Why I Advocate For Saturated Fats Over Vegetable Oils(Updated)

June 15, 2022
Stephen Ajulu
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Here’s why I believe saturated animal fats, coconut oil, avocado oil, and olive oil should replace ALL your vegetable oils:

1. Vegetable oils are not actually made from vegetables

If you carefully examine every vegetable oil ingredient you’ll find that they are actually made from seeds and not vegetables. There are no oils made from vegetables unless you decide an avocado is a vegetable. The fact that they lie to consumers that what you are cooking was made from vegetables proves the point that they are not good as they are using clever marketing, since it’s believed vegetables are good and healthy.

2. Seed “vegetable” oils are unstable

Vegetable oils are either polyunsaturated or trans fats/oils.

Here’s an excerpt from a Nuffield Health article on polyunsaturated oils:

Polyunsaturated fat, found in nut and seed oils, is liquid at room temperature. These fats, which include the popular sunflower seed oil, have more than one (poly) double bond in their carbon chain, and these carbon bonds are missing their hydrogen atoms.

Because of these multiple ‘unsaturated’ or ‘incomplete’ double bonds, polyunsaturated fats are chemically unstable and prone to oxidation. This makes them the worst oils to cook with, as heat produces damaging free radicals within the oils.

Here’s an excerpt from a MedlinePlus article on trans fats:

Trans fat is a type of dietary fat. Of all the fats, trans fat is the worst for your health. Too much trans fat in your diet increases your risk for heart disease and other health problems.

Trans fats are made when food makers turn liquid oils into solid fats, like shortening or margarine. Trans fats can be found in many fried, “fast” packaged, or processed foods, including:

  • Anything fried and battered
  • Shortening and stick margarine
  • Cakes, cake mixes, pies, pie crust, and doughnuts

Animal foods, such as red meats and dairy, have small amounts of trans fats. But most trans fats come from processed foods.

As you can see, both polyunsaturated oils and trans fats are detrimental to you health.

3. Seed “vegetable” oils contain radicals

Here are excerpts on radicals especially in vegetable oils and fats:

Free radicals roam inside our bodies, damaging our cells and our DNA by oxidizing them. (What’s oxidation? Think rust. And for the science geeks, free radicals are molecules with an unpaired electron.)

Fats and oils. Fats and oils can become oxidized from exposure to light, air, or heat. Not only does this create free radicals, but it also causes the unpleasant odors and flavor that we associate with rancidity. When you heat fats or oils to high temperatures, as with deep-frying, they can become oxidized, creating free radicals. This effect is amplified when cooking fats are reused, as they may be in restaurants. For this reason, don’t use these delicate oils for cooking: flaxseed oil and nut and seed oils.

4. Vegetable oils cause modern-day lifestyle illnesses such as hypertension, cancer, heart disease, and more

Excerpts from LifeSpa

Vegetable cooking oils were once touted as heart-healthy replacements for butter and lard. Unfortunately, they are the newest culprit in today’s rising levels of heart disease.

Sadly, because of the processed nature of these oils, much of it ends up deposited in fat cells. In fact, from 1959 to 2008, the amount of linoleic acid deposited in subcutaneous fat jumped from 9.1% to 21.5%.

One 2018 study reports that linoleic acid promotes oxidative stress, oxidized LDL (bad cholesterol), chronic low-grade inflammation, and atherosclerosis, and is likely a major dietary culprit for causing coronary heart disease, especially when consumed in the form of industrial seed oils commonly referred to as “vegetable oils.”

The amount of linoleic acid (processed vegetable oils) deposited in fat (belly fat, hips, cellulite) is associated with the risk of arterial health issues. Furthermore, high levels of omega-6 fatty acids built up in fat stores will reduce concentrations of heart-healthy long-chain omega-3 fatty acids (eicosapentaenoic acid [EPA] and docosahexaenoic acid [DHA]), most commonly found in fish oils.

