine instead of butter, ugh.

Which of them are worth avoiding entirely?

Here are the fats and oils I think are bad:

- margarine (which is just canola and other crap oils hardened to make them stick in your arteries better)
- canola oil
- cottonseed oil (especially bad)
- palm kernel oil

I'm undecided about these:

- soybean oil
- sunflower seed oil
- avocado oil
- coconut oil
- peanut oil

I'm sure these are pretty good for you:

- olive oil
- butter
- lard (yes, I think lard is OK to eat)

« First « Previous Comments 97 - 136 of 182 Next » Last » Search these comments

komputodo 2023 May 18, 7:38am

richwicks says

HAHA - all the top recommended are junk foods except for kale and watermelon, both of which I hate.

You must be black. The reason I say this is because the only people I've ever heard that claim that they hate watermelon were blacks when speaking to white folk.

NuttBoxer 2023 May 18, 8:25am

Buy local and buy organic. Italy exports 3x the olive oil they produce.

99 mell 2023 May 18, 8:32am

komputodo says

richwicks says

HAHA - all the top recommended are junk foods except for kale and watermelon, both of which I hate.

You must be black. The reason I say this is because the only people I've ever heard that claim that they hate watermelon were blacks when speaking to white folk.

lol I love watermelon!

100

komputodo 2023 May 18, 1:21pm

mell says

lol I love watermelon!

me too....Whats not to like?

101

Patrick 2023 Jul 27, 10:02am

102

RWSGFY 2023 Jul 27, 10:39am

Patrick says

Eh, sunflower oil is made by squeezing the seeds - I've seen the whole process. What comes out is dark and fragrant oil, not dissimilar from virgin olive oil in appearance.

So no need for any processing if virgin oil is what you want. But if you want light oil, it will have to go through processing and olive oil is no different here.

PS. This is a good example how memes can be effective ... in distorting the real picture.

103

NuttBoxer 2023 Jul 28, 9:12am

That's one see oil. So you throw out the entire meme for the exception, seriously? And I guess health isn't a concern here either, as you stop your examination at the processing phase.

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/is-sunflower-oil-healthy#downsides

Maybe step back a bit instead of picking through the weeds next time to find a point of contention.

104

Eric Holder 2023 Jul 28, 10:19am

NuttBoxer says

That's one see oil. So you throw out the entire meme for the exception, seriously?

The point is obviously not "one seed oil", but rather "olive oil in its refined form is heavily processed too". The meme omits the latter completely and makes it look like olive oil requires no processing.

105

Patrick 2023 Jul 28, 10:30am

My point in posting it was that Canola oil in particular is innately toxic, and heavily processed to get the toxicity down to a level that most people don't notice.

I don't mean that all seed oils need that much processing.

106

gabbar 2023 Jul 28, 10:41am

Note that whenever you are eating at any restaurant, this for profit business is most likely using seed oils to cook their food so that they can make more money. I bet if anyone saw the cheap oils they use, we could find it alarming.

107

gabbar 2023 Jul 29, 8:59am

Patrick says

My point in posting it was that Canola oil in particular is innately toxic, and heavily processed to get the toxicity down to a level that most people don't notice. I don't mean that all seed oils need that much processing.

Costco sells Canola oil, so do other stores. Its affordable. But I suspect that most restaurants use seed oils that are much cheaper than even Canola oil. Cotton seed oil?

108

RWSGFY 2023 Jul 29, 10:20am

Patrick says

My point in posting it was that Canola oil in particular is innately toxic, and heavily processed to get the toxicity down to a level that most people don't notice.

I don't mean that all seed oils need that much processing.

Does anybody eat canola seeds? I don't think so. Maybe a good rule of thumb would be if you can eat the seeds the oil is more or less ok, but if you won't eat the seed the oil is probably better be avoided too.

PS. Again we see the limits of memes: just like 140-character tweets they require lengthy clarifications.

109

Patrick 2023 Jul 29, 12:11pm

Good point. You cannot safely eat rapeseeds (Canola is just a marketing term to avoid the proper name, which contains the triggering word "rape") or cottonseeds.

I know memes have limits, but they also have a lot of virtues. They get to the point quickly. Most people simply don't have time to read everything.

110

gabbar 2023 Jul 29, 3:17pm

Coconut oil is healthy and affordable but sells the least at Costco, imo. People buy other unhealthy oils. Coconut oil does give a taste to the food, I didn't like it.

111

Patrick 2023 Jul 29, 3:48pm

I like the taste of coconut oil myself. Works well with fried Japanese sweet potato strips I think.

112 mell 2023 Jul 30, 1:01am

I'm not convinced that seed oils are bad in moderation. Sure canola is bad due to hexane et. al. But omega 6 isn't necessarily bad, it's actually shown that it helps for certain conditions, e.g. borage oils for neurodermitis. It's like with everything quality and amount that matters. That being said, I do believe they are inferior to olive, avocado or coconut oil. So if you consume a lot, better go with the latter.

113

richwicks 2023 Jul 30, 2:18am

komputodo says

richwicks says

HAHA - all the top recommended are junk foods except for kale and watermelon, both of which I hate.

You must be black. The reason I say this is because the only people I've ever heard that claim that they hate watermelon were blacks when speaking to white folk.

No, I just don't like it. I like bananas fine. I'd say pears and pineapple are the best fruits.

114

NuttBoxer 2023 Jul 30, 9:19pm

Eric Holder says

The point is obviously not "one seed oil", but rather "olive oil in its refined form is heavily processed too". The meme omits the latter completely and makes it look like olive oil requires no processing.

