More on Fats and Oils

The comment on the Coconut Oil post inspired me to do a little research into oils and fats. The University of Illinois, McKinley Health Center has a short summary of why some fat is essential for our diets, and in what foods they are found. Recognizing that some fat is necessary for health, I went to Dr. John McDougall’s website and read what he has to say on the subject. I was impressed by his description of what he calls “free oils”, which are the oils that we buy in the store for cooking, salad dressing, etc. These are oils taken out of their natural environment, or “whole food” source. Rather than a “food”, he refers to them as “medications”, as they are extracted and concentrated unnaturally. The difference between fat and oil is whether they are a solid or a liquid at room temperature.

The amount of fat that our bodies need to function at its best is very small. When we use fats in such a concentrated form, such as oils and other solid-type fats, we risk weight gain and the complications that arise from obesity. Research is also showing that too much fat can be toxic to our bodies, promote some cancers and suppress our immune systems.

We can easily get the necessary fats from a whole food diet that includes modest amounts of oil-rich foods such as nuts, avocados, seeds and olives. Fat is also found in the foods that our common oils are derived from – corn, soy, olive, etc. Ideas for cooking without oil can be found in the August 2007 McDougall Newsletter. Also see the link to Fat Free Vegan in the 'Links' section to the right.

McKinley Health Center

Dr. McDougall on Oil

Cooking Without Oils