Why You Should Never Eat Vegetable Oil or Margarine

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Why you should never eat vegetable oil or margarine
Wellness Mama » Blog » Health » Why You Should Never Eat Vegetable Oil or Margarine

Aside from whole grains, vegetable oils and margarine are some of the most misunderstood and over-recommended foods in the health community. You’ve probably heard these referred to as “heart-healthy oils,” a good alternative to those “artery-clogging saturated fats.”

Only one problem…. science doesn’t back these claims up!

Vegetable oils are found in practically every processed food, from salad dressing to mayo to conventional nuts and seeds. These oils are some of the most harmful substances you can put into your body, but more on that in a minute!

What Are Vegetable Oils/Margarine?

Vegetable oils (and margarine, made from these oils) are oils extracted from seeds like the rapeseed (canola oil) soybean (soybean oil), corn, sunflower, safflower, etc. They were practically non-existent in our diets until the early 1900s when new chemical processes allowed them to be extracted.

Unlike butter or coconut oil, these vegetable oils can’t be extracted just by pressing or separating naturally. They must be chemically removed, deodorized, and altered. These are some of the most chemically altered foods in our diets, yet they get promoted as healthy.

How Vegetable Oils Are Made

Vegetable oils are manufactured in a factory, usually from genetically modified crops that have been heavily treated with pesticides.

Take for instance the common canola oil, the beauty queen of the vegetable oil industry. It was developed by making a hybrid version of the rapeseed, and it was given its name in the 1980s as part of a marketing effort organized by a conference on mono-saturates.

Rapeseed oil contains high amounts of the toxic erucic acid, which is poisonous to the body. Canola oil is an altered version, also called Low Erucic Acid Rapeseed (LEAR) and it is commonly genetically modified and treated with high levels of pesticides.

Canola (modified rapeseed oil) is produced by heating the rapeseed and processing with a petroleum solvent to extract the oil. Then another process of heat and addition of acid is used to remove nasty solids (wax) that occur during the first processing.

At this point, the newly created canola oil must be treated with more chemicals to improve color and separate the different parts of the oil. Finally, since the chemical process has created a harsh smelling oil, it must be chemically deodorized to be palatable.

Hydrogenated Oil

If the vegetable oil is going to be made into shortening or margarine, it undergoes an additional process called hydrogenation to make it solid at cold temperatures. Unlike saturated fats (butter, coconut oil, etc.) vegetable oils are not naturally solid at these temperatures and must be hydrogenated to accomplish this. During this process of hydrogenation, those lovely trans fats we’ve heard so much about are created.

This chart from this informative article on the history and production of canola oil shows the process in more detail:

canola oil chart

Nothing like petroleum produced, overheated, oxidized, and chemically deodorized salad dressing for dinner…. yum.

(Compare that to butter… Step 1: milk cow. Step 2: let cream separate naturally. Step 3: skim off cream. Step 4: shake until it becomes butter.)

This article has fascinating videos contrasting the production of vegetable oils and butter.

History of Vegetable Oil Production and Consumption

As I mentioned, vegetable oil was practically non-existent in its current form in the early 1900s. Until that time, most people got their fats from animal sources like meat, tallow, lard, butter, cream, etc.

The overall amount of fat consumed has not changed much since then (it has decreased slightly) but the type has changed dramatically. In 1900 the amount of vegetable-based oils that people consumed was basically none. Today, people consume, on average, about 70 lbs of vegetable oils throughout the year. (Hmm, I wonder what 70 pounds of a “food” that was previously non-existent in human consumption might do to our health?)

Add to this the fact that the animals we eat are also often fed genetically modified pesticide-treated seeds and grains (cows are supposed to eat grass by the way!) and the amount of omega-6 rich oils and seeds in our diets is really high!

Though vegetable oil existed in the early 1900s, its use increase that much until the 1950s, when a governmental campaign was launched to convince people to eat vegetable oils and margarine and avoid “artery-clogging saturated fats.”

Check out the rise of canola oil since then (and the decline of butter):

why not to eat canola oil

And the rise in soybean oil production and consumption:

dont eat soybean oil

And corn oil:

u s corn oil consumption

As an interesting correlation, check out the rates of heart disease and cancer since then. As this article notes:

All one has to do is look at the statistics to know that it isn’t true. Butter consumption at the turn of the century was eighteen pounds per person per year, and the use of vegetable oils almost nonexistent. Yet cancer and heart disease were rare. Today butter consumption hovers just above four pounds per person per year while vegetable oil consumption has soared–and cancer and heart disease are endemic.

Since the 1950s these vegetable oils and their derivatives have been increasingly used in processed foods and for frying or cooking. They are marketed as healthy because they contain monounsaturated fats and some level of omega-3 fatty acids.

What’s Wrong With Vegetable Oils?

There are many problems with vegetable oil consumption, and in my opinion, no amount is safe. To understand why, let’s look at a few of the biggest problems with vegetable oils:

Our Bodies Aren’t Meant to Consume Them!

