Time for an Oil Change- Get Healthy Now

Seriously, no oil?  Not even coconut or olive oil?

I know.  I was sad too at first.  But again, we have to look at the evidence.

The use of oils in cooking/food prep has become a big controversy lately.  For me, I don’t care so much about the oil-free “movement” per se as I do the actual research.

Many people assume going oil-free is best  because of the processing, but processing isn’t the only reason to avoid a given food.  When I first started learning about this, I was reluctant to say the least.  I first heard about it from one of my holistic healthcare mentors who is really good about reading and keeping up with natural medicine research as well as doing his own.  I still didn’t even believe him then but have now since changed my mind for sure.

There are basically 4 main reasons that I have chosen to avoid oil for the past 5-6 years and recommend avoiding oil to clients.  Number 4 is the most important.

  1. Quality of the oils. Yes, like you mentioned, some oils are better than others as is with anything.  However, oils are sensitive to many factors that impact their freshness such as temperature, light, metals and exposure to oxygen.  It’s both the processing as well as the storage of the oils that contribute to this.1  These oxidative conditions produce aldehydes, ketones, epoxides and other chemicals that are considered carcinogenic.2  Unfortunately, these rules apply to all oils, not just certain oils.  Even when virgin olive oil was compared with refined olive oil, quality was still compromised.3  I don’t believe there’s a consistently accurate and practical way to ensure you’re getting good quality oil when you’re in the grocery or health food store.
  2. Quantity of the oils. Perhaps if you eat a super clean, whole food, plant-based diet void of animal products and processed foods, you may be able to get away with small amounts of oil on rare occasion.  However for most people, who are consuming oil multiple times per day every day, they are just getting way too much for the body to sustain.  It’s been my experience that most people’s liver and gallbladders are so overburdened that oils become another hit.  Admittedly, this is my personal deduction from my years in clinical practice.  Of course, there are many factors or reasons that play a role.  That said, again, if you don’t have any signs of liver/gallbladder issues, perhaps you could handle more oil… But I haven’t found that person yet.  For what it’s worth, my standard for someone who has liver/gallbladder issues is higher than just a disease diagnosis.  It seems even younger people have subclinical signs of these issues.  (Perhaps one of many reasons that so many people are having their gallbladders removed as well).4
  3. Oils are not whole food and whole real foods are better for disease prevention and the promotion of health.5  You will never see oils in nature outside of their whole food substance.  One of the benefits of eating whole foods is that, in nature, food is balanced with its synergistic cofactors and other nutrients that are needed for it to be properly used by the body.  Oils are stripped of fiber and other key nutrients that they were designed to be consumed with.  This is why some people taking certain supplements have issues. (For example, many iron supplements cause constipation but eating an iron-rich plant like kale typically does not.) This is also the reason that whole food supplements (assuming good quality) are safer and more effective.
  4. The biggest reason is oil’s overall impact on your holistic health, although most of the research has been on cardiovascular issues.6  Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn and Dr. Dean Ornish, both cardiologists, have done a lot of work in this area. The issues are with fats in general to some degree, but specifically oils.  Oils appear to cause challenges for proper endothelial function of the arteries, similar to the damage done by animal fat.7  As discussed above, since they’re no longer in their whole food form, oils are a concentrated fat.

***Another general conclusion for me both personally and professionally is that I want OPTIMAL health for myself, my family and my clients.  So, in this case, instead of asking questions like “what’s wrong with oil?” (which is a totally fair question), I’m more concerned with questions like, “what are the BEST sources of healthy fats?”  Framed in that light, algae, walnuts, chia seeds and avocados are what I personally use/recommend.

Of course, you can always do your own research and consider what’s best for you, but I am telling you, you will love the results.  Something you may want to consider is avoiding ALL oil for at least 30 days. (60-90 days is a better test but do at least 30 days.)  This includes all processed fats such as animal fats, coconut butter, cacao butter, etc.  If nothing else, this removes about 95% of processed foods, which will be helpful for sure.  Reach out and let me know how you feel.  I have seen clients lose weight, lose body fat, improve skin, digestive issues, balance hormones and much more after applying this principle for getting healthy now.

Let us know if we can help.  New Hope Health exists as a center for hope, healing and education to empower you to achieve optimal wellness for you and your family!

Resource List:

1. Choe E, Min DB. Mechanisms and factors for edible oil oxidation. Compr Rev Food Sci Food Saf. 2006. doi:10.1111/j.1541-4337.2006.00009.x

2. Chang LW, Lo WS, Lin P. Trans, Trans-2, 4-decadienal, a product found in cooking oil fumes, induces cell proliferation and cytokine production due to reactive oxygen species in human bronchial epithelial cells. Toxicol Sci. 2005. doi:10.1093/toxsci/kfi258

3. Gharby S, Harhar H, Matthäus B, Bouzoubaa Z, Charrouf Z. The chemical parameters and oxidative resistance to heat treatment of refined and extra virgin Moroccan Picholine olive oil. J Taibah Univ Sci. 2016. doi:10.1016/j.jtusci.2015.05.004

4. Yago MD, González V, Serrano P, et al. Effect of the type of dietary fat on biliary lipid composition and bile lithogenicity in humans with cholesterol gallstone disease. Nutrition. 2005. doi:10.1016/j.nut.2004.06.028

5. Hamblin J. Science {Compared} {Every} {Diet}, and the {Winner} {Is} {Real} {Food}. Atl. 2014.

6. Esselstyn C. Is Oil Healthy? Int J Dis Reversal Prev. 2019;1(2). https://ijdrp.org/index.php/ijdrp/article/view/35.

7. Gregor M. Olive Oil & Artery Function. NutritionFacts.org. https://nutritionfacts.org/video/olive-oil-and-artery-function/. Accessed May 30, 2020.

Nothing said or implied in this post is intended to treat, cure, diagnose or prevent any disease.  It does not take the place of a qualified health care practitioner and is intended for educational purposes only.

Dr. LeAnn Fritz, PhD

Dr. LeAnn is a practitioner, coach, speaker, consultant, and the founder of New Hope Health. She is also the author of The Quantum Weight Loss Blueprint, and Get Healthy Now. She is laser-focused on practical, evidence-based practices to empower her clients to get real results that last. She sets the bar when it comes to radiant health that will change every area of your life forevermore.

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