The harsh reality- is simple- we consume unnatural things- processed in unnatural ways- and call these things “food”. This page is going to discuss the man-made oils that have invaded the food supply at an unprecedented rate- and the consequences- the metabolic consequences of perpetual consumption of these items.
We will look at common interpretations, and then some lesser-known science that proves that we are in a lot of trouble when we combine man-made oils, high heat, inferior meat and vegetables- and highly processed junk into our diet- because these things are not only detrimental to our health- we are what we eat, so we develop inferior health because we took in inferior products- this section is about the oils and high heat that damages them- and “rancidity”- which causes oxidative stress (free radical damage to cells).
A Brief History of Seed Oils.
Over the past century our consumption of seed oils has risen dramatically, especially in regards to soybean oil. Today seed oils are in everything from packaged snacks to marinades to nut milks to plant-based meats.
Americans’ massive shift in diet was heavily influenced by Procter & Gamble, originally a soap and candle making duo, who rose to a household name with the advent of Crisco. In the 1940’s P&G donated $1.5 million dollars to the American Heart Association (AHA), effectively allowing the organization to go national.
Throughout the 50’s a body of research emerged in support of Dr. Ancel Keys diet-heart hypothesis, claiming replacing saturated fats with vegetable oils reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease, by reducing LDL “bad” cholesterol.
Shortly after, the AHA recommended polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs), like vegetable oils to replace traditional saturated fats like butter, suet, tallow, and lard. Subsequently, dietary consumption of omega-6 polyunsaturated fats skyrocketed. Today in the Western world they constitute 8-10% of our total energy intake.
However, it’s important to note the earlier studies were intended to prove the heart-diet hypothesis and researchers were likely impacted by confirmation bias. Modern statistical analysis has effectively debunked the original research used by the AHA in formulating their dietary guidelines regarding reduced intake of saturated fat.
In fact, new research supports the exact opposite claim. Higher omega-6 intake from industrial seed oils consistently increases the risk of many chronic Western diseases including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, and many others.
This chart shows that the consumption of “seed oils” is only about 100 years old.
The rise in metabolic disease correlates- and there are lots of reasons- the high energy diet- and pro-inflammatory state caused by excess processed carbs and excess processed oils is the culprit.
And many people simply are so addicted to easy and cheap- that they are willing to compromise the quality and diminish the quantity of their lives as a consequence.
We could look at each of the studies- we could nit-pick and spend countless hours debating the veracity of the science- but it is a waste of time. The person suffering from heart disease and diabetes does NOT have the time it will take for everyone in medicine to understand this.
The person that consumes deep fried foods- is damaging himself on a cellular basis- and precisely at a time when he cannot afford any more cell damage.
The guy with diabetes and heart disease- prediabetes and heart disease- obesity or metabolic syndrome and heart disease- is at the tail end of his life unless he makes the proper changes to allow his body to heal.
I could write about AGE’s and ALE’s and carcinogens- and waste my time. It would be a waste of time because these complex situations can easily and readily be summed up as pro-inflammatory. And a tax on the immune system- and that tax is too high a price to be paid when it becomes obvious that the body is struggling to stay alive.
The doctors can blame genetics, they can blame us for being “fat” and “lazy”- but in doing this- they throw the baby (the truth) out with the bathwater. Genetics may be the gun- but environment pulls the trigger.
Diabetes- type 2 is a metabolic disease brought upon us by the consistent pounding of energy into overstuffed cells- and in order to reverse this- a person must follow the natural course- the direction is body is attempting to go- and from there we go next- this topic branches off- the seed oil discussion could be expanded into AGE (advanced glycation end products) ALE’s (Advanced lipid oxidation)
The consumption of higher quality foods- not food products- can help reverse the trend of lipid and protein oxidation- and lower blood glucose levels- are of the utmost importance to protect vascular and cellular health.
Type 2 diabetes- (and pre-diabetes) are the next topics of discussion.
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