The fat content of the human body is about 97% saturated and monounsaturated fat, with only 3% polyunsaturated fats. Half of that three percent is omega-3 fats, and that balance needs to be there. Vegetable oils contain very high levels of polyunsaturated fats, and these oils have replaced many of the saturated fats in our diets since the 1950s.

The body needs fats for rebuilding cells and hormone production, but it has to use the building blocks we give it. When we give it a high concentration of polyunsaturated fats instead of the ratios it needs, it has no choice but to incorporate these fats into our cells during cell repair and creation.

The problem is that polyunsaturated fats are highly unstable and oxidize easily in the body (if they haven’t already oxidized during processing or by light exposure while sitting on the grocery store shelf). These oxidized fats cause inflammation and mutation in cells.

In arterial cells, these mutations cause inflammation that can clog arteries. When these fats are incorporated into skin cells, their mutation causes skin cancer. (This is why people often get the most dangerous forms of skin cancer in places where they are never exposed to the sun, but that is a topic for another day!)

When these oils are incorporated into cells in reproductive tissue, some evidence suggests that this can spur problems like endometriosis and PCOS. In short, the body is made up of saturated and monounsaturated fats, and it needs these for optimal health.

Vegetable Oils Contain High Levels of Omega-6 Fatty Acids

I’ve talked before about how the body needs omega-3 and omega-6 fats in balance, preferably a 1:1 ratio. Most people consume a much higher ratio of omega-6 fats, and this can lead to problems.

Vegetable oils contain a very high concentration of omega-6 fatty acids and polyunsaturated fats, which cause an imbalance of these oils in the body. Omega-6 fats are easily oxidized with heat or light exposure. This is another reason that when these types of fats/oils are incorporated into tissue like skin cells, the heat and light from sun exposure can increase skin cancer risk.

Unbalanced levels of omega-3 and omega-6 fats have been linked to skin cancer and many types of cancers. As a recent article from the Institute of Natural healing explains:

In one study performed at the University of Western Ontario, researchers observed the effects of ten different dietary fats ranging from most saturated to least saturated. What they found is that saturated fats produced the least number of cancers, while omega-6 polyunsaturated fats produced the most. Numerous other studies have also shown that polyunsaturated fats stimulate cancer while saturated fat does not1 and that saturated fats do not break down to form free radicals.2

In another study, Dr. Vivienne Reeve, PhD, Head of the Photobiology Research Group at the University of Sydney irradiated a group of mice while feeding while feeding different groups of them polyunsaturated and saturated fats. She discovered that the mice that consumed only saturated fat were totally protected from skin cancer. Those in the polyunsaturated fat group quickly developed skin cancers. Later in the study, the mice in the saturated fat group were given polyunsaturated fats. Skin cancers quickly developed.

The 3% of our body that is made up of polyunsaturated fats is approximately half omega-3 fatty acids and half omega-6 fatty acids and our body needs this balance. omega-3s have been shown to reduce inflammation and be protective against cancer, while too much omega-6 fats cause inflammation and increase cancer risk.

Over time, consumption of these oils high in omega-6s and polyunsaturated fats can also lead to other problems, as the above article elaborates:

The journal Epidemiology published a study called, “Margarine Intake and Subsequent Coronary Heart Disease in Men.” Authors of the study followed participants of the Framingham Heart Study for 20 years and recorded their incidence of heart attack. They also tracked both butter and margarine consumption.

The researchers discovered that as margarine consumption increased… heart attacks went up. As butter consumption increased… heart attacks declined.

The study also divided the data into ten year increments. What they discovered is that during the first ten years, there was little association between margarine consumption and heart attacks. However, during the second decade of follow-up, the group eating the most margarine had 77% more heart attacks than the group eating none!

Hmm… saturated fats don’t cause heart disease and vegetable-based fats do! Sounds like something I’ve said before.

Imbalance of these fats can also cause damage to the intestines and along with processed grain consumption can set the body up for a host of food allergies and autoimmune problems.

Chemicals and Additives in Vegetable Oils and Fats

Since vegetable oils are chemically produced, it’s not really surprising that they contain harmful chemicals. Most vegetable oils and their products contain BHA and BHT (Butylated Hydroxyanisole and Butylated Hydroxytoluene) which are artificial antioxidants that help prevent food from oxidizing or spoiling too quickly.

These chemicals have been shown to produce potential cancer-causing compounds in the body, and have also been linked to liver/kidney damage, immune problems, infertility or sterility, high cholesterol, and behavioral problems in children.

Vegetable oils also contain residues of the pesticides and chemicals used in their growth and manufacture and most often come from genetically modified sources.

Reproductive Problems and Problems in Children

Vegetable oils are extremely damaging to the reproductive system and the developing bodies of unborn babies and children. Because the reproductive system in both men and women is constantly producing and dividing new cells, there is potential for mutation and problems when these cells are made of the wrong kind of fats and are oxidized.

