Umme Muaweya
Oils and fats are important nutrients in a healthy diet; scientifically they are called triacyglycerols but are commonly referred to in the food industry as triglycerides. Although the terms “oils” and “fats” are often used interchangeably, they are usually used to distinguish triglycerides in the liquid state at ambient temperatures (oils) from these in the solid state (fats). They are commonly of vegetable origin (e.g. palm oil, rapeseed oil, soybean oil, olive oil, cocoa butter etc) or animal origin (e.g. beef tallow and fish oils) as well as from animal milk fats. Our body needs healthy fats for energy and other functions but eating too much and the wrong kinds of fats, such as saturated and trans fats, may raise unhealthy Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and lower healthy High Density Lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. This imbalance can increase your risk of high blood pressure, hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis), heart attack and stroke.
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a general term for conditions affecting the heat or blood vessel. It’s usually associated with a build-up of fatty deposits inside the arteries (atherosclerosis) and an increased risk of blood clots. Cardiovascular disease is responsible for the largest proportion of deaths worldwide and Dyslipidemia is an important modifiable risk factor for the development of CVD. One non-pharmacologic intervention that can reduce the risk of CVD is the modification of dietary fat, whereby a reduction in the intake of saturated fats (SFs) that increase cholesterol levels and replacement with unsaturated fats that show positive effects on blood cholesterol levels insofar as they decrease LDL (bad) cholesterol and increase HDL (good) cholesterol levels may reduce the risk of CVD. The American Heart Association presidential advisory on dietary fats and CVD reviews and discusses the scientific evidence, including the most recent studies, on the effects of dietary saturated fat intake and its replacement by other types of fats and carbohydrates on CVD.
The early years of the 21st century saw widespread reformulation of many food products and the development of non-hydrogenated alternatives to previously hydrogenated fats. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the most commonly consumed oils worldwide are palm oil and soybean oil. Coconut oil and rice bran oil (RBO) are also popular in tropical region and throughout Asia. Based on their major Fatty acid (FA) components palm oil and coconut oil are classified as saturated fats (SFs), while soybean oil and RBO are classified as polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA)-rich oil and monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA)-rich oil, respectively. Although the use of palm oil and coconut oil in place of MUFA- and PUFA-rich oils increased LDL cholesterol.
Coconut oil is the most highly saturated naturally occurring fat (typically about 94% saturates). Other saturated fats are palm kernel oil (typically, 82% saturates), cocoa butter (typically, 60-64% saturates) and palm oil (typically 51% saturates). Beef tallow is also often considered to be in this category of saturated fats despite typically containing only 37% saturates. Olive oil and rapeseed oils are rich in monosaturates – typically, 56-83% and 50-66% respectively. Randomized clinical trials have shown that replacing saturated fat with linoleic acid reduces total and LDL cholesterol. Soybean oil typically contains 53% linoleic acid. Sunflower oil contains 69% linoleic acid. Replacement of PUFAs with coconut oil increased HDL (good) cholesterol and total cholesterol by 2.27 (0.93-3.6) mg/dl and 5.88 (0.21-11.55) mg/dl respectively – but not LDL cholesterol. Soybean oil substituted for other PUFAs had no effect on lipid levels, while rice bran oil substitution decreased LDL (bad) cholesterol.
Conclusion:
The 2019 American College of Cardiology (ACC) and American Heart Association (AHA) guideline on the primary prevention of CVD recommended the replacement of saturated fats (SFs) with dietary MUFA and PUFA-rich oils and also recommended plant-based diets, which are associated with lower mortality than animal-based diets. This guidance is similar to that issued by the European Society of Cardiology (ESC). The main sources of saturated fat to be decreased are beef tallow oil, palm oil, palm kernel oil and coconut oil. Polyunsaturated fats are contained in canola oil, corn oil, soybean oil, peanut oil, safflower oil, sunflower oil and walnuts. Olive oil, avocados and tree nuts such as almonds, cashews, hazelnuts, pistachios and pecans have mainly monounsaturated fats and are low in saturated fat.
Nutrition and cooking experts agree that one of the most versatile and a healthy oil to cook with and eat is “olive oil”, as long as it’s extra virgin.
- You want an oil that is not refined and overly processed, says Howard.
Extra virgin label means that it is not refined and therefore of high quality. -Bad oil adds foil in your life. -consuming just one teaspoon of olive oil a day can keep heart diseases at bay.