I hear you opinion, but it's never been corroborated by a single doctor that I've been to, or any research that I've done. And you're still getting lost in the woods with your friend. Health affects, good or bad, don't end at processing. If I follow the meme rather than your nit-picks, I will be overall healthier. I believe that's the whole point...

115

NuttBoxer 2023 Jul 30, 9:20pm

RWSGFY says

Does anybody eat canola seeds? I don't think so. Maybe a good rule of thumb would be if you can eat the seeds the oil is more or less ok, but if you won't eat the seed the oil is probably better be avoided too.

PS. Again we see the limits of memes: just like 140-character tweets they require lengthy clarifications.

Wow, you literally just did what you blame the meme for, but your advise will lead to worse health. Again, big picture PLEASE.

116

NuttBoxer 2023 Jul 30, 9:22pm

gabbar says

Coconut oil does give a taste to the food, I didn't like it.

Any sweets, like popcorn, pancakes are good with coconut oil. Or if you are cooking bitter vegetables and need to balance them out.

117

NuttBoxer 2023 Jul 30, 9:23pm

mell says

I'm not convinced that seed oils are bad in moderation.

Say that again after reading the link I provided.

118 mell 2023 Jul 30, 11:39pm

NuttBoxer says

mell says

I'm not convinced that seed oils are bad in moderation.

Say that again after reading the link I provided.

I think most if not all are inferior, but it depends on the application and the individual consuming them. If you avoid high heat frying/cooking and work out a ton, the arachidonic acid produced through the oils should benefit you as it aids in producing lean body mass and enhances workouts. For the average sedentary American massive amounts of seed oils should likely be avoided.

119

RC2006 2023 Jul 31, 9:23am

I've been using this for the last 6 months. I probably go through a stick of butter every 4 days so I could get away with a covered dish but I think this works better to have soft butter.

120 FortwayeAsFuckJoeBiden 2023 Jul 31, 9:38am

AmericanKulak says

I think McD's used to fry their fries in the grill grease, which is meat fat. Until the 90s, when they switched to vegetable oil.

If you can't make the oil by pressing it, don't use it.

they still do meat fat. it was on news month ago, vegetarians don’t like it.

121

stereotomy 2023 Jul 31, 10:43am

RE: Veganism

I think I'll start describing eveything I eat as plant based. Veggies - self explanatory. Meat - yes, meat is plant based. The cows eat the grass and clover, happy as clams, and later their meat is harvested containing the maximum nutrients from the plants. Pigs and goats, even chickens for that matter, are omnivores, so to be a dyed in the wool plant-based eater, only ruminants (cows, buffalo, etc.) will satisfy the strict vegan requirements for ultimately plant-based foods.

If they object (really?), how is this worse than chemical factories which produce mystery meat such as fake burgers, etc.? Which would you rather have, a chain of production from farmer to slaughter to your plate, or some unfathomable factory chemical process?

TLDR: Vegans are insane (just like Crazy Eddie, except worse).

122

richwicks 2023 Jul 31, 11:45am

AmericanKulak says

I think McD's used to fry their fries in the grill grease, which is meat fat. Until the 90s, when they switched to vegetable oil.

If you can't make the oil by pressing it, don't use it.

I'm pretty certain it was originally tallow which is beef fat, it could have been lard which is pig fat, and they couldn't be using the grease from the grill. It comes in these huge blocks you have to melt down. Oil from the grill is too contaminated by bits of meat.

Our "authorities and experts" claimed that hydrogenated soybean oil was "healthier" so that's what we had through the 1990s, until they decided it wasn't healthy.

123

Patrick 2023 Jul 31, 6:06pm

stereotomy says

Pigs and goats, even chickens for that matter, are omnivores, so to be a dyed in the wool plant-based eater, only ruminants (cows, buffalo, etc.) will satisfy the strict vegan requirements for ultimately plant-based foods.

True, we had chickens and I know that they love to eat insects.

124 Robert Sproul 2023 Jul 31, 6:56pm

mell says

For the average sedentary American massive amounts of seed oils should likely be avoided.

Hard to avoid for a lot of folks, they are in virtually ALL processed foods. The main offending element is the super high Omega 6/Linoleic Acid content in these oils. Some Dr's now are blaming the DiObesity epidemic on these oils more than Americans astonishing sugar consumption. I now consider it the main poison in the Standard Muppet Diet.
https://oh17.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/vegetable-oil-linoleic-acid-Mercola.pdf

125 Robert Sproul 2023 Jul 31, 6:57pm

126

stereotomy 2023 Jul 31, 7:03pm

To all those who wish to eat fully plant-based foods, I recommend the following family farms:

Burgundy Beef
Grandview TX

Wrong Direction Farm
Canajoharie NY

Once grass fed, never back . . .

127 mell 2023 Jul 31, 11:31pm

Robert Sproul says

mell says

For the average sedentary American massive amounts of seed oils should likely be avoided.

Hard to avoid for a lot of folks, they are in virtually ALL processed foods. The main offending element is the super high Omega 6/Linoleic Acid content in these oils. Some Dr's now are blaming the DiObesity epidemic on these oils more than Americans astonishing sugar consumption. I now consider it the main poison in the Standard Muppet Diet.
https://oh17.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/vegetable-oil-linoleic-acid-Mercola.pdf

Right, but it's mainly because they don't

1) take in enough anti-inflammatory omega 3s for balance

2) don't work out enough at all

Ironically arachidonic acid (which LA is converted into and can be inflammatory) is sold as supplements to athletes and body builders as it enhances output. If you work out and/or are active all day, the omega-6/LA intake should not be a huge problem.

128

Patrick 2023 Aug 2, 2:06am