For those opposing the above point, my question to you is this. Why is it that heart disease, cancer, and hypertension are on the rise despite the “heart-healthy” “free of cholesterol” vegetable oils commonly used today? Why is it that since we replaced saturated and monounsaturated fats/oils lifestyle diseases have been on the rise? Answer in the comments. Just look at obesity. We are a morbidly obese race. Never before has humanity been this fat. I further emphasize these points with this excerpt:

In the early 1900s, before the soybean introduction, vegetable oils were available for culinary use, but they looked much different than today. Seed oils were cold-pressed in dark warehouses and delivered in dark brown bottles in the wee hours of the morning—much like the milkmen we know of today. These oils were so volatile to oxidation that any light exposure would accelerate their rancidity.

Today, vegetable seed oils are industrially processed and oxidized to such an extent that for commercial cooking oils to have a stable shelf life, all the nutrients and protective antioxidants in the seed are processed out. These vegetable seed oils are boiled to over 400° Fahrenheit, denatured, bleached, and then deodorized because they smell so bad after processing. Contrary to the oils pressed and sold in dark rooms and dark bottles, today’s seed oils are void of the nutrients that once graced the seeds, so they can be sold 24/7 in clear plastic bottles in fully lit grocery stores.

Highly processed high linoleic acid vegetable oils are so stable, they use them to preserve food and extend shelf life. You will find them all in packaged food in the middle of your grocery store. Linoleic acids are so fully oxidized that not only are they toxic and damaging to the arterial wall, but intestinal microbes that typically feed on essential fatty acids and fiber won’t touch them.

Bread, for example, years ago would get hard and stale in just one day, making your local baker a regular stop on your shopping list. Today, bread stays soft for months thanks to highly processed vegetable oils used to extend shelf life—but not your life.

Beneficial microbes ingest good fats, but if microbes will not eat the processed fats in your bread, your bread will not go bad or mold. But when you eat the processed bread, those same microbes now in your gut won’t eat or digest them either. All the indigestible omega-6 fats end up in the liver to be broken down as toxic waste or stored in your fat as a toxic waste dump.

Today, gallbladder removal is the most common elective abdominal surgery in America. Gallstones, just one reason the gallbladder fails, affecting 10-15% of Americans, or 20-25 million people.

More importantly, why has gallbladder disease risen by 20%+ in the last 30 years? In large part, the answer is oxidized fats.

Heating PUFAs accelerates the free radical cascade of damage and oxidation in the body. In a famous New Zealand study, researchers evaluated arterial blood flow after a fried food meal. They used a blood pressure cuff to see how fast blood vessels would dilate back to normal after ingestion of a meal cooked in used fast food fryer oil.

The results were dramatic. Four hours after ingesting the meal cooked in one-week-old high omega-6 vegetable oil, they measured how quickly the artery would recover from the pressure of the blood pressure cuff. Before the meal, the vessels dilated normally, but afterward, there was almost no dilation!

What kinds of oils are making their way into your body? Hopefully now, armed with this information, you’ll look a little more carefully at processed foods and vegetable cooking oils, and opt instead for fresh foods and oils. They may go bad quicker, but they will keep you healthier.

5. Cholesterol and saturated fats are ESSENTIAL

No, your brain is not made up of 90% water. It’s in fact made up of 60% fat. Are you aware your cell membrane is made up of cholesterol? Are you aware that up to 70% of your hormones are made from cholesterol? Are you aware that one of the reasons testosterone, fertility in women, and sperm count is due to lower dietary intake of saturated fats? Are you aware that animal fat and your own fat are almost chemical similar? What does this mean? This means that your body is better capable of processing animal fats than any other fat/oil on the planet. Are you aware that your own body produces up to 60% cholesterol? Are you aware that a majority of doctors and their societies/corporations have been in cahoots with food processing companies for financial gain? Why is medicine one of the most paid careers in the world? Why do patients taking statins also experience a hit/decrease in sexual desire and even develop erectile dysfunction?

Ask yourselves these questions and arrive at your own conclusions.

