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The subject of the article says as much about the politics of science as it is a comment on the science itself. To the extent the findings have been ignored, o
by jrapdx3 11y ago
The subject of the article says as much about the politics of science as it is a comment on the science itself. To the extent the findings have been ignored, or perhaps even shunned, is not at all unique. Many important advances in medicine had a notoriously difficult time being accepted, as an example, the idea that bacterial infection was the cause of stomach ulcers had been around for decades before gaining traction.
I think the substance of the science discussed revolves around the composition of dietary fat. As the article notes, the recommendation for increasing the proportion of "polyunsaturated" oils is likely a major factor. Indeed, common vegetable oils contain a high proportion of linoleic acid, the "base" omega-6 dietary source. It has been shown in numerous studies that the omega-6 (N-6) to omega-3 (N-3) ratio is important since these essential fats are linked to immune system functioning.
N-6 fatty acids are associated with pro-inflammatory factors, N-3 primarily leads to anti-inflammatory products. In the archaic/traditional diet, N-6 and N-3 were present in roughly equal proportion, but with marked increase in vegetable oil consumption, N-6 to N-3 becomes "imbalanced", e.g., 10:1.
Inflammatory processes are well-known to play a role in cardiovascular disease, so it's not hard to see how increased N-6 fatty acid intake is a contributor. However this info has not been a secret in the fields of obesity and metabolic disease treatment and research, where the impact of dietary fat intake has been discussed and published for more than 20 years.
Since the mid-90's I've recommended sharply reducing polyunsaturated vegetable oil intake as part of "lifestyle" changes supporting optimum health, particularly for patients with predisposition to metabolic disease. FWIW I've followed my own advice for at least as long, the results have impressed my internist who jokes that I've become quite an uninteresting case.
(Don't have references at hand. If anyone wants I'll post them.)
Edit: grammar!
- swsieber 11y agoI would love references!
- seizethecheese 11y agoThanks for the insightful comment. What would be a good substitute oil for cooking?
- themartorana 11y agoOlive oil for the pan. Don't know about baking. Apple sauce?
- skj 11y agoOlive oil burns too easily. I usually use peanut or safflower oil. Where do they fit in on this radar?
- jonah 11y agoCoconut Oil is good and has a high flashpoint. Edit: Lard and Butter also work quite well.
- meursault334 11y agoAlso goose fat for ultimate deliciousness. Edit: Geese might disagree but they're mean.
- WorldMaker 11y agoYou've got to respect those living dinosaurs, both for their taste and their mendacity.
- bcheung 11y agoIf you are concerned about flash point, make sure it is clarified butter (Ghee). Normal butter still has a decent amount of milk that will easily burn at lower temperatures.
- eru 11y agoButter is tasty, but can only stand low temperatures.
- Mz 11y agoWhat are you cooking? I mean, are we talking pan frying or deep frying? My understanding is that peanut oil is very pro inflammatory and a bad idea to use at high heat. Butter, animal fats and coconut oil are my go to oils. But I don't deep fry.
- jrapdx3 11y agoHere are a few references. These are recent open access articles covering the topic fairly broadly. Tons more out there, it's a big and important area of research. Artemis P. Simopoulos, An Increase in the Omega-6/Omega-3 Fatty Acid Ratio Increases the Risk for Obesity http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4808858/ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4808858/ Tani S1, Takahashi A, Nagao K, Hirayama A, Association of Fish Consumption-Derived Ratio of Serum n-3 to n-6 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids and Cardiovascular Risk With the Prevalence of Coronary Artery Disease. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25902881 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25902881 Khan SA, Ali A, Khan SA, Zahran SA, Damanhouri G, Azhar E, Qadri I, Unraveling the complex relationship triad between lipids, obesity, and inflammation. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25258478 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25258478
- dublinclontarf 11y ago> the idea that bacterial infection was the cause of stomach ulcers I would add to that "most", had a stomach ulcer, no bacteria detected in multiple tests. Turned out my stomach produces excess acid when I'm under stress.
- jrapdx3 11y agoYou are right, better to have said bacterial infection is a cause of ulcers. Actually infection instigates around 2/3 of ulcer cases. Other contributing factors include NSAIDs (like ibuprofen), stress, and certain endocrine conditions or tumors. Working out diagnosis and treatment can be complicated, so having a handle on your condition is a good thing.