This same thing applies to unborn babies and children, whose cells are dividing at high rates. There is more potential for mutation because there are more cells dividing. From this article:

What the scientific literature does tell us is that low fat diets for children, or diets in which vegetable oils have been substituted for animal fats, result in failure to thrive–failure to grow tall and strong–as well as learning disabilities, susceptibility to infection and behavioral problems. Teenage girls who adhere to such a diet risk reproductive problems. If they do manage to conceive, their chances of giving birth to a low birth weight baby, or a baby with birth defects, are high.

Excess consumption of vegetable oils also causes problems with hormone production, since hormones are dependent on certain fats for their manufacture. Vegetable oils that are hardened by hydrogenation to make shortening or margarine are especially damaging.

Other Effects of Vegetable Oils on the Body

Because vegetable oils oxidize easily, they deplete the body of antioxidants since the body must use these to attempt to neutralize the oxidation. People with high consumption of vegetable oils and their products are at risk for vitamin E deficiency and other deficiencies.

Vegetable oil consumption has been linked to a host of other problems, among them (from the same article above):

In test animals, diets high in polyunsaturates from vegetable oils inhibit the ability to learn, especially under conditions of stress; are toxic to the liver; compromise the integrity of the immune system; depress the mental and physical growth of infants; increase levels of uric acid in the blood; cause abnormal fatty acid profiles in the adipose tissues: have been linked to mental decline and chromosomal damage and accelerate aging. Excess consumption of polyunsaturates is associated with increasing rates of cancer, heart disease and weight gain.

In light of all that information, how do you sort out which oils are healthy, and which ones aren’t? Even more important, how do you know how much of each one to consume to be healthy?

Oils and Fats to Avoid

Vegetable oils and their fats should be avoided completely. There are much healthier alternatives and there is no reason or need to consume these types of fats. The main culprits to watch out for are:

  • Canola Oil
  • Corn Oil
  • Soybean Oil
  • “Vegetable” oil
  • Peanut Oil
  • Safflower Oil
  • Cottonseed Oil
  • Grapeseed Oil
  • Margarine
  • Shortening
  • Any fake butter or vegetable oils products

There is no nutritional need for these oils and healthy fats can be found in higher amounts and better ratios in many other types of fats. This article has a great breakdown of the polyunsaturated, monounsaturated, and saturated content in the above oils.

While it is simple enough to avoid these oils themselves, the tougher challenge is avoiding all the foods they are in. Check out practically any processed food, and you will find at least one of these ingredients, often labeled as “partially hydrogenated corn/soybean/etc. oil” or “may contain soybean or canola oil.” These foods in particular often contain one of the above unhealthy oils:

  • Salad dressings
  • Store-bought condiments
  • Mayo
  • Chips
  • Artificial cheeses
  • Store-bought nuts and snacks
  • Cookies
  • Crackers
  • Snack foods
  • Sauces
  • Practically anything sold in the middle aisles of the store

Oils and Fats to Use Freely

There are so many wonderful and healthy fats that are beneficial to the body, so there is no reason to consume the unhealthy ones above. Fats that can be consumed freely for optimal health are:

  • Coconut Oil– Filled with medium chain fatty acids and lauric acid, coconut oil is an all-star of the saturated fats. Since the fat composition in cells in the body is largely saturated fat, it is important to get enough of it from healthy sources. Coconut oil does not oxidize easily at high temperatures or go rancid easily, making it a good choice for cooking and baking. It also makes a great natural moisturizer and can be substituted for butter.
  • Meats – Meat, especially red meat, has gotten a bad rap, and unfortunately, the animals we eat have been as mistreated nutritionally as we have. Meats like grass fed beef and free range chicken has a very different nutritional profile than their feedlot counterparts. Grassfed and free range meats have higher nutrient levels, healthy forms of saturated fats and even omega-3s. If possible, consume these forms of meat.
  • Butter– This one food is usually the one people are happiest to start using again. Butter tastes delicious, and pastured grass fed butter is an excellent source of fat soluble vitamins, healthy saturated fat and other nutrients. In contains a compound that Weston A. Price called Activator X, known to improve nutrient absorption and have preventative benefits against disease.
  • Organic Cream– also a good source of healthy saturated fat, organic heavy cream is essentially liquid butter, and is great served whipped on top of fruit, in desserts or in cream based recipes.
  • Olive Oil– High in monounsaturated fats and low in polyunsaturated fats, olive oil is a great oil for salad dressings, homemade mayo,  and cold recipes. It shouldn’t be used for cooking since its high monounsaturated fat content makes it susceptible to oxidation at high temperatures.
  • Palm Oil– Has a high saturated fat content and is also heat stable. Some sources claim that palm oil production often encroaches on the natural habitat of some endangered animals, though sustainable versions can be found. If in doubt, just use coconut oil.
  • Avocados and Avocado Oil– A good source of monounsaturated fats and great on salads or in guacamole. Avocado oil is mild tasting and can be used in salad dressings.
  • Fish– Fish is naturally high in omega-3 fatty acids and can help improve the omega-3/omega-6 balance in the body. Look for sustainable wild caught sources, and stick to small fish like tuna, sardines, salmon, etc to minimize mercury.
  • Eggs– Another all-star in the healthy fats community, eggs are loaded with vitamins, healthy fats, and necessary cholesterol. Consume them daily from free-range sources.

