Health Hotline Magazine | February 2024

Are Vegetable Oils

Jeopardizing Your Health?

They’re not as healthy as you might think By Lindsay Wilson We’ve come a long way from the low- to no-fat diet trends of the 1980s and 90s—we finally understand that fat is not only good for us, but necessary for our bodies to function—but when it comes to understanding which fats are actually healthy, and those that are not, we’ve still got a long way to go. Case in point: high omega-6 oils like corn oil, sunflower oil, and soybean oil. These oils have long been touted as “healthy” alternatives to saturated fats found in traditional foods like butter and lard, particularly when it comes to heart health, and as a consequence, they have become the predominant fat in the average American’s diet. We cook with them at home and in restaurants, and they are ubiquitous in processed food, but when consumed in excess, these high omega-6 oils can promote inflammation and may contribute to the development of chronic disease, including heart disease. Omega-6s vs. Omega-3s: Why the Ratio Matters Both omega-6s and omega-3s belong to a class of fats called polyunsaturated fats, and our bodies require both types—in the proper ratio—to function properly. Both types are integral parts of our cell membranes and affect their fluidity, flexibility, and ability to function in a healthy way. They also modulate inflammatory processes in our bodies, with omega-3s being more anti inflammatory and omega-6s generally being more pro-inflammatory. Omega-6s are not innately bad—it’s the large amounts that we consume, in the absence of omega-3s, that make them unhealthy. While humans once consumed a ratio of about 1:1 of omega-6 to omega-3, that ratio has shifted to 20:1, or higher. We are deficient in anti-inflammatory omega-3s and eat excessive amounts of pro-inflammatory omega-6s, particularly in the form of processed vegetable oils. This promotes low-grade inflammation and oxidative stress, which may eventually lead to the development of diseases like cardiovascular disease, cancer, and inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. Consider these numbers: A ratio of 4:1 of omega-6 to omega-3 was associated with a 70 percent decrease in mortality associated with cardiovascular disease; a ratio of 2.5:1 reduced cell proliferation in patients

with colorectal cancer; a ratio of 5:1 had a beneficial effect on patients with asthma; and a ratio of 2-3:1 suppressed inflammation in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. The takeaway? A lower omega-6 to omega-3 ratio is supportive of overall health.

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