#3 of 10 Common Nutrition Misconceptions

When it comes to nutritional advice, everyone has an opinion. The problem is that there are so many varying opinions that it is many times very hard to find the truth. Some misguided notions are harmless, but others can be dangerous and can lead to health problems. Many nutrition myths get repeated over and over until they are mistaken for the truth. The good news is that slowly, the real truth is finally emerging. Truthful, accurate information is your number one weapon in taking control of your health. Nutritional advice from mainstream “experts” may not be based on science, but on outdated misinformation.

This is a 10 part series, attempting to separate the truth from misconceptions:

Misconception #3: High Omega-6 Seed and Vegetable Oils Are Good for You - Of all the health-destroying foods on the market, those made with highly processed vegetable and seed oils are some of the worst. When consumed in large amounts, as they are by most Americans, they seriously distort your important omega-3 to omega-6 ratio. In a perfect world, this ratio is 1 omega 6 to 1 omega 3. The average American is getting 20 to 50 times more omega-6 fats than omega-3 fats. Excessive omega-6 fats from processed foods significantly increase your risk for heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis and many other illnesses.

The cholesterol found in arterial plaque is oxidized, damaged cholesterol, which your immune system identifies as foreign bacteria. In response, your immune system sends out macrophages to attack the damaged cholesterol, which creates inflammation inside your artery walls. A major factor driving heart disease is this oxidized cholesterol, which you introduce into your body every time you consume vegetable oils, or foods cooked in them.

Many vegetable and seed oils are also genetically engineered, which only compounds their health risk. More than 90% of US canola oil is genetically modified. Of all the available oils, coconut oil is the one of choice for cooking because it’s close to a completely saturated fat, which means that it is stable and less susceptible to heat damage. Coconut oil is also one of the most nutritionally beneficial fats. Olive oil, while certainly a healthful oil, is easily damaged by cooking and heating and is best reserved for cold use, such as drizzling cold over salad.

For More Information:

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2014/07/16/top10-nutritional-myths.aspx?x_cid=20140716_lead_facebookdoc