Oils and Fats to Consume in Moderation

Some fats are nutritious and beneficial to the body but should still be consumed in moderation if they are eaten. Many contain high levels of Omega-6 fats and can therefore mess up the balance of fats in the body.

  • Flaxseed Oil– Though it contains a good amount of omega-3s, it also has a lot of omega-6s and its high polyunsaturated fat content makes it prone to oxidation if heated. Fish oil is a much better source of omega-3s, and in general, I don’t recommend flax oil, though it certainly is not the worst option.
  • Walnut Oil– Also high in omega-6 fats, but it has a great rich taste and can be safely used occasionally in dressings or desserts. It also has a slightly higher resistance to oxidation at higher temperatures than other nut oils.
  • Sunflower Oil– Many brands with a reputation for health consider high oleic sunflower oil safe and even beneficial as it contains some of the same compounds as olive oil. However, most sunflower oils added to vegetable oil blends are not in this form, so I avoid it unless it’s from a company I trust. Short answer: it isn’t something I’d cook with in large amounts or consume by itself, but it isn’t on my no list and I consider true sunflower oil safe.
  • Macadamia Nut Oil– This is one of my favorite tasting oils, but it is expensive. It is great in salad dressings or mayo. It has a lot of monounsaturated fats and low levels of polyunsaturated fats.
  • Nuts– Most types of nuts (remember peanuts are not nuts) are a good source of protein and healthy fats and can be eaten in moderation without problem. Just check to make sure they haven’t been cooked in vegetable oils, which is often the case. Nuts also contain phytic acid, so consuming them in excess can be problematic for tooth and bone health.

What to Do With the Vegetable Oils You Have Already?

If you already have some of the unhealthy vegetable oils in your house… don’t eat them! I’m not a fan of waste either, so use them up in other ways. They can be used to make homemade playdough or floor cleaner. You can also stick them in your shed for oiling tools. (Did I mention, don’t eat them!)

This article was medically reviewed by Dr. Robert Galamaga, whois a board-certified internal medicine physician. As always, this is not personal medical advice and we recommend that you talk with your doctor or work with a doctor at SteadyMD.

Are you ready to throw out the vegetable oils? Still think canola oil is heart healthy? Share below!

Vegetable oil and margarine are artificial fats that have a very negative effect on the body. Find out why you shouldn't consume these oils.

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Katie Wells Avatar

About Katie Wells

Katie Wells, CTNC, MCHC, Founder of Wellness Mama and Co-founder of Wellnesse, has a background in research, journalism, and nutrition. As a mom of six, she turned to research and took health into her own hands to find answers to her health problems. WellnessMama.com is the culmination of her thousands of hours of research and all posts are medically reviewed and verified by the Wellness Mama research team. Katie is also the author of the bestselling books The Wellness Mama Cookbook and The Wellness Mama 5-Step Lifestyle Detox.

Comments

547 responses to “Why You Should Never Eat Vegetable Oil or Margarine”

  1. KT Avatar

    Dear Katie,

    Thank you so much for writing this blog! I surely learned something I did not know, and aroused a few questions to follow up on.

    Firstly, what would you recommend someone who is a vegetarian and can not eat dairy products?

    I have been using a Spectrum Naturals Organic Canola Oil for frying, because I read an article that recommended this as one of the oils best for frying purposes since it has a very high smoke point compared to olive oil or other more delicate oils.
    This is the link so you can see which product I am referring to: https://www.amazon.com/Spectrum-Culinary-Organic-Canola-Oil/dp/B000QV1PR0/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&linkCode=ll1&tag=wellnessmama-20&linkId=6f91f39d3cd87cb4cdbbab540cd952c4&language=en_US

    What do you think of cotton seed oil? I have seen a demonstration of how by simply pressing on the seed, the oil starts to separate and in quite high quantities. Would you recommend an organic version of cottonseed oil?

    What oils do you recommend for frying?
    And in what quantities should we use oils daily, whichever they would be: frying oils or salads oils…

    Thank you so much Katie!
    Looking forward to hearing from you,
    KT

  2. Shannon Avatar
    Shannon

    Hi Katie,

    I really like your article! It is very helpful and informative. I was hoping to get your thoughts on this. I have Meibomian gland dysfunction ( MGD) which is basically when your eye oil glands get blocked and produce dry eyes and other complications if not treated. It makes it very difficult for me to wear contact lenses. My optician recommended Udo’s oil and although I bought it I havent taken it because after reading your article I realised that it has the not -good-for-you-oils:

    Ultimate Oil Blend provides a premium natural source of unprocessed, undamaged Omega 3 and 6 in a ratio that supports optimum health.

