Fats and Oils: Clearing the Confusion - Fats and Oils: Clearing the Confusion
By Fred Pescatore, M.D.
Aside from tax forms, it's hard to find anything more confusing to consumers than fats and oils. Fat-free diehards still don't know that fat is essential for the brain, hormones, cellular membranes: life itself. The clueless still use shortening, margarine and damaged grocery store vegetable oils. But what worries me more is that supposedly educated consumers aren't even getting it right. Should we be surprised since their doctors probably don't know the truth?
Mistakes made by your customers. They:
* Don't know monounsaturated fats are the key to health.
* Think olive oil is the healthiest choice.
* Buy junk olive oil without knowing it.
* Make olive oil toxic with misuse.
* Use grapeseed oil for its smoke point without regard to its pro-inflammatory fatty acids.
* Think all polyunsaturated fats are created equal.
* Believe flax oil is just the same as fish oil.
* Think healthy oil must be heavy and flavorless or strongly flavored.
* Don't know that oil has zero carbs.
* Don't know that all oils have the same number of calories.
Let's clear up these myths so consumers can get busy being confused about something else:
* A compelling number of studies clearly demonstrate that we should get about 80% of our fats as monounsaturated fats, a key to the health benefits of the Mediterranean diet. Monounsaturated fats (omega 9) have been shown to lower total cholesterol, increase HDL, improve blood sugar management and help prevent cancer.
* Properly prepared olive oil is a decent choice because it is relatively high (around 70%) in monounsaturated fats. However, macadamia nut oil is much higher (84%). Macadamia nut oil is also lower in saturated fat and significantly higher in vitamin E, already making it a healthier choice.
* Any time something becomes quite popular, pretenders ride the wave. It is beyond suspicious that more Italian olive oil is sold than is ac ...
Shop by...
Shop by Brands A,D,E,& K Vita's Single B Vitamins B Complex Vitamins C Vitamins MultiVitamins Single Minerals Essential Fatty Acids Special formulas Single Herbs Herbal Blends Guaranteed Potency Herbs Ayurvedic Herbs Glandular Concentrates
