[penner2k]

Ok lets put this to a rest

Q: Does frying food in certain oils damage the oil (i.e. turn the oil into trans fatty acids or, somehow make the oil unhealthy to eat)?

A: The level in which it's "safe" to expose oil to heat greatly depends on the oil's structure (monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, and saturated). First let's look at what can happen to oils when they're heated and then we'll discuss the types of oils that we should be using.

The initial concern of many people (including the person who sent in the question) is that heating an oil will result in the formation of trans fatty acids.



This is a viable concern because these unnatural fats have no place in a person's diet.

Here's an interesting story about nutritional advice and trans fats (humor me and keep reading).

A couple months ago I caught a dietitian being interviewed on a local TV show about proper nutrition for the average person. In the interview she stated that a person should NEVER consume alcohol and they should minimize their trans fat consumption. Call me crazy but shouldn't it be the other way around?? I can think of 3 reasons off the top of my head why alcohol in moderation is beneficial and ZERO reasons for ingesting trans fats. The moral of the story: Just because they have a degree and are on TV doesn't mean their word should be taken as gospel.

Okay, sorry to digress.

Heating oils will lead to the formation of trans fatty acids, but this isn't main problem.

What is really a concern is the oxidation of the fats and the formation of free radicals. Having excess free radicals bouncing around your system is a bad idea. Free radicals have been accused of being a huge player in cancer, heart disease, and aging (to name a few).

How can you prevent trans fatty acid formation and oxidation? Here are a couple steps and tips that you can use to keep your healthy fats healthy while cooking:

1) Reduce the heat. Most of us are always on the go. This can often result in quick food preparation. One of the easiest ways to cook something faster is to cook it at a higher heat. I know, I'm guilty of this all the time. It seems like the burner on my stove top has two settings – off and very high. Taking the extra time to cook your foods over medium heat will help curb heat induced oxidation of your foods and fats.

2) Add a little water to the pan. This great tip comes from Udo Erasmus. Keeping a little water in your pan will allow you to keep the temperature below 212°F (otherwise the water will boil off). Controlling the heat this way can help reduce damage to the oils.

3) Select your cooking oils carefully. The more double bonds (or unsaturated) an oil has, the easier it's oxidized. This is why cooking with flax or fish oil is a HUGE mistake. Cooking with olive oils is a fine choice; just don't blast them with heat. I recommend that you have two types of olive oil in your cabinet: extra virgin and virgin. The extra virgin is the more pure, less refined of the two and should be used on cold foods (salads, protein shakes, etc.) or after the foods have been cooked (on top of steamed vegetables). Virgin olive oil has been processed a little more and is thus usually cheaper. This is the better choice to use for cooking because you won't be paying extra for the antioxidants and phytochemicals that will just end up being damaged and/or destroyed during the heating process (as would be the case with extra virgin olive oil).

For high-heat cooking purposes, saturated fats (coconut oil or butter) or heat-stable oils such as peanut or avocado oil are good choices.

http://www.tmuscle.com/free_online_a...ition/man_fuel