    • Flax seed oil
    • Sunflower seed oil
    • Sesame seed oil
    • Coconut oil
    • Evening primrose oil
    • Soy lecithin (GMO-free)
    • Rice bran and oat bran germ oils
    • Tocotrienol

    And this is how you can take it:
    Enjoy a drizzle of Udo’s Oil in salad dressings, smoothies, soups, casseroles, porridge, pasta dishes, mashed or baked potatoes, protein shakes and more.

    – See more at: https://www.udoschoice.co.uk/products/udos-choice-ultimate-oil-blend

    Anyways, I assume its best I dont take it, have you come across any product or natural remedies for this type of problem. My optician also recommended eating oily fish, but said its best if I also take the Udo’s oil. Thanks!

  3. Nikki Avatar

    Hello from sunny Singapore. I chanced upon your site while looking for home remedies for eczema and have been hooked ever since. Coconut oil is always liquid at room temperature here which is between 86-92 degrees all year round. So I’m kinda jealous that you can use it as spreads. My question is that I see a lot of Palm olein in the supermarkets. How are they different from Palm oil. I read up some but it doesn’t tell me if I can or should not use this oil. Hope to hear your views about this. Thanks!

      1. Carolyn Avatar

        Thanks for the reply!

        I used to use coconut oil as a post-shower all-over body oil, but for daily use it’s heavy and the amount of time it took to absorb started to bug me, which is why I started using grapeseed (also a lot cheaper!)

        My current concern with the grapeseed though, which your article touches on, is that my skin may be absorbing the omega 6s. But considering that some omega 6s from unprocessed sources can be good for you, maybe my skin isnt absorbing enough of them to be too much of a concern?
        Thanks again for your insight!

  4. Suzanne Avatar
    Suzanne

    Great post! You state that olive oil is on the ok list. I worry about that as there have been stories regarding the unregulated olive oil industry. Who knows what the oil actually is. I make my own mayo but hate using the olive oil from grocery store (we prefer the light tasting for our mayo). Do you have a source for a true light tasting olive oil that’s the real deal? Thank you

  5. Eliz Avatar

    Hi, I’d like to know if any substitution for shortening or butter to make puff for vegan?

  6. Rich Allen Avatar
    Rich Allen

    This article contains many things that were true, but now are not true. For instance, my commercial canola oil has 0% trans fats. When the facts became known over the past decade, most producers fixed their processes.
    Also, many articles ignore the effect of saturated fat on levels of “bad cholesterol”. Trans fats are slow poison but bad cholesterol also is very harmful.
    In my opinion, at this time, most of the health science is still unsettled. It is a complicated area and the ratio of fats in the diet may be very important.
    Careful studies have proven that heating oils which are high in omega-3 convert some of it into trans fat, which is bad. But instead of engaging in conspiracies, most of the food industry has sensibly stopped that.
    Labeling for trans fat content also has helped move the food industry along. Those numbers should be more precise. Now, a product which is 0.4% trans fat can be labeled 0%.

  7. Monica Avatar

    Hi Katie,

    I love your blog! I’ve learned so much. I was wondering though, under the bullet point where you list “Fish” you wrote “…stick to small fish like tuna, sardines, salmon, etc to minimize mercury.”

    I thought that tuna was a large fish that did contain high levels of mercury… was that a typo or am I confused?

  8. Jen Avatar

    WOW!!! I am in the presence of superlatives 1) 4yrs, 400+ comments and still going strong. Your public loves you, as you serve it. I have been lurking, you know how it is, the iceberg of blog readership….

    2) and you certainly have broad interests! I’ve read some of your ferment/from scratch tutorials, thank you for what you do, all of it, Mme Mama. But this really takes it; as broad as it is, somehow it counts as a summary! How do you do it? What do you know that we don’t?

    3) Tres engage! Toujours! You follow up with people, who have dumb questions…that sound a lot like what I was thinkin! You really make it too easy on us lurkers. In fact, your consistent replying encouraged me to post- I’m assured you’ll read this, but don’t feel obliged to reply (if I had to pay in comments I’d end up having to guest post with a post to match this here ‘summary’ 😉 I just had to acknowledge a debt of long standing.