6. Conclusion

We(Mankind) have been eating foods high in saturated fats and our diets have primarily consisted of red meat. Why is it that we are now experiencing the effects? Why now? I have the answer: Industrialization! How can a company sell a product? Through marketing. What’s the best form of marketing? Playing with the emotions of the customer. How can big food corps do this? By paying doctors who you believe have your self-interests at heart to tell you this is healthy. How do they crush the competition? Having the same doctors tell you that is not healthy. It’s really that simple. Think. I hope all of you have seen/read the best answer to: “Sell me this pen”. The best answer doesn’t involve explaining just its features to the customer but rather socially engineering a person by involving their feelings. An example answer to the above question: “Because this pen embodies functionality and class. Imagine pulling this out to write checks. You’ll look like a boss. To top this off it’s even refillable, this way you’ll always have your trusty sidekick who will never let you down. With this meter, you’ll easily know when your sidekick requires refilling, this way you stand out from the pack by being the only one who came with his own pen! This right here is a power move.” Something like that.

Here’s a compiled list of the dangers of PUFA and Trans fats:

  • Blood Sugar - PUFAs can damage the cells in your pancreas that produce insulin. If you want to lose body fat and achieve a high level of health, you want a very effective blood sugar handling system. PUFAs can damage this system. For those with blood sugar handling issues, the primary focus is usually reducing sugar intake, however, I believe it makes more sense to eliminate PUFAs from your diet.
  • Skin health - PUFAs are closely linked to age pigment formation. In addition, a high level of PUFA in your body means when you are exposed to the sun, free radical damage is more likely. Free radical damage to the skin could lead to skin cancer.
  • Metabolism - PUFAs can stress various systems in your body, particularly the rate at which your cells produce energy (i.e. your metabolism). This has numerous implications for thyroid health and general hormonal balance.
  • Digestion / Immune System - PUFAs can impair protein digestion. Digestion problems are rampant in this day and age, and eliminating PUFAs is an often overlooked and very effective way of supporting digestion. Your immune system is closely linked to your digestive system, a problem with digestion almost guarantees a poorly functioning immune system.
  • Detoxification - The liver plays a major role in detoxification, PUFAs can overburden the liver. That sluggish feeling you feel after eating out? You may have just consumed PUFAs.

Plan of Action

  • Avoid PUFA oils completely, especially for cooking.

  • Always use heat-stable fats for cooking (i.e. coconut oil, olive oil, ghee, butter, tallow).

  • Limit the number of times per week you eat out and follow the eating out tips below.

  • Consume high PUFA foods (i.e. nuts, seeds, fatty fish) in limited quantities (i.e. a few times a week instead of daily)

  • If you consume animal products ensure that the animals are not fed any PUFA. This means consuming grass-fed beef and pasture-raised eggs and poultry. There are many other benefits to this approach as well.

  • If you are a vegan or vegetarian and nuts and seeds are a significant component of your diet it may be beneficial to consume lots of coconut oil and possibly to supplement with Vitamin E.

  • If you are a vegan or vegetarian and nuts and seeds are a significant component of your diet it may be beneficial to consume lots of coconut oil and possibly to supplement with Vitamin E.

  • Vitamin E is a very powerful antioxidant and may help offset the damage caused by PUFAs. When you go out to a restaurant or if you are in the mood for some French fries, take some vitamin E when you get home.

  • Eat more saturated fat in general, but especially on days when you will be consuming PUFAs (whether intentionally or unintentionally). Saturated fat can offset the damage caused by PUFAs.

  • If you only want to do one thing for your health, limit your exposure to PUFAs.

  • It is rumored that pig farmers attempted to feed their pigs coconut oil to fatten them up (in the days when coconut oil, was cheap). Apparently, the pigs got lean and muscular on the coconut oil diet. Only after they started feeding them corn, soybeans, and grains did they begin to bulk up.

  • When eating out look for farm-table restaurants and ask that your food be cooked in olive oil or butter (coconut oil would be great but this is very uncommon).

  • If you have been consuming a high PUFA diet for many years and carry around high levels of body fat, chances are you are storing lots of PUFA in your own tissues. While reduced body fat should be your goal, you should be sure not to rush your weight loss. When you begin to shed those pounds you can release PUFA into circulation in the body. If done too quickly, this can be particularly damaging and stressful to the body (see the various televised weight-loss competitions).

  • Avoid omega-6 oils. Read the labels on packages carefully and severely limit or avoid corn, soybean, canola, and cottonseed oils, and all foods made with them. This includes fried foods from restaurants, and most snack foods like chips, popcorn, etc.