    Quick question, what do you think of ghee, ranking-wise? It actually has a higher smoke point than coconut. Although the thing that brought me here was my long-term confusion as to…how am I supposed to balance my omega 3’s and 6? Just look at the dietary sources! Even worse, w-3 has to be animal based, but plant w-6 is uh, effective enough. Then the bit about getting our fats 97% saturated- I was jumping out of the bath with my laptop, screaming ‘I have it! I have it!’. Thanks for the lightbulb moment. Nevertheless, my fat breakdown resolved I was highly impressed by how you outlined the worthless, damaged status of the oils from about 30 seconds into ‘refining’. Specifically, how they are thoroughly ‘noxicised’-ovrheated veg oils that are darkened(nox), toxic, oxidised and noxious.
    The same impetus/search terms that have so often led me here led me to the conclusion supporting ghee, what my mother baked with 10 yrs ago n I hated the smell! Fast forward, for cost reasons I use it for everything, even where I would stricly rather use coconut. And I have pushed it on the family-ghee full spectrum, is what I expect’em, if I should respect ’em. Here in Kenya it’s always been big with the Indian community. An Indian friend recommended a 60/40 ghee/cold-pressed sunflower oil for skin. A flask-ful really lasts. I add a drop of neem oil-it absorbs into skin so fast! Just shake b4 use. I also let it sit in the sun with oregano mixed in to let the lipids infuse-this is a cost-effective substitute for coconut oil supplemental intake; the origanum oils are a fair second to lauric acid in coconut, and your colon loves it some butyrate. Gioregano don’t taste too bad either, bout as italian as it sounds! I use it in hair (with a little eucalyptus for the smell!) and really am just bleddy fond of it.

    It’s so cost effective in my (subtropic? funny how that worls out) neck of the woods versus coco oil that I really would feel complete if you would give it top billing over coconut. Again, ghee is just a reality of the retail/grocery experience here in Nairobi so the very day I heard good things about it it was in my face as I went about my other shopping-and saved me 20% what I budgeted for coconut oil! You can make it yourself, and easier than rendering (though I haven;t quite baked with ghee, I suspect tallow shall be….rendered obsolete (YEEEEEEEAAAAAAHHH!)) and probably more local to you than coconut palms, plus omega-3s if you get it grass-fet (and eat frm the jar!) Just give the good word. I will accept an ‘honorable mention’ under ‘to use freely’ (and separate from butter) but-Katie!! The people need to know!!

    1. Katie - Wellness Mama Avatar

      Great question and thank you for the long and thoughtful comment. I do eat with ghee and think it can be a great and healthy fat, it is just cost prohibitive in some places (in the US, it costs more than coconut oil). If you have a good source of grass fed ghee, go for it! 🙂

      1. Julian Casave Avatar
        Julian Casave

        Find me butter that melts and tastes like margarine and I’m sold. I dislike the taste of butter, it smells like cow. Besides it’s harder for it to And when cooking with sunflower oil food smells better than when cooking with coconut oil. Why don’t they produce coconut oil that mimics the tasty sunflower oil smell?

  9. Jane Avatar

    Hi Wellness Mama,

    Great article, but I would like to contradict about organic label. Did you know that in the USA milk and products made of milk (like butter) can be labeled as organic if cows have been grass-fed only 3 months through out the year and the rest of the time they have been eating whatever they were given by the cattleman. So the label “organic” does not guarantee that those cows have been eating only grass through their lifetime. The same applies to other “organic” food. There is a limit of pesticides and other crap on organic food, but other non-organic food may have less of that crap, but suppliers just do not have enough investments to, as I like to say, “buy the label”. So do not rely only on the label…

  10. Lynette Avatar

    I have been completely eliminating fake/processed oils from our diet but haven’t been able to find a good replacement for olive oil in baking bread. Any suggestions?

  11. Dragana Avatar

    Hi Katie
    Up till now I have thought that it’s only important to choose a ‘cold pressed’ type of oil no matter of the kind and we have used mainly rice bran oil.
    What do you think of rice bran oil?
    Also, I would appreciate if you could tell me if any kind of coconut/olive oil is ok? I know that extra virgin, organic, cold pressed is definitely the best one, but it can be almost 3x more expensive than the refined versions. I cannot afford that but would like to find the best alternative. So, is refined coconut/oil oil is still a better option than vegetable oils? Thanks!

  12. Zina Avatar

    Please, just do some more research… Coconut oil has some claimed health benefits (none of which have been backed up by science) and butter is just really really unhealthy for you, out of the two, margarine is the lesser of two evils, not only that, but you can get many types of margarine that don’t use hydrogenation, here (Australia) for example, hydrogenated margarine is a strange and rare sight! Also, on the use of coconut oil, it has been linked to breast cancer and other cancers by regular users, however the research is still going.

  13. Chelsea Avatar

    I switched back to butter (GRASS FED ORGANIC) about a year ago and ended up losing 50 lbs and lowering my blood sugar…my trick was not to eat it with carbohydrates, and in its proper portion size and not every day (coconut oil I ate every day). It’s too bad we were given such poor advice in the 90s…honestly how can you take advice seriously when it was said that pretzels were a healthier option than nuts o_o

  14. Kelsey M Avatar

    Hi! I’ve been avoiding using vegetable oil and have replaced it with olive oil in some baking recipes but I just read that olive oil shouldn’t be used for cooking. Does that include baking? Or is it just frying? What else can I bake with? I’m nervous to use coconut oil because I don’t really like the flavor of coconut. Does it give the food a strong coconut flavor? Thank you!

  15. Kevin Avatar

    Amazing article thank you so much! I was just wondering if avocado oil could be like the one oil for every day use. Some people say it is not good to use it regularly, but I love it because of its taste and high smoke point. I also wanted to know if REFINED avocado oil is good too or is it just as bad as the rest of the refined oils?

  16. Duncan Avatar

    I keep looking for the citations where your quoted studies are coming from, but the only outbound links you have are to other published websites that are equally lacking in citations. If you are going to present this as a valid argument, I expect to see the science and the studies before I’m willing to abandon vegetable oils.

    1. Gary Avatar

      Being examined via a Cardologist and passing the exam along “no stents found to be needed”, I’ll venture, I am a study in motion @ 68.
      Personally, I rarely (if ever) consume prepared foods and do my best to leave canned goods on the shelf along with staying away from fried foods (other than the occasional steak) and away from dairy the best I can.
      Using the oils this article OP mention, has also been something I have been doing for decades.
      If you feel deep frying using these oils along with margarine on your muffin needs examination.. the Doctors offices are full of people that are sucked into the McDonalds, Pizza Hut, Dairy Queen, etc.,
      etc., lifestyle.
      Good for you if you are a part of this way of life (keep it up, I won’t miss U). pc

    2. Susan P Avatar

      Duncan,
      Please give references to the studies of these genetically modified and/or chemically altered oils and margarines that prove they are safe. You cannot because the FDA has approved them and the USDA promotes them as healthy WITHOUT requiring any testing at all to determine whether or not the “altered” food is or is not safe. They simply assume that if you start with an edible seed it is still safe and edible regardless of what is done to it in the lab; up to and including making Round Up part of the GMO plant’s DNA so it can resist the herbicide while it grows.

      Many of us have suffered gastric distress and worse due to consuming these oils and margarines and have chosen to go back to God made varieties and leave all the lab manufactured junk to those who do not care about their health. Like Gary, I am a 68 year old who chose years ago to stop believing all the BS fed to us by food manufacturers and government offices and return to the eating habits of my childhood and before. I have consistently improved my health and am at the healthiest I have been in my entire life. I have zero conditions that require drugs to control. Should I slip and consume some GMO altered or manufactured food, I suffer the consequences physically. As long as I do not consume them I am free of such irritations as gastric distress, lethargy, extreme fatigue, muscle cramps, depression, stress, inflamed tissue, stiff joints and excessive fluid retention among others.

      You are free to do as you choose. If you think we are all crazy, that is your prerogative. Do your own research. We have…

  17. Beth Avatar

    Susan you are my hero! I dream to be like you when I am your age. Unfortunately I fell for the lies about whole grains and vegetable oils and I am paying a price for it. I am paleo now and have improved tremendously in the four months of this way of eating. I often come to this blog for research. I am rarely disappointed.

    1. Susan P Avatar

      Beth,
      Keep up the good work. Learn to listen to your body. If you add a new food to your diet, please only add one at a time and watch how your body reacts after consuming it. When we pay attention, our body will tell us what is good and what is not. Drop anything that causes even the slightest distress. In the long run you will benefit from it. Stick to natural, whole foods without all the preservatives added in manufactured foods. Also, avoid GMO. I dropped wheat from my diet in July 2014 and my health has again increased in ways I never dreamed it would. Modern wheat was modified in the lab beginning in the 1960s. At that time there was a fear that population growth would cause world wide famine. They were successful in the lab in increasing the yield of a single stalk of wheat 10 fold. But, the very thin stalk was unable to handle the weight of the increased yield and a slight breeze or a light rain would cause the wheat to lay down in the field. Once down, it did not rise again and began to rot. More work in the lab increased the diameter of the wheat stalk, but also shortened it. Wheat pre-1960 was about 4′ tall. Modern wheat is about 1′ tall with a much thicker stem. Now, wheat has about 5% of its proteins that resemble nothing in the DNA of the parent wheat strains. I call this 5% Frankenfood. Due to this unknown quality of modern wheat I find that if I have a dinner based on pasta (made from durum wheat) I have a miserable 24 period with much gastric distress. As much as I love tortellini, I am happier and healthier not eating it at all. I also now only eat breads made with Spelt. Spelt is a 10,000 year old grain that has never been modified in a lab. Spelt flour can be found in some health food stores. It is more expensive than the common “all purpose flour” made with genetically modified wheat, but it does not cause me any problems. Of course, this means I bake all my breads, muffins, etc. myself.
      Good luck to you on your quest to be and stay healthy.