  • Eliminate trans fats. Totally avoid partially hydrogenated or hydrogenated fats of any kind. If vegetable and seed oils weren’t bad enough, hydrogenating them turns them into the dangerous, heart-harming trans fats that everyone is warning about these days. Research shows that these fats “may raise blood sugar levels” and “alter metabolism in humans.”

    Read your labels carefully: Commercial baked goods—such as crackers, cookies, hempseed, and cakes—and many fried foods, such as doughnuts and french fries—may contain hydrogenated trans fats. Shortenings and some margarine can contain hydrogenated trans fats too.

  • Use only healthy, traditional fats, such as:

    • Lard (non-hydrogenated, especially from pasture-raised pigs)
    • Tallow (especially from grass-fed cows)
    • Butter (especially from grass-fed cows)
    • Coconut Oil (cold-pressed, unrefined “virgin” oil is best)
    • Olive Oil (only cold-pressed, extra-virgin in dark bottles or cans)
    • Avocado Oil (cold-pressed; great for high-heat)

    These fats are incredibly stable and have been enjoyed safely by humans for thousands of years. They almost never go rancid and many can last for years stored in your pantry.

  • Eat more greens. Leafy greens have a better balance of omega-3s to omega-6s than most seeds and grains (though flax and hemp seeds are notable exceptions). Omega-3s live in leaves, flax, and hemp seed as the omega-3 ALA (alpha-linolenic acid). Animals (like us) can convert ALA into even more dynamic omega-3s: EPA and DHA, which are essential for heart and brain health, especially in children. This conversion is very inefficient in humans, however, and that’s why the next two steps are so important.

  • Eat healthier meats. Cows raised on grass produce meat, milk, and cheese with substantially more omega-3s than their corn-and soy-fed counterparts. Chickens fed a diet rich in bugs, flax and greens produce eggs that are as high in EPA and DHA as many species of fish. Grass-fed meats, dairy, and eggs are more expensive than grain-fed, but the money you spend today is minor compared to the very steep medical price tag attached to a diet high in omega-6s.

  • Eat fish. Wild-caught fish can also be a sustainable part of your new diet, as moderate fish consumption will be more effective when your diet has fewer omega-6s. Try to eat at least two meals of wild-caught, minimal-mercury fish per week. (Avoid farmed fish because they are fed GMO corn and soy!) Fish oil supplements can also help, though they’re not a long-term solution to this widespread nutritional deficiency.

Some good news: The American Heart Association recently said that there is no evidence linking dietary saturated fat and cholesterol to cardiovascular disease and obesity.

Polyunsaturated cooking oils.

Polyunsaturated cooking oils like corn, soybean, canola, safflower, and sunflower oils are often touted as “healthy” oils. While agribusiness conglomerates have done a good PR job with their number one, best-selling product, nothing could be further from the truth. (Note: Also see “ The Skinny on Fat, Part 2: How Carbohydrates Make You Fat ” for the complete story.)

In addition to rancidity, oxidation, and an overabundance of omega-6 fatty acids, yellow seed oils have a host of environmental problems too.

Yellow seed oils are brand new to humankind, and they only exist because the chemical processes and machinery invented during the industrial revolution made it possible to extract them. Today, the majority of these industrial oils are manufactured from genetically engineered corn, soybeans, and rapeseed (canola) which have been heavily sprayed with Round-up (glyphosate) or atrazine, highly toxic, endocrine-disrupting herbicides, and other toxic pesticides.

Then these oils are extracted and refined using carcinogenic hexane (two carbon atoms short of octane—as in gasoline!) and are then finally bleached and deodorized to disguise their rancidity. The final product is not only essentially bad for you but it is also contaminated with traces of several highly toxic petrochemicals.

Did you know: That margarine is one molecule away from plastic? Well, now you do!

This article is a compilation of my thoughts, research, investigations, and excerpts from credible sources.

PS: Sources, if you believe I have not linked your website here yet have used your content, kindly write to me via the contact form: here .

Have a great day!

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Photo by Ashwini Chaudhary(Monty) on Unsplash

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