  18. Jennifer Avatar

    I LOVE LOVE LOVE that you are wanting to educate people on nutrition and expose the food industry. However, you do not site your souces. With the overwhelming and conflicting info out there, are we just suppose to take your word for it? For example I am in my last quarter of a BS in Kinesiology (exercise science) and reading about how canola, soybean, safflower, sesame, and flax oil are great sources of a-linolenic acid (Omega-3, EPA, DHA) which means it benefits vital body structures, immune function, vision, plasma membranes, and production of eicosanoids. This book is written by those with doctorates and is based on a plethora of scientific studies. But here you are telling us to use butter, high in harmful saturated fats. You also mention erucic acid as being toxic, which it has shown to be in animals, but has NOT been shown to be in humans. (Wikipedia). I am also a certified fitness nutrition specialist and a certified personal trainer. I guess what I am saying is if you want to inform the public, the public ought to have access to your source of information, so that we can determine how credible the source is and if there are conflicting studies. Thank you!

    1. Susan P Avatar

      The truth is that most of those oils have NOT been tested for safety in humans. Canola oil is made from a genetically modified rape seed and does indeed contain Erucic acid. The genetic modification was necessary to make it marginally safe for humans as erucic acid will kill humans. But zero testing was done to insure no long term health problems exist.

      Do you know any history of WWI? U.S. soldiers were killed on the battlefield by a biologic weapon known as mustard gas. The source of mustard gas with the erucic acid taken from rape seed. Do not depend on Wikipedia for the truth as anyone with a computer can edit Wikipedia. I know this because I have corrected errors in articles there.

      Today’s GMO food stuff is not tested because the “assumption” is that what they started with was food so the changes don’t matter. But, they do matter. Today’s GMO is not simply the result of cross breading different strains to create a better plant. Today’s GMO is altered in the lab with items that were never meant for human consumption. For example, 5% of the proteins in modern wheat bear no resemblance to any protein in the parent wheat plants. The seeds have been treated with chemicals to allow the wheat to resist the herbicides sprayed on the fields to kill weeds. Monsanto’s “Round Up Ready” wheat seeds have been altered in the lab to allow the plant to be impervious to Round Up. Dow Chemical recently received permission from the FDA to produce similar seeds that can resist Agent Orange.

      Do you know what your body does with “foreign” objects it does not recognize as food? Such things in your diet are quarantined in fat cells to protect you from the poison. Research the rise in heart disease, diabetes, cancer and obesity and how that rise compares to the increase in GMO foods entering the food supply. Despite what you have read about saturated fats being “death” to the heart, there was almost no heart disease when butter and lard were the main fats in everyone’s diet. It is trans fats, produced in manufactured food stuff that is the cause of most of the medical problems; not natural saturated fats. All hydrogenated fats are trans fats.

      To decide what is and is not safe, look at how the oil is produced. Avoid anything from a GMO source. Then avoid the oils that are extracted by chemicals and/or high heat. Those that are cold pressed from non GMO seeds should be safe.

      In 1989 I felt a need to lose 10 lbs. The NEW Food Pyramid had just been produced by the Dept. of Agriculture and touted a “new” way to eat healthy. I suspected it was a bit too heavy in whole grains, but adopted it as my “new” lifestyle. Result – I gained fat and lbs. A few years later and much research on my part I learned that there was absolutely no scientific study to back up that pyramid and it was a “gift” to appease the grain farmers of America from Congress. Most of what the government and modern medicine has told the public over the last 40 years about healthy eating is a LIE. Are you aware that most doctors are not required to take so much as a single 3 hour class on nutrition? It is a rare medical school that teaches nutrition at all. Everything is aimed at selling more pharmaceutical drugs.

      Over the years since my failed attempt to lose 10 lbs, I have gone back to the “healthy balanced plate” I was taught in high school home economics class. I have also stopped eating most packaged foods and rely on natural whole foods. I do not purchase anything containing canola oil, HFCS, BHT, BVO and a host of other chemical ingredients. I eat red meat 5 – 7 days a week. I buy real unsalted butter, olive oil and coconut oil. I celebrated my 68th birthday a few months ago and have never been healthier in my life. I have none of the physical ailments that plague my contemporaries such as high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, etc. I take no drugs; neither prescription or over the counter. I eat like my grandparents did in the late 19th and early 20th century. Honey is my preferred sweetener, but pure maple syrup is great too. I have spent the last 30 years studying natural healing and have learned how to be healthy without “modern medicine”. God gave us all the good health we will ever need in our food supply; provided we stick to natural, not man manufactured, foods.

  19. Emi Emery Avatar
    Emi Emery

    I found this website by googling “why is shortening bad for you”.
    Great info, thank you! One question.What about organic shortening?
    I wanted to make delicious chocolate chip cookies. I saw a comparison and it seemed like the one with shortening in it looked the best… so I thought, why oh why… and I remembered there was shortening that was organic… You could also share with me if you have a good chocolate chip cookie recipe. Thanks.

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